jats:pRural living environment governance is an issue of great importance in global economic development. It is also a significant facet of the rural revitalization strategy pursued by the Chinese government. Henan Province is a major agricultural province in the inland Central Plains region and is one of the most populous provinces in China. In this study, we take two villages in the underdeveloped areas of Henan Province in central China as case studies. We use field investigations and in-depth interviews to analyze the feelings of farmers in the case study villages towards the efforts to improve the rural environment, and explored the factors that affect levels of satisfaction with the rural living environment from the perspective of grassroots governance. The results showed that there were significant differences in the perceptions and satisfaction levels of rural residents in the two villages. The grassroots government has great influence over the rural human settlement environment, and its deployment capacities and management level are the key factors that affect overall levels of farmer satisfaction. China’s experience in improving rural human settlements provides reference for rural governance in other developing countries and regions around the world.</jats:p>