Background and Significance: There is a critical need to determine the comparative effectiveness of text messaging (TM) and health coaching (HC) among African-Americans with uncontrolled diabetes and multiple chronic conditions living in medically underserved areas (MUA) and to identify which modality yields greater improvement in diabetes self-care at-risk urban and rural subpopulations. Although numerous recent studies demonstrate the effectiveness of either TM or HC in improving diabetes and other chronic disease self-care behaviors, and to the knowledge of the investigators no information is available regarding comparative effectiveness of these modalities in urban and rural subgroups. Prevalence of diabetes, related comorbidities, poverty, obesity, food insecurity, and tobacco use is higher in rural areas as compared with urban. Moreover, rural areas struggle to address these needs because of lower access to transportation, primary care, specialty care, diabetes education, and mental health resources. However, urban living has its own unique set of problems—including increased stress and fear for one's physical safety—that may impact the comparative effectiveness of HC and TM. Although there are HC studies that show effectiveness in interventions either in rural or urban areas, there are no HC studies of which the investigators are aware that specifically examine the differences in U.S. rural and urban participants in regards to engagement rates and clinical outcomes from a health coaching intervention. Similarly, telemedicine and mobile health approaches have been particularly advocated for rural populations yet little evidence supports their comparative benefit. The lack of comparative effectiveness of text messaging and health coaching for diabetes self-care in vulnerable urban and rural subgroups represents a critical gap in research that the study is designed to directly address. The study will compare both strategies with enhanced usual care (EC) with diabetes educational materials.