LPHA INFO HUB
MISSOURI'S RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROJECT
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: How does Missouri define "rural" counties?
A: Missouri defines rural counties as:
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fewer than 150 people per square mile
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county lacks at least 10% of a central city within an MSA
Q: How many of Missouri's counties are considered "rural"?
A: Missouri has 99 counties that are classified as “rural.” These include all of Missouri's counties except: St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, Cape Girardeau, Boone, Cole, Greene, Christian, Jasper, Newton, Cass, Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Buchanan.
Q: Which counties in Missouri will be eligible to participate in the RHTP?
A: Five non-rural counties were classified as “rural adjacent” for the purposes of the RHTP and will therefore be included in the community hubs defined in Missouri's RHTP application. These counties include Buchanan, Cape Girardeau, Christian, Jasper, and Newton.
This means every county except the following will be eligible to participate in the RHTP in Missouri.
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St. Louis County
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City of St. Louis
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St. Charles County
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Jefferson County
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Boone County
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Cole County
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Greene County
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Cass County
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Jackson County
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Clay County
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Platte County
► RHTP website, MO DSS
► Missouri RHTP Application (2025)
► RHTP Overview (ppt), Daniel Bogle, DHSS
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Improve Rural Health
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Sustainable Access
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Workforce Development
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Innovative Care
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Tech Innovation
This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.