Two-thirds of rural and exurban counties have unemployment rates at or below the national average. And rural rates are lower than at any time in the last four years.

With less demand for coal and fewer jobs for miners, the Appalachian coalfields need a Presidential candidate who can help the region build a new way of life. So far, neither party has supported policies that will help the coal miner.

The percentage of people without health insurance was fairly equal in rural, exurban and urban counties in 2005. But after the recession, the rate of people in rural communities without coverage jumped over 8 percent; now the percentage of people without health insurance in rural America is higher than it is in urban counties.

For some farmers, the drought will mean higher prices and greater profits than they expected at planting. But for others — and especially for dairy farmers — the drought is a disaster.