What makes a town 'rural'? The answer can mean the difference of billions in federal aid
A town of 1,000 people feels like a rural place to someone from Chicago, but to a person living in a town of 200, that population of 1,000 feels almost urban.
And what the government defines as rural determines tens of billions of dollars a year in spending aimed at helping America's small or remote places.
Houston, Missouri, a town of 2,500 tucked into the hills of the Ozarks near the Arkansas border, takes pride as the hometown of famous clown Emmett Kelly. The residents tout a small-town, rural lifestyle with easy access to wide open, outdoor spaces.
But for some federal grants, Houston is not rural.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/government-politics-issues/2022-01-18/what-makes-a-town-rural-the-answer-can-mean-the-difference-of-billions-in-federal-aid
