Rural Prosperity: A Longitudinal Study of Rural Communities and Rural Low-Income Families

This report is through the Rural Families Speak project at the University of Minnesota. Funded through the USDA National Research Initiative Cooperative Grant Program (NRICGP), this project tracked 524 rural low-income families in 17 states post-welfare reform. Data was collected on labor force participation, health, food security, and social support. It was found that low-income families face multiple challenges in rural areas including fewer employment opportunities, and also less access to support services such as childcare, transportation, and mental health services.