In this paper, we develop four paradigms of rural poverty. These paradigms were designed to help explain how different factors interact and result in significant numbers of rural poor­, poverty that persists even though the national economy has experienced sustained economic growth for over six consecutive years. Some of the factors involved in the persistence of rural poverty are partially or even totally under control of the individual in poverty. However, in recent years many of the factors leading to rural poverty have arisen as a result of events in the U.S. macro economy and in world economies affecting agriculture.