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New Dashboard Tracks Health, Housing in Rural Virginia

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New Dashboard Tracks Health, Housing in Rural Virginia

A new digital tool is helping people across Virginia better understand the challenges and strengths of rural areas. The Virginia Rural Center has launched the Rural Virginia Opportunity Dashboard, a free and easy-to-use online platform that gives users access to important community data. It includes information on health care access, housing, broadband internet, job trends, and more.

The dashboard is meant for everyone. Local leaders, business owners, teachers, students, and everyday residents can all use it. You don’t need a login or special software. Just visit the site, pick your area, and choose what data you want to see. The tool uses maps, graphs, and simple tables to show the results clearly.

One of the main goals of the dashboard is to give rural communities the facts they need to plan and grow. In many parts of Virginia, people face problems like too few doctors, slow internet, and not enough housing. This tool shows where the gaps are, using real-time data from trusted sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Federal Communications Commission.

Users can search by city, county, or zip code. They can view data on topics like age, education levels, housing costs, internet speed, hospital access, and job types. This makes it easier for people to see how their community compares to others in Virginia.

The Rural Virginia Opportunity Dashboard is especially useful for local officials and nonprofit groups who often need up-to-date data for planning and funding requests. For example, someone writing a grant to build a health clinic can use the dashboard to show how many people in the area lack access to medical care. A broadband company can check where internet service is still poor and plan to expand coverage.

Housing developers may also find the dashboard helpful. They can check where there is a need for more affordable homes and use that information to guide their projects. Schools and workforce centers can use it to better understand local education and job needs.

This dashboard arrives at a time when rural Virginia faces major challenges. Nearly 1.5 million Virginians live in rural areas, making up about 17% of the state’s population. These communities often have fewer services than cities. They also have older populations, slower job growth, and less access to health care. By offering one place to find clear, accurate data, the dashboard can help close the gap.

The Virginia Rural Center created the tool as part of its mission to support economic and social development in rural parts of the state. It hopes that easy access to information will lead to smarter choices and stronger communities.

Other U.S. states are also using similar dashboards. In places like Kentucky, North Carolina, and Iowa, local leaders rely on digital tools to learn what their communities need most. This helps them target programs and funding more effectively. Virginia’s new dashboard follows this growing trend in using data to drive local action.

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