Defining rural
The population range of 50,000 and under to define rural was chosen as a consensus after dialog with missionaries experienced in rural church planting in Japan. A population of less than 20,000 is almost always rural, and a population above 50,000 is almost always urban. In between is a blend. To err on the side of inclusion, 50,000 was used as the upper limit where a community is likely to be more rural than urban in character.
Note: Even larger towns or small cities may still have some rural characteristics, even if predominantly urban.