Household income edged downward in rural America in 2022, but the poverty rate held steady at 15 percent, said the Census Bureau on Tuesday. Median household income in rural America was more than $21,000 lower than in metropolitan areas, helping to explain why rural poverty rates are higher than the U.S. average.
In an annual report, the Census Bureau said the U.S. poverty rate was 11.5 percent, not statistically different than the 11.6 percent rate in 2021. In rural areas, the poverty rate was 15 percent in both years. Some 6.5 million people in rural areas and 37.9 million people nationwide were living in poverty, with incomes below $29,678 for a family of four.
Adjusted for inflation, the median U.S. household income was $74,580 in 2022, down 2.3 percent from 2021. In rural America, the median household income was $55,960, a drop of $2,000 from 2021. For urban households, the median income was $77,500.
Rural poverty rates have exceeded the U.S. average for years. Rural residents, who tend to be older, have less formal education and lower incomes than people in the rest of the country.
Median farm household income has exceeded median U.S. household income annually since 1998, said the USDA. Its Economic Research Service estimates median incomes of $95,740 in 2022 and $98,148 this year, with the lion’s share coming from work off the farm.