• Compared with urban areas, rural areas reported higher proportions of people with low income and less formal education. On the other hand, rural residents reported a stronger sense of community belonging than did their urban counterparts.• Health-related factors such as the prevalence of smoking and obesity were elevated in rural Canada, while analyses of other health influences, such as dietary practices and leisure time physical activities, indicated lower levels of practice in rural areas.• Higher overall mortality rates among rural communities were related to causes such as circulatory disease, injury, and suicide. Residents of the most rural areas are often at the highest risk. In contrast, residents of rural communities that have the most commuting flow between large centres were at lower risk of dying than those in urban areas or other rural areas for certain health conditions.• Generally, rural residents of Canada are more likely to be in poorer socio-economic conditions, to have lower educational attainments, to exhibit less healthy behaviours, and to have higher overall mortality rates than urban residents.