Rural Definition
Per s. 288.0656 a rural county is defined as a county with a population of 75,000 or less, a county with a population of 125,000 or less which is contiguous to a county with a population of 75,000 or less and any municipality within a county as described above.
Rural Areas of Opportunity
Rural Areas of Opportunity (RAO) are defined as rural communities, or a region composed of rural communities, that have been adversely affected by extraordinary economic events or natural disasters.