This article interprets inequality evident at the intersection of three realms: (a) mathematical talent (as a cultural phenomenon); (b) rural place and rural life; and (c) future economic, political, and ecological developments. The discussion explains this outlook on inequality, contextualizes interest in rural mathematics education, presents the conventional view of rural mathematics achievement as deficient, and then elaborates an alternative perspective. Illustrating the alternative, the essay embeds an analysis of a national data set to derive comparisons of the equality of math talent across locales (rural, suburban, and urban), demonstrating the greater equality of math talent in rural places. The essay concludes with principles for (a) making mathematics instruction more responsive to rural context, and (b) reorienting the instruction of gifted teachers in rural schools to an educational purpose that exerts better stewardship over local mathematical talent. (Contains 5 tables and 22 notes.)