Rural America
Beyond the Stereotypes
Rural America. Approximately 60 million people, or one in five Americans, call rural areas home. In Oklahoma, 35.8 percent of the state’s population is estimated to live in a rural area. We see and hear many misconceptions about rural America, especially about Oklahoma. People like to believe that everyone drives a truck, wears boots, or lives on a farm. Let’s move past this narrative because this is not always the truth. In fact, rural America is becoming increasingly diverse every single day. The faster we understand this, the easier it will be to solve this rural-urban divide. Studies show urban and rural voters used to vote similarly, but in the 90s, that split. Urban voters became more democratic and rural voters became overwhelmingly Republican. Why? At its core, I believe rural America is a diverse and often misunderstood region. Rural Americans have become marginalized by systemic economic neglect, corporate consolidation, and a widening political divide. We must work to move past these stereotypes and reinvest in these communities through direct support.
A Diverse Rural America
In my opinion, Democrats miss the mark by leaving rural communities out of the picture. As an example, despite what many think, rural America is not a monolith. Over 10 million rural residents are people of color. Studies show that the number of rural residents who are members of a racial or ethnic minority increased to 11 million between 2010 and 2020, and the fastest-growing demographic in rural America is Latino Americans. And here in Oklahoma, almost all of the 39 tribal nations are based in rural areas. Thousands of rural Oklahomans, and millions of rural Americans of all backgrounds, find themselves overlooked. There is a perception that policies are being imposed on their communities without understanding their specific struggles and challenges. Reversing this won’t be easy, and that is not my goal. What I will do is seek to understand, meet rural Oklahomans where they are, and take seriously the resentments that fuel this divide.
Understanding Rural Challenges
Next, we will address the wage gap, corporate takeovers, and infrastructure barriers in Rural America. In industries like education, the difference between top and starting salaries for teachers is over 10,000, and this gap is seen across many industries, leaving rural Americans behind. Another concern is consolidation. We can see this in the shift from mom-and-pop shops to dollar stores. In the past, rural America had flourishing local economies of independent businesses, but dollar-store corporations have come into small towns and priced out local businesses. Additionally, fewer and fewer students are graduating from rural schools, and teacher retention is an issue, which causes many small towns to lose money and shut down their schools. Oftentimes, that is the only school within 20 miles. Rural areas also experience food deserts, areas that lack safe and nutritious food, and for many rural Americans, this is hurting their health. A major issue affecting many industries and families in rural America is the lack of high-speed internet: 22.3 percent of rural Americans lack it, compared to just 1.5 percent of people in urban areas. And that’s not all. Less than 3% of all philanthropic dollars reach rural America, and federal grant awards are nearly 30% higher per capita in large metro areas than in rural counties. All while over half of the rural workforce desires to own a business, yet they face a lack of mentorship, training, and support programs.
Conclusion
When we take the time to understand rural perspectives, support local towns, and change the narrative altogether, we can reinvest in rural America. Thanks to tribal investments in rural areas, Oklahoma already has a game plan. Did you know 60 percent of the dollars tribes spend are being spent in rural Oklahoma? 5 Tribes are a critical partner for rural success, but they cannot do this all alone. Focused partnership allows us to grow and thrive together.
Together, we must invest in rural areas through small business programs aimed at agricultural development, eliminating food deserts, industrial development outside major metropolitan areas, and more. We must encourage the productive use of this land and invest in our rural communities. We must make Oklahoma a more attractive place to live and reduce the impact of supply-chain issues on our critical resources, such as food, electricity, water, and heat. Rural Americans need our assistance—not the mega corporations. So, eat at a local diner, shop at the local antique store, or even stay at a local motel—the money you put into those local businesses will circulate back into their hometown economy.
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America Counts Staff, One in five Americans live in rural areas Census.gov (2024), https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2017/08/rural-america.html Explore rural population in Oklahoma | ahr, https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/pct_rural_b/OKEzra Klein, How the Democratic Brand Turned Radioactive in Rural America New York Times (2025), https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-suzanne-mettler.html. Kenneth Johnson, Daniel Lichter, Growing racial diversity in rural America: Results from the 2020 census Carsey School of Public Policy (2024), https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/growing-racial-diversity-rural-america-results-2020-censusDr. Tim Faltyn et al., Rural Oklahoma United for Oklahoma (2025), https://www.unitedforoklahoma.com/economic-impact/rural-oklahoma/15 key facts shaping rural America, Center on Rural Innovation (2025), https://ruralinnovation.us/about/15-key-facts-shaping-rural-america/ 