Economic and Demographic Trends
in the Mid-Appalachia Region
By
MDC, Inc.
June 2002
Economic and Demographic Trends
in the Mid-Appalachia Region
Executive Summary
Home to 7,591,467 people, the 214 counties of the Mid-Appalachia region are
characterized by their mountainous geography and history of poverty. Kentucky, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia's Appalachian counties have economies
that were historically based on natural resource extraction and low-skill, low-wage
manufacturing; the demise of both leaves many counties that have not diversified
economically in a situation of distress or decline and out-migration. Even while much of
the rest of the South saw booming economies in the 1990s with population and job
growth that led the nation, the Mid-Appalachia region remained behind.
This analysis presents an economic and demographic profile of the Appalachia
regions of Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia based on an
analysis conducted by MDC, Inc., a private nonprofit development organization based in
Chapel Hill, NC, and focusing on the South. The goal of this profile is to provide a
context for determining the region's challenges to progress as well as opportunities for
action by an institute on rural journalism.
Major Findings:

Entrenched Challenges: In this global age where a local economy's
performance is tied to that of its state and the nation, the failure of much of
Appalachia to thrive during the booming 90s indicates entrenched challenges that
will continue to compromise the region's well-being. Much of the region's
economic base is retrenching and is concentrated in low-growth or declining
industries and low-wage services, while booming areas of the South had more
diversified economic and occupational mixes with high growth in services,
durable goods manufacturing, health care, and retail.

Economic Distress: While some counties are in markedly better economic shape
than they were in 1990, the overall number of counties in distress has increased.
In 1980, 59 of the 214 Appalachia counties in these five states were classified as
"distressed" by the Appalachian Regional Commission. In 1990, this figure
increased to 78 of 214 counties. In 2000, this figure increased to 83 counties.
The number of jobs per 100 people and the unemployment rates underscore the
lack of economic opportunity in the region, as do the low per capita income rates.
The types of jobs available in the region account in part for both income levels
and the number of jobs available.

Poverty: Poverty continues to be an extreme challenge to the region. In 1997,
16.1 percent of Mid-Appalachia's total population lived in poverty, as compared
to 13.3 percent of the U.S. population. Owsley County, Kentucky, had the
dubious distinction of the highest poverty rate in the Mid-Appalachia region that
year, with 40.9 percent of its total population and 50 percent of its children living
in poverty.

Education: The Mid-Appalachia region's adult population is also markedly less
educated than that of the U.S. In the year 2000, of those age 25 years and older in
the U.S., 51.7 percent has at least some education beyond high school, and only
19.6 percent has less than a high school diploma. In Mid-Appalachia, only 38.9
percent has any education beyond high school, and a staggering 27.5 percent —
more than a quarter of the adult population — has not completed high school. In
a knowledge economy where education is increasingly critical for economic
survival, these statistics shed a great deal of light on why poverty is so entrenched
in the region.

Aging: The population of Mid-Appalachia is markedly older than that of the U.S.
as a whole, with 39.2 percent of its population age 45 or older as compared to
34.4 percent for the U.S. The region's youth make up only 22.6 percent of the
population, versus the U.S. figure of 25.7 percent. These figures indicate that the
region is left with an aging workforce and fewer young people to potentially fill
the gap left by those leaving the workforce. In the remainder of the South, the
population is aging but not at such extreme levels, and the gap of younger
workers is being filled by foreign-born immigrants drawn by job growth. The
lack of jobs in Mid-Appalachia disallows such an opportunity and reinforces the
downward spiral.

