Research Alert: March 8, 2022

Since 1990, Rural Hospital Closures Have Increasingly Occurred in Counties that Are More Urbanized, Diverse, and Economically Unequal

Between 1990 and 2020, there were 334 documented rural hospital closures in 44 states. Closures were more likely to occur in a county with more non‐white residents between 1990 and 2020; and conversely, the share of white residents decreased in rural closure counties. We also found that between 1990 and 2020, rural closure counties became more economically unequal, with higher unemployment, lower per capita income, and lower median household incomes compared with rural counties overall. Finally, we found that between 1990 and 2020, rural closure counties were increasingly likely to be primary care and dental health service professional shortage areas prior to the closure of a hospital within their borders.

Contact Information:

Arrianna Marie Planey, PhD, MA
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
amplaney@email.unc.edu

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