On the one hand, the relevance of this problem is primarily determined by a growing gap of rural territorial entities in socioeconomic development, and on the other hand, due to their significance in such prominent aspects for the country as food security, maintaining the existing land, industrial, ecological, demographic and human potential. The purpose of the article is comprehensive assessment of socioeconomic, institutional and ecological situation of rural areas in order to justify managerial decisions and effective policy making at the regional and local levels. The leading method for studying this problem is strategic analysis of processes of developing rural areas, as well as factors affecting development. The results of the study: In this article the authors assessed the situation in the socioeconomic sphere of municipalities in the Samara Region of the Russian Federation, accordingly, based on this, the authors concluded about a predominance of degradation processes, which form instability in the development of rural areas. The results of this study can be used by the regional authorities in their practice for the making and implementation both regional policy, as well as strategy of socioeconomic development of rural area.