Although recognition of the importance of rurality in public health has grown, national understanding of the rural local public health workforce remains limited due to gaps in data and analysis. Research has also been complicated by longstanding challenges in defining “rural,” particularly in public health where jurisdictional boundaries vary widely. However, workforce data are becoming more available. The 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) is the first national dataset to include agencies of all sizes, providing the first nationally representative data on the rural local public health workforce.

This article assesses PH WINS 2024 data to provide the first national description of the rural local public health workforce in the United States, focusing on demographic, educational, and positional characteristics, as well as employees’ intentions to stay in or leave their organizations.