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

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/health/americans-most-often-say-a-place-is-rural-once-it-has-under-1-000-residents/

> Indexed question in Health.

## 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

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

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

- 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%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: United States adults
- Field dates: 2024-11-19 → 2024-11-22
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.4%
- Module: B
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://verasight-apha-2024.tiiny.co#population-threshold-for-rural-towns](https://verasight-apha-2024.tiiny.co#population-threshold-for-rural-towns)

## Citation

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

Canonical question URL: [https://verasight-apha-2024.tiiny.co#population-threshold-for-rural-towns](https://verasight-apha-2024.tiiny.co#population-threshold-for-rural-towns)