As the sixth annual report on the availability of government and government assisted rural services, this report: (1) outlines executive branch efforts to improve services to rural America during fiscal year 1974; (2) measures services to rural America by comparing the distribution of 1974 outlays in 4 broad program categories important to rural development (based on 182 selected Federal programs, with the distribution of the total population of counties grouped along a 10-part urban to rural dimension); (3) provides insights relative to rural and urban population groups and the extent to which they have been influenced by Federal programs in the areas of human resource development, community and industrial development, housing, and agricultural and natural resources; (4) presents Federal outlay distribution across counties grouped by census regions and distribution by rate of recent (1970-73) population growth. Significant statistics indicate: higher per capita Federal outlays in nonmetro counties due to emphasis on the rural-oriented agriculture and natural resource programs; higher per capita housing and human resource development outlays in metro counties; roughly equal outlays for community facilities; higher outlays in nonmetro counties for industrial facilities and highways. (JC)