A 1980 sample of 271 elderly (133 rural, 138 urban) in 3 south-central Oklahoma counties (Coal, Murray, and Pontotoc) was surveyed to see if: an economical tool could be devised to assess program effectiveness; professionals providing services to the elderly were influenced by, and influenced the opinions of, recipients in urban areas due to their relatively easy access and familiarity; and perceived needs of rural elderly were different from their urban counterparts. More rural elderly owned their own homes, most members of both groups had at least one hot meal per day, more rural elderly claimed health problems limited their activities, about three-fifths of each sample worried about income (most were on fixed incomes), rural respondents were better educated and had more active educational interests, more rural respondents had full employment, more rural elderly drove, and both groups felt a need to obtain legal advice. The assessment tool could be implemented for about $1,800. The basic prioritized need of each group differed largely by ranking and not category, thus not clearly supporting the hypothesis that service providers and recipients in urban areas biased program definition and service delivery. Basic difference between urban and rural elderly could not be verified. (BRR)