Two Americas: Metro vs Rural
One survey, two very different pictures. How do major metro areas and non-metro regions compare on AI adoption?
Metro America and rural America might as well be different countries. Urban residents are more likely to use AI, have health insurance, and be employed — but they're also more likely to be behind on rent. The tradeoffs are real and the data proves it.
AI Adoption by Metro Area
All 10 major metro areas and non-metro regions ranked by AI usage rate
Understanding the Data
The Census HTOPS Public Use File (PUF) includes metro-level breakdowns only for AI adoption. Other metrics like food insecurity, housing burden, and employment are available at the Census Division level but not broken down by individual metro area vs. non-metro status in the PUF.
The 10 metro areas represented are the largest Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) identified in the survey. “Non-metro” includes all respondents not in these 10 CBSAs, which encompasses both rural areas and smaller metro areas not separately identified.
Sample sizes vary significantly across metro areas (from 210 to 507 respondents), which affects the precision of estimates for individual metros.
The Broader Metro-Rural Picture
Metro Advantages
- • Higher concentration of tech employers and AI-adjacent industries
- • Greater access to high-speed broadband infrastructure
- • More educational institutions offering AI-related programs
- • Higher average incomes that correlate with tech adoption
Non-Metro Realities
- • Broadband access gaps persist in many rural areas
- • Lower cost of living but also lower average incomes
- • Fewer tech-sector jobs that drive workplace AI adoption
- • Growing remote work could help close the digital divide
Key Takeaways
- 1.The metro-rural AI gap is modest. At 0.31 percentage points, the gap is smaller than the income or education divide, suggesting geography alone is not the primary barrier to AI adoption.
- 2.Wide variation among metros.Not all metro areas are alike — Washington DC and Houston lead with nearly 30% AI adoption, while New York trails at just 14%.
- 3.Non-metro holds its own. Non-metro areas (24.47%) actually outpace several major metros including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Miami.