Our least rural state, Rhode Island has fewer than 100,000 rural people and they enjoy the fourth highest rural per capita income in the nation. Rural schools are big. The percentage of rural school expenditures that gets into the classroom is second highest in the nation (despite the 8th highest proportion of spending on transportation). Rural teacher salaries are among the highest in the nation. Overall, the Ocean State ranks 50th on both the Importance and the Urgency gauges.

From Why Rural Matters 2003: The Continuing Need for Every State to Take Action on Rural Education, February 2003. Learn more about why rural matters in your state.

Why Rural Matters 2003: Summary for Rhode Island

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U.S. Census Bureau

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