Leading Causes of Death in Rural America as a Public Health Issue

Key points

  • People living in rural areas are more likely to die early from the five top causes of death than their urban counterparts.
  • More of these deaths are potentially preventable in rural areas than in urban areas.
  • Reasons for the health gap between rural and urban residents include social, structural, and environmental factors.
Ariel View Village Roof at dawn

Overview

About 46 million people, or 15% of the U.S. population, currently live in rural areas. They are more likely than urban residents to die from the following leading causes of death:

  • Heart disease
  • Cancer
  • Unintentional injuries
  • Chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD)
  • Stroke

Preventable deaths in rural America in 2022‎

In 2022, many deaths in rural America were potentially preventable, including 20,000 from heart disease and stroke, 6,000 from cancer, 10,000 from unintentional injuries, and nearly 6,000 from chronic lower respiratory disease.

Why rural residents have higher health risks

The following demographic, environmental, economic, and social factors might put rural residents at higher risk of death from public health conditions:

  • Older age and more illness than their urban counterparts
  • Higher rates of cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and obesity
  • Less leisure-time physical activity and lower seatbelt use
  • Higher rates of poverty
  • Less access to healthcare and health insurance.

What can be done to improve the health of rural communities

A CDC report provides data from 2010-2022 on the widening gap in some causes of preventable early deaths between rural and urban areas. The findings can help guide local public health programs to reduce these health risks by:

  • Screening patients for high blood pressure
  • Increasing cancer prevention and early detection
  • Encouraging physical activity and healthy eating
  • Promoting smoking cessation
  • Promoting motor vehicle safety
  • Treating opioid use disorder

The findings in this report also highlight the need to understand and address the social, environmental, and structural factors contributing to disparities in preventable early deaths between rural and urban areas.

Preventable early deaths from the five leading causes are more common for among people living in rural communities. Footnote: Compared to Americans who live in urban areas, National Vital Statistics System mortality data, 2010-2022. Protect yourself. Be physically active. │ Eat well. │ Don’t smoke. │ Wear your seatbelt. │ See your doctor for routine screenings.
Preventable early deaths from the five leading causes are more common for among people living in rural communities.

Resources

What the science says:

Preventable Premature Deaths from the Five Leading Causes of Death in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties, United States, 2010–2022

MMWR. Surveillance Summaries / Vol. 73 / No. 2 / P. 1–11

2019 MMWR Surveillance Summary

MMWR. Surveillance Summaries / Vol. 68 / No. 10 / P. 1–11

Rural Reinvestment:

MMWR Paired Commentary

Data on excess deaths by state:

A Data Visualization Dashboard

Leading Causes of Death in Rural America Partner Toolkit

A health risk gap between rural and urban Americans, potential causes, and additional resources.

Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub)

The Rural Health Information hub at ruralhealthinfo.org is your first stop for rural health information.
Learn more at the Rural Health Information Hub.

Spotlight‎

Watch the Mortality in Rural Areas: Insights from National Research and Community-Based Initiatives webinar on the Rural Health Information Hub for more information.
Watch this webinar
An infographic titled "Rural county residents died from the top 5 causes of death more frequently than urban county residents." There are five causes shown: Cancer, Heart Disease, Unintentional Injury, CLRD (Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease), and Stroke. The footer states, "Many of these deaths were likely preventable."
Rural county residents died from the top 5 causes of death more frequently than urban county residents
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Content Source:
Public Health Infrastructure Center