Although research on rural crime is sparse and results are often contradictory, the literature suggests an outline by which to understand trends and changing conditions contributing to recent crime increases. They include geographic, demographic, lifestyle, and institutional considerations. The remoteness and isolation of rural areas, together with increased accessibility by transportation, has increased the attractiveness of rural areas for robbers and burglars. Rural areas are also beginning to take on the character of senior citizen suburbanization, which may produce more attractive targets for burglary and larceny. In lifestyle, rural areas are experiencing increased affluence resulting from suburbanization, the relocation of industry to rural areas, and the expanding equipment inventories required to operate commercial farming enterprises. Rural residents commuting long distances to work also leave their homes vacant for long periods of time, making them vulnerable to burglary. Further, the institutions of family, school, and church are less influential in exerting informal social control over rural youth. Research is needed in establishing a national data base for the per capita volume of crime among the rural population. Also, future research should construct research designs that permit within-rural and rural-urban comparisons, while testing theoretical explanations for differences. Research should be conducted on the social and economic cost-effectiveness of expanding law enforcement and criminal justice systems in response to increased rural crime, and citizen involvement strategies for crime reduction in rural areas should be researched. Thirty-eight references are listed.