https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/rural-economy-population/rur...

  Sometimes population density is the defining concern,
  in other cases it is geographic isolation.  Small population
  size typically characterizes a rural place, but how small is
  rural? Population thresholds used to differentiate rural and
  urban communities range from 2,500 up to 50,000, depending on
  the definition.

So yeah 88,000 people could be rural if your primary factor is population density.