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# GRAPHIC: COVID-19 death rates in rural communities surpassed urban ones in September
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/graphic-covid-19-death-rates-in-rural-communities-surpassed-urban-ones-in-september/
- Published: 2021-04-01T14:39:26.000Z
- Updated: 2021-04-01T14:39:26.000Z
- Description: In December, small towns had a rate of about 10 deaths a week, according to a USDA analysis.
- Author: Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest
- Tags: Coronavirus, Data Harvest, rural America, COVID-19, TP::Explainer, USDA, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

When it started, the COVID-19 pandemic hit cities the hardest. In April 2020, metros with more than a million people had rate of about eight deaths a week per 100,000 adults, according to an [analysis](https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2021/february/rural-residents-appear-to-be-more-vulnerable-to-serious-infection-or-death-from-coronavirus-covid-19/?ref=investigatemidwest.org) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But the situation flipped as the pandemic progressed. In September, rural areas — those with a population less than 10,000 — started to have higher death rates than urban areas.

In December, small towns had a rate of about 10 deaths a week per 100,000 adults, according to the USDA analysis.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cd/d3/cdd3c059-8898-40b1-bcf7-cb2d3aa89775/content/images/investigatemidwest-org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/aw-feb2021-rural_america_covid-fig2.png)

Graphic: [USDA](https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2021/february/rural-residents-appear-to-be-more-vulnerable-to-serious-infection-or-death-from-coronavirus-covid-19/?ref=investigatemidwest.org)

The USDA attributed the increase to three factors: 1) rural America's aging population; 2) the prevalence of underlying health conditions among rural residents; and 3) the long distances many have to drive to hospitals with intensive care units.