This study described the supply and distribution of selected health professionals in the rural U.S. nationally, and within census divisions, providing a nuanced description of the variability in supply and geographic distribution. The study also examined historic variation, overall and per capita, in rural/urban, regional, and intra-rural supply using several data sources, such as the Area Health Resource File, the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, and Urban Influence Codes. Depending on data availability, health professionals analyzed included primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists, behavioral health providers (including psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors), obstetric providers (including obstetricians, advanced practice midwives, and midwives), and specialist physicians (overall and individual specialties not listed previously, including general surgeons).

Tracking the trends in the rural workforce allows for the development of solutions to address access disparities. The study also identified gaps in data availability by profession and time period as a spur to promoting improved data collection and reporting on the rural health workforce.

Publications

• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Counselors in the U.S., 2014-2021
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of counselors by rural-urban status and Census Division.
• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners in the U.S., 2014-2021
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of psychiatric nurse practitioners by rural-urban status and Census Division.
• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychiatrists in the U.S., 1995-2019
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of psychiatrists by rural-urban status and Census Division.
• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychologists in the U.S., 2014-2021
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of psychologists by rural-urban status and Census Division.
• Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Social Workers in the U.S., 2014-2021
  Fact Sheet
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2022
  There are rural vs. urban disparities and unequal distribution of behavioral health providers across U.S. Census Divisions. This study examined the trends in the supply of social workers by rural-urban status and Census Division.
• Trends in the Health Workforce Supply in the Rural U.S.
  Report
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2024
  This report examines the availability of current and historical workforce data for a variety of health care professionals and provides estimates of the trends in the supply and distribution in the rural vs. urban U.S. workforce.