Daily rate of new coronavirus infections in rural America climbed 150% since mid-June; see county-level data

Non-metropolitan rate, per population of new corinavirus cases, June 13-July 12
(Daily Yonder map; click the image to enlarge it or click here for the interactive version.)

The number of new coronavirus cases in counties outside metropolitan areas is 150 percent higher now than a month ago, and the trend shows no signs of slowing. "In the last week, nonmetropolitan counties surpassed a record-breaking 7,000 new cases on three consecutive days. The seven-day average of new cases also hit an all-time high Monday, at 6,185 per day," Tim Marema reports for The Daily Yonder, with a map showing in red the 78 rural counties where the equivalent of at least 1% of the population tested positive for the virus from June 13 to July 12 are shown in red.

Rural counties with high infection rates tend to have prisons or meatpacking plants, Marema notes. Also, "Rural counties with high infection rates frequently have large proportions of residents who are African American, American Indian, or Hispanic/Latino."

Click here for a more detailed breakdown of regions with higher infection rates and a searchable, ranked list of rural counties with the highest rates.