FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 19, 2019
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New Data: OCP Analysis Reveals $1,392 "Tax" Rural Americans Pay Annually
WASHINGTON, D.C. –One Country Project (OCP) today released new, original data on the “rural tax,” or the extra expenses incurred by rural families, showing a toll of roughly $1,382 per year.“Rural American households already face higher poverty rates and lower median incomes than metropolitan ones, and the 'rural tax' shows how rural families end up spending more on basic needs – health care, transportation, energy, and food,” said founding board member and former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp. “One in five Americans live in rural America. We need more than a halfhearted nod to rural broadband when Democratic candidates talk about rural America – we need big policy ideas and actions to help pull rural America out of this economic spiral.”
Get a closer look at the data and graphs in the full analysis here.
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About One Country ProjectThe One Country Project, led by former Senators Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Donnelly, is working to promote greater opportunities for rural communities and ensure leaders earn their support. One Country is reengaging with rural Americans, serving as a clearinghouse of research and information for rural Americans, and working to ensure leaders regain trust by fighting for these communities. To learn more, visit the website, OneCountryProject.org.