The Rio Grande Valley of South Texas is the crossroads of the Americas. Its region reveals a dynamic place that has ushered population movement, political contention, economic boom and deep cultural fusion. Learn the story of UTRGV.

With a background in the outdoor industry, Daily Yonder reporter Ilana Newman takes us on a trip around the country, looking at communities that are all focused on their recreation economy, whether they are big names in the outdoors or someplace you’ve probably never heard about.

Whether a community is designated as “rural” could mean the difference between access to grant funding and lack of it. Unfortunately, many definitions of rural currently used by different federal agencies only add to the confusion.

From mountains and canyons to forests and swamps, the vast scale of Texas provides so many natural wonders. Across the Lone Star State, there are 85 state parks, natural areas and historic sites currently operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Check out an interactive table to find out which are the least visited, and plan a trip!

The Texas Association of Counties hosts a podcast for Texas Counties that's full of news, information, and resources. The wide variety of topics is both useful and interesting. A few recent examples explore: Youth Leadership, Elections, Urban-Rural Partnership, and more

A budding success story in East Texas offers lessons for other underserved rural regions, philanthropies interested in rural revitalization, and CDFIs pursuing pathways to better engage and serve rural communities.

The ABLE Act recognizes the extra and significant costs of living with a disability. ABLE accounts allow eligible individuals the opportunity to save and fund a variety of Qualified Disability Expenses without endangering eligibility for certain benefits that are critical to their health and well-being, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

A new traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian, "Crossroads: Change in Rural America," will soon roll through seven rural Lone Star communities starting in August.

This new resource from Texas Rural Funders offers an introduction to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI). It includes an overview of how they care serve as a financial tool, examples of how TX Rural Funders members are collaborating with them and a directory of CDFIs in Texas.

Data and resources to help learn more about Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) populations in Texas.

Data dashboard compiling high-level, summary information about calls made to Texas 2-1-1, a statewide resource hotline that connects Texans to critical, community-based services like housing, healthcare, mental health support, food assistance, and more.

The Texas Demographic Conference is an annual meeting providing updates of demographic and socioeconomic data available for Texans. Watch the highlights!

A collection of case studies from across the U.S. focused on how communities are adapting to energy and climate challenges.

The Congregational Collective exists to equip congregations to become community leaders in mental health and wellness by partnering to build support systems, networks and ministry tools that include educational resources, training, and a network of relationships.

The Mary E. Bivins Foundation created this resource on hunger and food insecurity among older adults living in the Texas Panhandle to find resources by county, including congregate meals, food pantries, and home-delivered meals.

This resource center from Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group brings together rural experts, advocates, and residents to tell a comprehensive story of what it takes for rural America to thrive today and into the future.

This Dashboard presents Texas Census estimates of undercounting-related variables for Texas and its counties.

The Texas Comptroller's Regional Reports provide an overview of population, income, jobs, wages and education trends in each of Texas' 12 economic regions including a statewide overview.

The 2023 edition of Rural America at a Glance examines rural population and migration trends, poverty, housing insecurity, unemployment, and clean energy jobs. It finds that rural employment levels and annual growth rates have nearly returned to levels seen prior to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

More than ever, people are visiting and moving to places with inspiring natural amenities. Yet rapidly growing outdoor recreation economies can also come with serious drawbacks.

The rural/urban divide is too simplistic to apply to real lives, says a researcher who studies political and social divisions.

An estimated 500,000 people live in thousands of colonias along the Texas-Mexico border. Largely built between the 1950s and 1980s, these communities have been promised water — but it has never come.

Freshwater resources in Texas are facing unprecedented pressures. Increasing competition between water users, coupled with increasingly variable supplies, is giving rise to water scarcity across the state.

Just Transition Fund is on a mission to create opportunity for the communities hardest hit by coal’s decline.

The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty employs strategies to end hunger that take into account proximity, the dignity of all people, and the need to test new strategies for old problems.

TEPRI brings together diverse stakeholders from across the state and country to spearhead impactful research initiatives, build solutions-oriented coalitions, pilot innovative energy solutions, and champion lasting change for Texas energy.

The Texas Demographic Center (TDC) functions as a focal point for the distribution of Census Bureau information for Texas.

Lead For America exists to ensure that our nation's most dynamic and diverse talent is working on their communities' toughest challenges.

Tool for rural residents, policymakers, and investors to see the diversity of rural America and to better invest in its full potential.

Report summarizing findings from a 2021 survey on how urban Texans perceive rural people and places.

The American Rescue Plan provides new and expanded opportunities for rural America. Aspen CSG is collecting links and resources explaining federal opportunities for rural people and places.

The Rural America Placemaking Toolkit includes a variety of resources, including placemaking activities, projects, and success stories across rural America