Discussion Paper

How Different Are Rural and Urban Small Businesses?


Abstract: Small businesses play a big part in rural communities. In addition to serving local demand, businesses with fewer than 500 employees account for over half of rural employment. As part of the Richmond Fed's mission to strengthen the economy and our communities, we work to understand economic and business conditions in small towns and rural communities. This includes understanding how rural businesses in the Fifth District are faring and keeping a pulse on the financial health of rural small businesses. Using newly released data from the Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS), a national data collection effort from the 12 Federal Reserve Banks, we explore credit access and outcomes for rural small businesses with employees across the U.S.

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Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

Part of Series: Regional Matters

Publication Date: 2025-04-10