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When it started, the COVID-19 pandemic hit cities the hardest. In April 2020, metros with more than a million people had rate of about eight deaths a week per 100,000 adults, according to an analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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But the situation flipped as the pandemic progressed. In September, rural areas — those with a population less than 10,000 — started to have higher death rates than urban areas.

In December, small towns had a rate of about 10 deaths a week per 100,000 adults, according to the USDA analysis.

The USDA attributed the increase to three factors: 1) rural America’s aging population; 2) the prevalence of underlying health conditions among rural residents; and 3) the long distances many have to drive to hospitals with intensive care units.

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GRAPHIC: COVID-19 death rates in rural communities surpassed urban ones in September

by Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest, Investigate Midwest
April 1, 2021

<h1>GRAPHIC: COVID-19 death rates in rural communities surpassed urban ones in September</h1>
<p class="byline">by Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest, Investigate Midwest <br />April 1, 2021</p>

<p>When it started, the COVID-19 pandemic hit cities the hardest. In April 2020, metros with more than a million people had rate of about eight deaths a week per 100,000 adults, according to an <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2021/february/rural-residents-appear-to-be-more-vulnerable-to-serious-infection-or-death-from-coronavirus-covid-19/" target="_blank">analysis</a> by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.</p>
<p>But the situation flipped as the pandemic progressed. In September, rural areas — those with a population less than 10,000 — started to have higher death rates than urban areas.</p>
<p>In December, small towns had a rate of about 10 deaths a week per 100,000 adults, according to the USDA analysis.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AW-Feb2021-Rural_America_COVID-Fig2.png"><img src="https://investigatemidwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AW-Feb2021-Rural_America_COVID-Fig2-771x547.png" alt="" class="wp-image-737183" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Graphic: <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2021/february/rural-residents-appear-to-be-more-vulnerable-to-serious-infection-or-death-from-coronavirus-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USDA</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>The USDA attributed the increase to three factors: 1) rural America's aging population; 2) the prevalence of underlying health conditions among rural residents; and 3) the long distances many have to drive to hospitals with intensive care units.</p>
<p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://investigatemidwest.org/2021/04/01/graphic-covid-19-death-rates-in-rural-communities-surpassed-urban-ones-in-september/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://investigatemidwest.org&quot;&gt;Investigate Midwest&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/investigatemidwest.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-IM_RIT_logo_color-2.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;quality=80&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p>
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GRAPHIC: COVID-19 death rates in rural communities surpassed urban ones in September

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Sky Chadde, Investigate MidwestSenior Reporter

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