Report · Health

Nearly half of Americans peg the rural cutoff at fewer than 1,000 residents

Reading

Nearly half of Americans (46%) reserve the label rural for places with fewer than 1,000 residents, according to a November 2024 Verasight survey.

About a quarter (24%) set the threshold lower, at fewer than 100 people, while roughly as many (23%) extend it to fewer than 10,000; just 7% would stretch it to fewer than 100,000.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Nearly half of Americans peg the rural cutoff at fewer than 1,000 residents.

In your opinion, how many residents would have to live in that city/town for YOU to consider it rural?

  • Fewer than 1000 people 46.2%
  • Fewer than 100 people 23.7%
  • Fewer than 10,000 people 22.8%
  • Fewer than 100,000 people 7.3%

2024 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.4%

B

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2024-11-19 → 2024-11-22
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.4%
Module
B

Source

Citation

Verasight APHA Omnibus Survey #2024-122, fielded November 19-22, 2024, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.4%.

https://verasight-apha-2024.tiiny.co

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.