Why the massive rural/urban divide?

[Vasall des Midas]

Calling residences like that "rural".

[A18]

This area is 'rural' by everyday usage of that term.

Definitely not a 'suburb' in every day usage. Twenty acres of land a mule territory... Got a better term?

[Sibboleth]

Got a better term?

Commuterland. Or any of the numerous variations upon that general theme.

[Gabu]

Rural
 59,061,367
 21.0
 
of which: - Place of 2,500 or more
 4,089,599
 1.5
 
 - Place of 1,000 to 2,499
 4,989,152
 1.8
 
 - Place of less than 1,000
 3,821,336
 1.4
 
 - Not in place
 46,161,280
 16.4

wtf??

[A18]

Got a better term?

Commuterland.

I said a better term.

What's your objection to identifying these rural areas as rural?

[Sibboleth]

I said a better term.

I took "better" to mean "accurate".

What's your objection to identifying these rural areas as rural?

The fact that they are not rural. They are outposts of the cities in areas that were once rural, they are places inhabited by people who live urban lifestyles, work in indisputably urban areas and have white collar jobs. Even the houses are usually distinctly urban.
The only "rural" thing about these areas is the tendency for fair sized spaces inbetween each cluster.

[So the Heroes Fall]

The perfect example of an exurb: Rogers, Minnesota

[A18]

Rural means out in the country. Not poor.

[Smash255]

Rural
 59,061,367
 21.0
 
of which: - Place of 2,500 or more
 4,089,599
 1.5
 
 - Place of 1,000 to 2,499
 4,989,152
 1.8
 
 - Place of less than 1,000
 3,821,336
 1.4
 
 - Not in place
 46,161,280
 16.4

wtf??

That might refer to areas that aren't listed as a citw. town or CDP.  For example Bush with his home address as his ranch.  Its always called Crawford, but the ranch is actually several miles from Crawford

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Rural
 59,061,367
 21.0
 
of which: - Place of 2,500 or more
 4,089,599
 1.5
 
 - Place of 1,000 to 2,499
 4,989,152
 1.8
 
 - Place of less than 1,000
 3,821,336
 1.4
 
 - Not in place
 46,161,280
 16.4

wtf??

That is, the area they in is not incorporated as a town/city/village/township/borough or tracked as a Census-designated place (unincorporated but tracked as if it was).  I guess.

That or someone at the Census department has a good sense of humour.

[Gabu]

Rural
 59,061,367
 21.0
 
of which: - Place of 2,500 or more
 4,089,599
 1.5
 
 - Place of 1,000 to 2,499
 4,989,152
 1.8
 
 - Place of less than 1,000
 3,821,336
 1.4
 
 - Not in place
 46,161,280
 16.4

wtf??

That is, the area they in is not incorporated as a town/city/village/township/borough or tracked as a Census-designated place (unincorporated but tracked as if it was).  I guess.

And 16.4% of Americans live in such a place?  That's more than I would have imagined.

[Hatman]

There are a lot of unincorporated places in the US. Especially in the west.

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Rural
 59,061,367
 21.0
 
of which: - Place of 2,500 or more
 4,089,599
 1.5
 
 - Place of 1,000 to 2,499
 4,989,152
 1.8
 
 - Place of less than 1,000
 3,821,336
 1.4
 
 - Not in place
 46,161,280
 16.4

wtf??

That is, the area they in is not incorporated as a town/city/village/township/borough or tracked as a Census-designated place (unincorporated but tracked as if it was).  I guess.

And 16.4% of Americans live in such a place?  That's more than I would have imagined.

Lots of subdivisions outside of cities are not tracked by CDPs.  Towns themselves have very small boundaries.  You know when you see signs like "Now leaving (Whatever)"?  That's where the incorporated cities end.  There are plenty of people in these areas, although I'd have expected fewer, too.

[Sibboleth]

Rural means out in the country.

No it doesn't. Only property developers think that.

Not poor.

Don't think I actually mentioned poverty so...

[A18]

Property developers and the dictionary.

[Sibboleth]

Property developers and the dictionary.

An ordinary dictionary isn't a great place to look for complex geographical terms, but if you insist, here are some dictionary definitions of the word "rural":

"Of the country, country people or life, or agriculture"

"Of the country, a country-dweller"

And a neat little description of "country" from the second dictionary; "rural districts as distinct from town".

[A18]

So out in the country, as I said.

[Sibboleth]

So out in the country, as I said.

No... that's not what it says at all... and at the same time it depends what "the country" is determined as being.

[A18]

Of the country

Sounds like out in the country to me.

[Gustaf]

Rural implies something opposed to urban, people working in the city and leading urban lives should not be defined as rural.

[A18]

It implies that it is not urban, which the country is not.

[Sibboleth]

It implies that it is not urban, which the country is not.

Not so. If it did then suburban areas would be classed as rural; they aren't.
Fundamentally things like lifestyle, employment, place of work and, in many cases, building designs are the best ways to find out if an area is urban, rural, suburban, etc, etc than any alternatives that I can see.

[A18]

The fact that something implies the lack of something else, does not mean the lack of that latter something defines the former.

A rural area is simply out in the country, and the term obviously includes 20 acre lots beyond a well-developed area, regardless of where the residents work.

Now, that's the normal definition. You're free to have your own, but it's pretty much worthless, since no one uses it.

[Sibboleth]

The fact that something implies the lack of something else, does not mean the lack of that latter something defines the former.

Irrelevent. "Rural" is essentially defined by what it is not not what it is.

A rural area is simply out in the country,

No, no it isn't. I've been over this a couple of times already and you just refuse to listen. You're like a spoilt three year old at times.

and the term obviously includes 20 acre lots beyond a well-developed area, regardless of where the residents work.

No it doesn't. Keep your snobbery to yourself.

Now, that's the normal definition.

No it is not. Just because you happen to think something doesn't mean that everyone else does.
I seriously doubt that someone living in a real rural area would describe commuterland areas as being in anyway "rural".

You're free to have your own, but it's pretty much worthless, since no one uses it.

I don't have my own definition of rural. I tend to try to use definitions that are actually accurate and that are generally favoured by people who actually know what they're talking about.

[Vasall des Midas]

It somewhat depends on how the area feels...
How do these 20 acres look? Do they all look alike? Post us some description, Philip.