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Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural America

Author

Listed:
  • J. Tom Mueller

    (Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84321)

  • Kathryn McConnell

    (Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510)

  • Paul Berne Burow

    (Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510)

  • Katie Pofahl

    (Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510)

  • Alexis A. Merdjanoff

    (New York University School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10012)

  • Justin Farrell

    (Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510)

Abstract

Despite considerable social scientific attention to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on urbanized areas, very little research has examined its impact on rural populations. Yet rural communities—which make up tens of millions of people from diverse backgrounds in the United States—are among the nation’s most vulnerable populations and may be less resilient to the effects of such a large-scale exogenous shock. We address this critical knowledge gap with data from a new survey designed to assess the impacts of the pandemic on health-related and economic dimensions of rural well-being in the North American West. Notably, we find that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural populations have been severe, with significant negative impacts on unemployment, overall life satisfaction, mental health, and economic outlook. Further, we find that these impacts have been generally consistent across age, ethnicity, education, and sex. We discuss how these findings constitute the beginning of a much larger interdisciplinary COVID-19 research effort that integrates rural areas and pushes beyond the predominant focus on cities and nation-states.

Suggested Citation

  • J. Tom Mueller & Kathryn McConnell & Paul Berne Burow & Katie Pofahl & Alexis A. Merdjanoff & Justin Farrell, 2021. "Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural America," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 118(1), pages 2019378118-, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nas:journl:v:118:y:2021:p:e2019378118
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    Cited by:

    1. Carla Barlagne & Mariana Melnykovych & David Miller & Richard J. Hewitt & Laura Secco & Elena Pisani & Maria Nijnik, 2021. "What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-25, April.
    2. Arin, K. Peren & Lacomba, Juan A. & Lagos, Francisco & Moro-Egido, Ana I. & Thum, Marcel, 2022. "Exploring the hidden impact of the Covid-19 pandemic: The role of urbanization," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    3. Małgorzata Dziembała, 2021. "The Enhancement of Sustainable Competitiveness of the CEE Regions at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic Instability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-17, November.
    4. Andrew C Stokes & Dielle J Lundberg & Irma T Elo & Katherine Hempstead & Jacob Bor & Samuel H Preston, 2021. "COVID-19 and excess mortality in the United States: A county-level analysis," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(5), pages 1-18, May.
    5. Li, Tao & Rong, Lili & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Assessing regional risk of COVID-19 infection from Wuhan via high-speed rail," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 226-238.
    6. Young, Maria-Elena De Trinidad & Perez-Lua, Fabiola & Sarnoff, Hannah & Plancarte, Vivianna & Goldman-Mellor, Sidra & Payán, Denise Diaz, 2022. "Working around safety net exclusions during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study of rural Latinx immigrants," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).

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