This paper describes the first phase of the LINKIN Health Study, which aims to evaluate health system functioning within a rural population. Locally relevant data on the health status and service usage of this population, including non-users and users, health service providers traditionally omitted from health services research, and multiple socio-economic indicators, was collected using a self-complete health census. Household response was 75% (N = 4425). Response was greater when face-to-face contact was made at delivery compared to when questionnaires were left in the letterbox (89% vs 64%), falling to 26% when no face-to-face contact was made at either delivery or collection.