Introduction The Health of Rural America Barriers to Rural Health Care Action Points Resources Electronic Library Acknowledgments				BARRIERS TO RURAL HEALTH CARE (2 OF 12) Affordability of Health Care - The rising costs of health care coupled with the lower incomes present in rural areas make it difficult for families to afford acute, chronic and preventive health care. Despite popular belief, poverty is more widespread in rural areas than in urban areas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2000 the poverty rate was 13.4% in rural areas compared to 10.6% in urban areas. The average income in nonmetropolitan areas in 2000 was only 65% of that in metropolitan areas. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Oct. 11, 2001.
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