The Congressional Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed adjustments to the way that rural counties are defined Currently, counties are considered “rural” if they contain less than 50,000 residents. The proposed change will increase that figure to 100,000.

The changes would have major federal funding impacts for city and local governments. A county’s rural or metropolitan classification can affect its eligibility for federal or private funding. The change would increase the number of Americans living in rural classified areas by 18 million.

The Daily Yonder has a full report here: https://dailyyonder.com/what-would-redefining-metro-counties-mean-for-rural-america-its-complicated/2021/03/05/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=what-would-redefining-metro-counties-mean-for-rural-america-its-complicated