The article evaluates the features of the demographic development of the rural population of the region, depending on the territorial location. As a result of the study, it was found that the rural population of the Saratov region for 1990-2020 decreased by 108.4 thousand people, for 2010-2020 the decline was 82.3 thousand people, of which 35.9 thousand people (11%) in the Right Bank, and 46.4 (14%) thousand people in the Left Bank. The population in 24 of the 38 districts of the region decreased by 20% from the level of 2010, in 7 by 20-29%, in 4 by 32-34%, and in suburban areas increased by 4-21%. As for the zonal features of demographic development, the population of the Western and Central right-bank microzones decreased by 21 and 18%, respectively, and the South-Eastern left-bank by 21%. As a result of the implementation of socio–demographic development programs, the rate of natural population decline in the region decreased from 7.5–7.6 ppm in 2000-2005 to 2.4 in 2014, but it was not possible to maintain the achieved results and, starting from 2015, the population decline increased from 4.5 ppm to 6.8 in 2018. The same trend is observed in terms of the population density of the region, for the period 1990-2020. it has decreased from 6.8 to 5.7 people per 1 sq. km, with a total area of the region of 100.8 thousand sq. km. Most of the rural residents (75%) live in 90% of the territory with a population density of less than 4.8 people per 1 sq. km. If the current trend of the demographic situation continues, in the near future the population density of less than 5 people per 1 sq. km will reach the entire territory of the region, with the exception of suburban areas. The analysis of the territorial features of the demographic development of rural territories of the region proved that it is necessary to form a new social paradigm for the development of rural territories, taking into account the zonal living conditions and economic activity. Its implementation requires the development of programs for the development of promising rural settlements that can become a center of social services to the population; assistance in the development of cooperation and non-agricultural types of employment; organization of work in rural areas based on remote access; implementation of recreational activities. This is especially relevant for the Left-bank districts, where half of the rural population of the region lives, which should be able to perform additional functions to solve the problems of retention and social control in sparsely populated border territories.