Definition of Rural Settlements

Rural settlements have a range of defining criteria.

Definitions of rural settlements vary between countries. In most countries, a government office, such as a statistics or census bureau, determines the criteria for a rural settlement. Categorizing settlements is important as it allows countries to analyze population and migration trends, formulate national plans and direct funds toward areas that need it most. In the United States, the National Census Bureau formulates the rural settlement criteria.

Population Density

This is the number of people living on each square meter of land. Traditionally, rural areas have a low population density. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, rural settlements have a population density of one to 999 people per square mile and hold less than 2,500 people.

Infrastructure

Rural areas have a less extensive infrastructure network compared to urban areas, with small country roads and lanes instead of large highways. They have low levels of accessibility and are generally poorly serviced by rail, bus and air networks.

Land Use and Amenities

Rural settlements are characterized by low levels of amenities such as shops, restaurants and cinemas. Services tend to be independent businesses instead of large chain stores. The lack of amenities can result in rural-urban migration, which is the movement of people, particularly young adults, from rural to urban areas.

Demographics

The majority of rural settlements have a homogeneous population both in terms of age range, class and ethnicity. The elderly and families with children dominate rural settlements as young adults often move into urban areas.

Land Area

A rural settlement covers a small area and remains self contained; it does not expand and sprawl outward in the manner of urban areas. The specific land area covered is difficult to quantify as there are different types of rural settlements. A clustered settlement is where houses and farm buildings are in close proximity to each other as in a village or hamlet. A dispersed settlement often has a linear shape that follows a main road and, therefore, individual houses are spread out over a wide area.

International Criteria

Different countries have different criteria for what constitutes a rural settlement. For example, in the United Kingdom, The Commission for Rural Communities defines rural settlements as those with populations of under 10,000 people. Settlements are further classified into "sparse" and "less sparse" to distinguish between small towns, villages and hamlets.

References

• Commission for Rural Communities: What is Rural
• US Census Bureau: Census 2000 Urban and Rural Classification
• Peter Bibby: Developing a New Classification of Urban and Rural Areas for Policy Purposes the Methodology
• Economic Research Service: Measuring Rurality
• Office for National Statistics: Rural/Urban Definition (England and Wales)

Resources

• Orange County: Rural Settlement Study