Who We Serve

MCRH is proud to offer a diverse portfolio of programming in Michigan’s rural communities. These communities include but are not limited to the rural counties represented in the map below. There are a variety of definitions for rural, and the map represents a visual of the rural counties in Michigan. Additional resources for defining rural are below:

Resources for Defining Rural:

Census Bureau: The Census Bureau defines rural as any population, housing, or territory NOT in an urban area. Urban areas are organized into two categories:
1. Urbanized areas (UAs) are 50,000 or more people
2. Urban clusters (UCs) have 2,500 - 49,999 people. This link provides resources around the Census Bureau’s evolution of defining rural, and how nuanced data such as census tract data can be useful in defining rural.
HRSA: This link provides insight into how HRSA utilizes the various definitions of rural for funding prioritization. A lookup tool to determine if your organization is eligible for Rural Health Grants provided by HRSA can be found here. HRSA defines rural as the following:
- All non-metro counties
- All metro census tracts with RUCA codes 4-10
- Large area Metro census tracts of at least 400 sq. miles in area with a population density of 35 or less per sq. mile with RUCA codes 2-3.
- Beginning with Fiscal Year 2022 Rural Health Grants, all outlying metro counties without a UA are considered rural.
USDA: USDA defines Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes (RUCA) which classify U.S. census tracts using measures of population density, urbanization, and daily commuting.
HHS Guidance Document on Defining Rural: This link provides insight into commonly used rural definitions by HHS stakeholders.
RHIhub “Am I Rural” Tool: This interactive service can be used to help determine whether a specific location is considered rural based on various definitions of rural, including definitions that are used as eligibility criteria for federal programs.
Note: Many definitions note rural census tracks – to see a listing of rural census tracks in MI, please visit page 32 of this resource.

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Resources for Defining Rural:

Census Bureau: The Census Bureau defines rural as any population, housing, or territory NOT in an urban area. Urban areas are organized into two categories:
1. Urbanized areas (UAs) are 50,000 or more people
2. Urban clusters (UCs) have 2,500 - 49,999 people. This link provides resources around the Census Bureau’s evolution of defining rural, and how nuanced data such as census tract data can be useful in defining rural.
HRSA: This link provides insight into how HRSA utilizes the various definitions of rural for funding prioritization. A lookup tool to determine if your organization is eligible for Rural Health Grants provided by HRSA can be found here. HRSA defines rural as the following:
- All non-metro counties
- All metro census tracts with RUCA codes 4-10
- Large area Metro census tracts of at least 400 sq. miles in area with a population density of 35 or less per sq. mile with RUCA codes 2-3.
- Beginning with Fiscal Year 2022 Rural Health Grants, all outlying metro counties without a UA are considered rural.
USDA: USDA defines Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes (RUCA) which classify U.S. census tracts using measures of population density, urbanization, and daily commuting.
HHS Guidance Document on Defining Rural: This link provides insight into commonly used rural definitions by HHS stakeholders.
RHIhub “Am I Rural” Tool: This interactive service can be used to help determine whether a specific location is considered rural based on various definitions of rural, including definitions that are used as eligibility criteria for federal programs.
Note: Many definitions note rural census tracks – to see a listing of rural census tracks in MI, please visit page 32 of this resource.