The imbalanced and insufficient development between urban and rural areas is a prominent issue that China faces in achieving high-quality urban-rural development. Based on panel data from 156 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2018, this study empirically analyzes the coupling coordination level and spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics of the new urbanization and rural revitalization using a coupling coordination degree model. The study also examines the interactive effects and dynamic relationship between the two using panel vector autoregression and panel error correction models. The research found that:①During the sample period, the overall coupling coordination level between new urbanization and rural revitalization in China was relatively low. However, it showed a steady trend towards a higher level of coupling coordination over time. Spatially, the coastal regions consistently had higher levels of rural-urban coupling coordination than the inland regions.②The improvement in rural revitalization has a positive and long-lasting impact on new urbanization in the current period. The impact of new urbanization on rural revitalization exhibits temporal and short-term fluctuations, but in the long run, it has a positive driving effect.③Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the driving effect of new urbanization on rural revitalization is stronger than the promoting effect of rural revitalization on new urbanization. In high-level development areas, new urbanization has a stronger driving effect on rural revitalization, while the promoting effect of rural revitalization on new urbanization is weaker compared to low-level development areas.