Urban–Rural Differences in Disaster Preparedness between 2017 and 2020 from a Justice Perspective

The urban–rural difference is an underappreciated dimension from the justice perspective in disaster research. Disaster preparedness can save lives and potential economic losses, while urban and rural areas exhibit marked differences in landscape, hazard exposure, and cultural dynamics. Thus, there is a critical need to examine the urban–rural differences in patterns of disaster preparedness. This study links the FEMA’s National Household Survey data and the US Department of Agriculture’s 2023 Urban–Rural classification mechanism to investigate the urban–rural difference in disaster preparedness. The results demonstrate that there has been an increasing trend in all disaster preparedness activities from 2017 to 2019, but there has been a slight decrease in 2020. Regression models reveal that rural residents have a significantly higher degree of planning for emergencies, participating in training and drills, and estimated survival days without utilities but a lower degree of purchasing insurance for disasters. The two groups do not exhibit significant variations in general material and awareness preparedness. This study provides insights into understanding the rural–urban differences in disaster preparedness, and the results can be used for disaster policy design in the future.