RALEIGH, Feb. 25, 2021 – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today  announced it is investing $144 thousand to rural residents gain access to education and  health care in rural North Carolina. 

“Location should not be contributing factor when it comes to a person receiving quality  education or healthcare,” said a USDA Rural Development North Carolina Spokesman.  “This investment will assist rural residents gain access to the tools everyone in North  Carolina should have for continued success and health.”  

USDA is investing $42.3 million to help rural residents gain access to health care and  educational opportunities nationwide. Rural areas are seeing higher infection and death  rates related to COVID-19 due to several factors, including a much higher percentage of  underlying conditions, difficulty accessing medical care, and lack of health insurance.  The $42.3 million in awards includes $24 million provided through the CARES Act. In  total, these investments will benefit 5 million rural residents. 

“The coronavirus pandemic is a national emergency that requires an historic federal  response. These investments by the Biden Administration will help millions of people  living in rural places access health care and education opportunities that could change  and save lives,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is helping rural America  build back better using technology as a cornerstone to create more equitable  communities. With health care and education increasingly moving to online platforms,  the time is now to make historic investments in rural America to improve quality of life  for decades to come.” 

A recent report by the Rural Policy Research Institute’s Center for Rural Health Policy  Analysis found infection and death rates in rural America due to COVID-19 are 13.4  percent higher than in urban areas. A recent report from USDA’s Economic Research  Service, USDA ERS - Rural Residents Appear to be More Vulnerable to Serious  Infection or Death From Coronavirus COVID-19, underscored the challenges facing 

rural Americans amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with even greater detail. Due to a  confluence of factors, including higher percentages of underlying conditions, lack of  health insurance, and lower access to medical facilities/care than urban counterparts,  ERS analysts found rural Americans are suffering more severe illness or death due to  COVID-19. 

Rural Residents Appear to be More Vulnerable to Serious Infection or Death from  Coronavirus COVID-19 

Rural Percent 
Urban Percent 

Underlying health  

conditions (ages 20 to  84) 

Older adult population  scale 

Lacking health  

insurance (ages 25 to  64) 

Distance to county with  an intensive care  

hospital 

23.7 3.0 

15.9 4.0 20.2 10.5 

11.3 0.3 

The table above is from the USDA ERS January 2021 report: Rural Residents Appear  to be More Vulnerable to Serious Infection or Death from Coronavirus COVID-19