Population aging is an important issue at the local, state, national, and international levels. Often getting less attention in the media and policy discussions are the ways in which the characteristics, patterns, and associated health concerns may vary across the rural-urban continuum. For example, the rural U.S. is home to disproportionate shares of older people with more health concerns, and there are large and growing rural-urban and within-rural health disparities. Yet rural communities are not monolithic, and while some rural places are characterized by declining health, others have seen improvements. Additionally, some rural communities are diversifying in terms of race and ethnicity, and numerous rural places are grappling with population loss. In all, it is important to explore factors associated with both vulnerability and resilience.

To direct more attention towards these topics, coupled with efforts to inform development programs and policies, this special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences will focus on rural population health and aging. With the guest editorial team consisting of leaders from the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA), manuscripts drawing from multiple disciplines and using a range of methodological and analytical approaches are welcome. While manuscripts on general topics related to rural population health and aging are invited, particular attention will be given to those addressing: 1) health disparities between rural and urban areas and within rural areas; 2) trends in rural population health and aging and how these are impacting rural communities; 3) the ways in which economic well-being and livelihood strategies interact with rural population health and aging; 4) health implications of the physical and social isolation that characterize many rural communities; and 5) implications of local natural environments and climate change on rural population health and aging.