The COVID-19 pandemic is shifting attention from major metropolitan areas to smaller rural communities, which are now at risk of being severely affected by the outbreak. The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), in partnership with AppliedXL and STAT, has developed a COVID-19 Preparedness Tool to analyze disparity levels across the US and identify areas that need support. The tool uses data sets such as licensed hospital beds within a 40-minute drive, critical care staff, population aged 65 and older, Social Vulnerability Index, and data from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's COVID-19 model to determine preparedness scores for each US county. The results show that some rural areas are better prepared than others, with regions like Vermont and New Hampshire appearing more equipped to handle the outbreak, while others in the Deep South and Western states face higher risks. CORI hopes the tool will be used by local leaders, officials, and members of the media to better understand and respond to the challenges facing rural America.