How Urban & Rural Consumers Differ in Their Use of Oral Nicotine Pouches

Oral nicotine pouches (ONPs) are a rapidly expanding category of nicotine products. A national analysis of 2021 retail sales data from NielsenIQ shows clear differences in purchasing patterns between urban and rural areas—patterns that could help inform policy decisions on how the market should be regulated.

The study analyzes how purchasing behavior, flavor preferences, and price sensitivity differ between urban and rural areas, and what these differences mean for taxation policy, flavor regulation, and public health interventions.

Some of the key findings include:

• Higher per‑capita consumption in rural areas: Although total sales volumes are higher in cities, 12% more nicotine pouches are purchased per capita in rural areas.
  
  
  
• Flavors drive sales—especially in cities: Products with explicit flavors (such as mint, fruit, and similar varieties) sell significantly better than unflavored or "implicitly flavored" products, with a stronger effect in urban environments. Mint and menthol products sell up to 23 times more than unflavored products.
  
  
  
• Price increases reduce sales everywhere, but more so in cities: Urban consumers are more price‑sensitive than rural consumers. A 10% price increase leads to a 6.6% decline in sales in urban areas, compared with a 3.3% decline in rural areas.
  
  
  
• Low‑income areas are the most price‑sensitive: Tax increases on nicotine pouches have the strongest impact in low‑income areas—where a higher share of people would otherwise continue smoking.
  
  
  
• Different behavior patterns between urban & rural consumers: Possible explanations include differences in price levels, access to alternatives, product availability, and the fact that use in urban areas may be more experimental, while use in rural areas appears to be more habitual.
  
  

Here at Northerner, we believe access to nicotine pouches should be ensured in rural areas to support smokers who want to switch away from cigarettes. This study also clearly shows that flavored products play an important role in making that switch more appealing.

It is important that the market is regulated responsibly and that policy makers recognize the importance of online sales for rural areas, while keeping taxes on nicotine pouches low. This promotes harm reduction, supports public health in the United States, and, over time, can also reduce healthcare costs.

Markus Lindblad

Head of External Affairs

The key findings can inform federal, state, and local policy decisions in terms of flavor regulation, taxation, and targeted prevention efforts—helping protect youth while ensuring access for adults who would otherwise continue smoking.