COVID-19 death rate in rural America now double that of urban communities

The average pace of deaths from COVID-19 among rural Americans is now nearly double that of people in urban communities, a grim reminder of a disproportionate toll inflicted by the latest wave of the virus.

The two-week daily average of deaths from COVID-19 has climbed to nearly 1 in every 100,000 Americans living outside of metropolitan counties, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In urban counties, the average is 0.55 per 100,000 residents, below the national average. 

New cases of the virus also remain far higher in rural counties compared to urban counties, though spread of the virus has begun to slow nationwide following a months-long surge fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant.