THE U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS FORMULA FOR FIGURING THE POVERTY LEVEL IS EXPLAINED. THEN 1975 FIGURES ARE ANALYZED. THESE SHOW THAT 15.2 PERCENT OF THE 32 PERCENT OF THE U.S. POPULATION LIVING IN NONMETROPOLITAN AREAS ARE BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL WHILE ONLY 10.8 PERCENT OF THE 68 PERCENT OF THE URBAN DWELLERS ARE CLASSIFIED AS POOR. FURTHER ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT 42.4 PERCENT OF NONMETROPOLITAN BLACKS AND 12.6 PERCENT OF NONMETROPOLITAN WHITES ARE POOR AND THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE POOR ARE ELDERLY, YOUNG CHILDREN, OR FAMILIES HEADED BY WOMEN. GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES ARE THEN EXAMINED. ONLY IN EDUCATION DOES EXPENDITURE APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION. YET MORE THAN 5 PERCENT OF RURAL SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN ARE NOT IN SCHOOL. HEALTH AND TRANSPORTATION SERVICES ARE UNDERFUNDED AND OFTEN GOVERNMENT POLICIES DENY THESE SERVICES TO RURAL AREAS. (MEDICAID WILL NOT PAY FOR SERVICES RENDERED BY A NURSE PRACTITIONER OR PARAMEDICAL PERSON, EVEN THOUGH SUCH PERSONS GENERALLY STAFF RURAL CLINICS.) COURTS AND ATTORNEYS HAVE INADEQUATE FACILITIES, INSUFFICIENT SUPPORT STAFF, AND LIMITED ACCESS TO LAW LIBRARIES OR TRAINING TO UPDATE SKILLS. THE POOR PERSON ASSIGNED DEFENSE COUNSEL MAY GET GOOD SERVICE OR RUSHED SERVICE FROM AN OVERWORKED PRIVATE ATTORNEY. MOST LEGAL AID PROGRAMS ARE IN THE CITIES AND FEDERAL FUNDING GOES TO EXISTING PROGRAMS. A SPECIAL SECTION DOCUMENTS THE PROBLEMS FACING MINORITIES IN RURAL AREAS. STATISTICS SUPPORT EACH ARGUMENT. FIGURES FROM A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, BUDGET FIGURES FOR THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION, AND POPULATION FIGURES ARE ALL INCLUDED. ADDITIONAL TABLES AND REFERENCES ARE APPENDED.