This brochure is the second in a series of reports that uses current social and economic data to highlight important population, labor market, income, and poverty trends in rural areas. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) analyzes the ongoing changes in rural areas and assesses Federal, State, and local strategies to enhance economic opportunity and quality of life for rural Americans. Following are the most current indicators of social and economic conditions in rural areas, for use in developing policies and programs to assist rural people and their communities. Also discussed is the new metropolitan/nonmetropolitan classification released in June 2003. Population data in this report are based on this new classification; all other source data reported here use the 1993 classification.