One of the first comprehensive assessments of rural poverty and housing conditions in the United States. Since the 1980s, HAC has prepared an updated Taking Stock every ten years following the release of decennial Census data. Now HAC presents the newest edition of Taking Stock, using data from the 2010 Census and American Community Survey (ACS) to describe the social, economic, and housing characteristics of rural Americans.

For much of its history, the United States was largely rural in both population and landmass. The share of Americans living in rural places continues a long decline. Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population resides in rural or small-town communities. This one-fifth of the nation’s population, located across more than 90 percent of the U.S. landmass, constitutes a unique spatial dynamic of sparse populations from many different communities, distinct regions, economies, and geographies. While it is important not to generalize from such a diverse landscape, there are several trends with important implications for the well-being and housing of all rural Americans.