This monograph attempts to describe the rural population as reported in the 1960 Census of Population and to evaluate the residence categories used. The hypothesis that the proximity to large metropolitan centers plays a crucial role in determining the characteristics of rural areas is applied. Substantive and analytical portions of the monograph assist in evaluating the utility and relevance of the rural-farm and rural-nonfarm residence categories. Questions raised by these considerations are: (1) how homogeneous are the populations that are now isolated by the application of existing definitions of these categories; (2) to what extent does the aggregated rural population display identifiable patterns in each region or division, and what effect does distance from a metropolitan area play on these patterns; and (3) what kind of a case can be made for the retention of current definitions of the populations according to residence? Included are: (1) a definition of rural America; (2) number and distribution of rural population; (3) age and sex composition of the rural population; (4) differential fertility; (5) factors related to fertility differences; (6) educational status; (7) employment of rural people; (8) income and earnings; (9) intercommunity differences in income; (10) summary and implications. The text is supplemented with statistical tables, charts, and graphs. Methodology is explained in the Statistical Appendix. (AH)