Oregon Office of Rural Health

Oregon Office of Rural Health

About Rural and Frontier Data

Devil's Lake Fork 1

Oregon Office of Rural Health Geographic Definitions

Rural as any geographic areas in Oregon ten or more miles from the centroid of a population center of 40,000 people or more.

Frontier as any county with six or fewer people per square mile. ORH has identified 10 of Oregon’s 36 counties as frontier. More information can be found at the bottom of this page.

ORH uses population numbers from the Population Research Center at Portland State University for incorporated cities and counties, and numbers from Claritas for Oregon Zip Codes.

As of 2024, the population in Grants Pass has risen above 40,000. Zip Codes for 97526, 97527, 97528, and the Grants Pass Primary Care Service area are now defined as urban.

Using 2023 Claritas data, 31% (1,332,260) of Oregon’s population lives in rural areas, 2% (96,950) in frontier, and 67% (2,866,511) in urban areas.

Oregon's Frontier Counties

  • Baker
  • Gilliam
  • Grant
  • Harney
  • Lake
  • Malheur
  • Morrow
  • Sherman
  • Wallowa
  • Wheeler

Other Recognized Definitions of Rural and Frontier

What is Rural

All population and territory that is NOT an Urban Area.

Definitions

Areas that contain at least 2,000 housing units or have a population of at least 5,000.

Update Status

  • Population numbers based on 2020 Census
  • Updated decennially

Health Policy Use

Clinics located outside of 2010 Urbanized Areas or 2020 Urban Areas are geographically eligible for Rural Health Clinic (RHC) designation. Check geographic eligibility here.

For more information, visit the Census Bureau on urban and rural classification.

What is Rural

All counties that are NOT a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Definitions

  • Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
    • A Core Based Statistical Area associated with at least one Urban Area that has a population of at least 50,000. The MSA comprises the central county or counties containing the core, plus adjacent outlying counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the central county or counties as measured through commuting.
  • Micropolitan Statistical Areas
    • A Core Based Statistical Area associated with at least one Urban Area that has a population of at least 10,000, but less than 50,000. The µSA comprises the central county or counties containing the core, plus adjacent outlying counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the central county or counties as measured through commuting.

Update Status

  • Population numbers from 2020 Census
  • Updated every few years

Health Policy Use

Used to categorize hospitals as either rural or urban for purposes of Medicare reimbursement.

For more information, please visit the Census Bureau.

What is Rural

ZIP Codes or Census Tracts that are categorized 4 to 10.

Definitions

30 categories according to size and commuting patterns:

  1. Metro area Core (>50,000)
  2. Metro area, high commute
  3. Metro area, low commute
  4. Large town Core (10,000-49,999)
  5. Large town, high commute
  6. Large town, low commute
  7. Small town core (2,500-9,999)
  8. Small town, high commute
  9. Small town, low commute
  10. Rural area (<2,500)

Update Status

  • ZIP Code version based on 2010 Census, updated August 2014
  • Census tract version based on 2010 Census, updated December 2013

Health Policy Use

Areas categorized 4-10 are eligible for grants issued by FORHP (Federal Office of Rural Health Policy).

For more information, visit the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center (RHRC) and USDA Economic Research Service (ERS).

What is Frontier

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) developed four levels of ZIP-code-level frontier and remote area (FAR) codes ranging from one that is relatively inclusive (12.2 million FAR level one residents) to one that is more restrictive (2.3 million FAR level four residents).

Definitions

FAR level one: ZIP code areas with majority populations living 60 minutes or more from urban areas of 50,000 or more.

FAR level two: ZIP code areas with majority populations living 60 minutes or more from urban areas of 50,000 or more people and 45 minutes or more from urban areas of 25,000-49,999 people.

FAR level three: ZIP code areas with majority populations living 60 minutes or more from urban areas of 50,000 or more people; and 45 minutes or more from urban areas of 25,000-49,999 people; and 30 minutes or more from urban areas of 10,000- 24,999 people.

FAR level four: ZIP code areas with majority populations living 60 minutes or more from urban areas of 50,000 or more people; and 45 minutes or more from urban areas of 25,000-49,999 people; and 30 minutes or more from urban areas of 10,000- 24,999 people; and 15 minutes or more from urban areas of 2,500-9,999 people.

FAR maps

Update Status

  • ZIP Code version based on 2010 Census
  • Updated decennially

Health Policy Use

Currently none.

For more information, visit the USDA ERS website.

Download a table on how these different definitions affect healthcare policy.

Use the Am I Rural Tool to search for rural definitions for your community.

Use the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer to check for rural grant eligibility.

Contact

Emerson Ong | 503-494-5526