§ 1490.
As used in this subchapter, the terms “rural” and “rural area” mean any open country, or any place, town, village, or city which is not (except in the cases of Pajaro, in the State of California, and Guadalupe, in the State of Arizona) part of or associated with an urban area and which (1) has a population not in excess of 2,500 inhabitants, or (2) has a population in excess of 2,500 but not in excess of 10,000 if it is rural in character, or (3) has a population in excess of 10,000 but not in excess of 20,000, and (A) is not contained within a standard metropolitan statistical area, and (B) has a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower and moderate-income families, as determined by the Secretary and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. For purposes of this subchapter, any area classified as “rural” or a “rural area” prior to October 1, 1990
([July 15, 1949, ch. 338], title V, § 520, as added [Pub. L. 89–117, title X, § 1007], Aug. 10, 1965, [79 Stat. 502]; amended [Pub. L. 91–609, title VIII, § 803(e)], Dec. 31, 1970, [84 Stat. 1807]; [Pub. L. 93–383, title V, § 511], Aug. 22, 1974, [88 Stat. 695]; [Pub. L. 94–375, § 25(b)], Aug. 3, 1976, [90 Stat. 1078]; [Pub. L. 98–181, title I] [title V, § 515], Nov. 30, 1983, [97 Stat. 1247]; [Pub. L. 98–479, title I, § 105(g)], Oct. 17, 1984, [98 Stat. 2227]; [Pub. L. 99–120, § 3(b)], Oct. 8, 1985, [99 Stat. 503]; [Pub. L. 99–156, § 3(b)], Nov. 15, 1985, [99 Stat. 816]; [Pub. L. 99–219, § 3(b)], Dec. 26, 1985, [99 Stat. 1731]; [Pub. L. 99–267, § 3(b)], Mar. 27, 1986, [100 Stat. 74]; [Pub. L. 99–272, title III, § 3009(b)], Apr. 7, 1986, [100 Stat. 105]; [Pub. L. 99–289, § 1(b)], May 2, 1986, [100 Stat. 412]; [Pub. L. 99–345, § 1], June 24, 1986, [100 Stat. 673]; [Pub. L. 99–430], Sept. 30, 1986, [100 Stat. 986]; [Pub. L. 100–122, § 1], Sept. 30, 1987, [101 Stat. 793]; [Pub. L. 100–154], Nov. 5, 1987, [101 Stat. 890]; [Pub. L. 100–170], Nov. 17, 1987, [101 Stat. 914]; [Pub. L. 100–179], Dec. 3, 1987, [101 Stat. 1018]; [Pub. L. 100–200], Dec. 21, 1987, [101 Stat. 1327]; [Pub. L. 100–242, title III, § 308], Feb. 5, 1988, [101 Stat. 1896]; [Pub. L. 101–137, § 7(b)], Nov. 3, 1989, [103 Stat. 826]; [Pub. L. 101–625, title VII, § 715(a)], Nov. 28, 1990, [104 Stat. 4296]; [Pub. L. 102–550, title VII, § 709], Oct. 28, 1992, [106 Stat. 3840]; [Pub. L. 105–276, title V, § 599H(g)], Oct. 21, 1998, [112 Stat. 2669]; [Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. A, § 102]], Dec. 21, 2000, [114 Stat. 2763], 2763A–172; [Pub. L. 106–569, title VII, § 705], Dec. 27, 2000, [114 Stat. 3015]; [Pub. L. 113–79, title VI, § 6208], Feb. 7, 2014, [128 Stat. 861]; [Pub. L. 115–334, title VI, § 6305], Dec. 20, 2018, [132 Stat. 4752].)