This seems to be something people don’t always give second thought to. When people talk about the homeless, the first things thought about are images of people on busy city streets in rusty clothes waiting around near allies. In there, the answer is quite static, because it can be I guess. But if that’s the case, change the setting and that changes too. In the places where I’ve lived, people often needed that mapped out. Where are they known in your rural locales?
The periphery of small towns covered in makeshift tents and shanty style campers would disagree with your statement.
These encampments used to be for seasonal workers passing through. But more and more become year-round all the time.
You are certainly correct about the bulk of homeless making their way towards the cities, but there are a growing number of those who don’t.