RUCA Data
General Methods
The Census tract-based RUCA Version 2 codes are based on: a) 2000 Census work commuting information, and b) Census Bureau defined Urbanized Areas (cities of 50,000 and greater population) and Urban Clusters (cities/towns of from 2,500 through 49,999 populations). The definitions of Urbanized Areas and Urban Clusters were developed with great care and are quite complex.
The simplified methods for the creation of Version 2 are as follows:
- 2000 work commuting data were purchased from the Census Bureau
- Census Bureau information on Urbanized Areas and Urban Clusters based on the 2000 Census were obtained (over 60,000 Census tracts)
- the work commuting information was refined into a workable matrix of origins and destinations
- the rules shown in the RUCA definitions were carefully applied to each Census tract
- various problem Census tracts were dealt with (e.g., zero population)
- maps and various analyses were used to check the results and corrections were made where appropriate
More information on the creation of the Census tract Version 2 of the RUCAs and on how to download Census tract RUCAs is available on the Economic Research Service web site: http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/Rurality/RuralUrbanCommutingAreas/