RUCAs, Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes, are a new Census tract-based classification scheme that utilizes the standard Bureau of Census Urbanized Area and Urban Cluster definitions in combination with work commuting information to characterize all of the nation's Census tracts regarding their rural and urban status and relationships. In addition, a ZIP Code RUCA approximation was developed.
This collaborative project between Health Resources and Service Administration's (HRSA's ) Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) , the Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS) , and the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center (RHRC) was funded by the ORHP and ERS. Principal developers are Richard Morrill, PhD (RHRC); John Cromartie, PhD (ERS); and Gary Hart, PhD (formerly of the RHRC, now at the University of Arizona).
Last Updated: January 5, 2009.
Contact:| Mailing Address: | |
| WWAMI Rural Health Research Center | |
| Department of Family Medicine | |
| Box 354982 | |
| University of Washington | |
| Seattle, WA 98195-4982 | |
| Email Contacts: | |
| For questions about the RUCA codes and their use, contact Dr. Gary Hart: | |
| garyhart@email.arizona.edu or call 520-626-6258 | |
| For questions about problems with the web page such as downloads, contact WWAMI Rural Health Research Center | |
| Meredith_fordyce@fammed.washington.edu | |
| Phone/Fax Numbers: | |
| voice: (206)685-0402 |