People over the age of 60 are at the highest risk for severe health problems relating to COVID-19. Unfortunately, this subset of the population, especially those living in rural areas, have had their medical needs grossly underserved since long before this national health crisis emerged. With a dramatic rise in rural hospital closures since 2010, and poor broadband infrastructure unable to support modern telehealth solutions, we as a nation are failing to protect aging rural Americans. Use this map to understand the scope of the issues facing our rural health care system, and where there may be opportunities to expand telehealth access.

How does broadband inequality complicate COVID-19 school closures in rural areas? To help illustrate some of the stark realities of what rural Americans are experiencing in the wake of this monumental health crisis, CORI’s Mapping and Data Analytics team has created an interactive broadband map to better visualize and understand broadband availability across America’s school districts.

The Startup Scout map uses datasets on broadband infrastructure, educational attainment, STEM degrees, patent activity, young companies, and other local assets to highlight Opportunity Zones with emerging tech sectors. The map is designed to help Opportunity Zone investors identify rural areas that are likely to produce promising tech startups.

This map's primary purpose is to help local leaders learn from peer communities. Use this map to answer questions like, what towns in my state resemble my own but are doing better at fighting poverty? What towns in the midwest are similarly rural but have deployed fiber broadband? What counties in my state resemble my own have won significantly more grant awards from HUD, USDA, or other agencies? In addition, community leaders can visualize the range of local assets in their town to identify gaps, communicate opportunities, and quickly and easily visualize the story of your town.