Opportunity: While the aggregate statistics indicate major challenges, the region
does include economically vital communities and a wealth of educational
resources. Many metro, resort, and retirement areas within the region have seen a
great deal of economic progress in the past 10 years, and these areas can be part
of a strong foundation for the region at large. Another crucial piece of that
foundation is the higher education infrastructure; the 214 counties of MidAppalachia include 104 institutions of higher education for the strengthening of
the region's human capital and its civic and economic infrastructure.
Economic and Demographic Trends
in the Mid-Appalachia Region
Introduction and Notes on Data
Home to 7,591,467 people, the 214 counties of the Mid-Appalachia region are
characterized by their mountainous geography and history of poverty. Kentucky, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia's Appalachian counties have economies
that were historically based on natural resource extraction and low-skill, low-wage
manufacturing; the demise of both leaves many counties that have not diversified
economically in a situation of distress or decline and out-migration.
The basic foundation for economic progress is a community's capacity to do two
things: bring dollars into a community and keep those dollars within the community.
While the factors related to these two functions are numerous, economic diversity is key.
An economy that is concentrated in low-profit, declining industries such as natural
resource extraction or low-skill manufacturing has much less dollar-importing capacity
than an economy that also includes a mix of tourism, high-end professional services, and
other value-added industries. A diversified economy also allows a community the
flexibility and resilience to weather economic shifts.
Even while much of the rest of the South saw booming economies in the 1990s
with population and job growth that led the nation, the Mid-Appalachia region remained
behind. While metropolitan and high-amenity areas in the region experienced healthy
progress and provide an asset for the region to build upon, the majority of the region,
faced with a preponderance of declining and low-wage industries and an undereducated,
aging workforce, has been faced with economic stagnation or distress.
This analysis presents an economic and demographic profile of the Appalachian
regions of Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia based on an
analysis of 10-year trends conducted by MDC, Inc., a private nonprofit development
organization based in Chapel Hill, NC, and focusing on the South.
Founded in 1967, MDC's mission is to advance the South through strategies that
expand opportunity, reduce poverty, and build inclusive communities. The organization
analyzes trends to identify challenges that impede progress for the South and its people,
and it addresses those challenges from multiple angles, including informing the public
dialog through resources such as its State of the South reports, a biennial analysis of the
South's economy and how Southerners are faring in it.
The goal of this profile is to provide a context for determining the region's
challenges to progress as well as opportunities for action by an institute on rural
journalism. The analysis aims to answer the following research questions:

In Mid-Appalachia counties, what are the total population, population density,
and composition by age, race, and gender? How has the population changed over
the past 10 years?

How does mid-Appalachia compare to the rest of the United States in terms of per
capita income, home ownership, and unemployment? How many people are
living in poverty, and how many children? What are the longer-term trends?

What are the predominant industries and occupations in Mid-Appalachia? Are
these industries growing, stagnant, or declining?

What percentage of the adult population has a high school education? A college
education? How does this compare to the rest of the United States? What
postsecondary education and vocational training opportunities are available?
Definition of Terms:
"Mid-Appalachia" and "the region" refer to the Appalachian counties of Kentucky, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, as those counties are defined by the
federal government's Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
"State Appalachia," such as "Kentucky Appalachia," refers to Appalachian counties
within that state.
"State Appalachia Median County," such as "Kentucky Appalachia Median County,"
refers to the county with the median statistical figure within the Appalachian counties of
that state.
"State Name," such as "Kentucky," refers to the entire state of Kentucky, including the
Appalachian counties.
Notes on Data:
The data for this analysis is included in the appendix. The data sets are: Demographics,
Economics, Details of Population by Age, Mining Employment, Location of Higher
Education Institutions, and Educational Attainment*. Each state data section is organized
alphabetically by county.
All counties in West Virginia are included in the Appalachian region; therefore, we do
not include a separate data point for "West Virginia Appalachia."
*
Educational Attainment data sets and analysis will be forwarded as soon as the data are available from the
Census Bureau for these states at the county level and can be analyzed.
Metro areas or proximity to a metro area
in NC, TN, VA, and WV skew some of
the data, as do prosperous resort areas in
parts of VA and WV. For this reason,
we present state Appalachia area figures
and the state Appalachia median figures
for a fuller picture where appropriate.
Where available, data is provided on the
county level. This analysis has required
multiple sources of data, and sources are
indicated on the data tables attached.
The most recent data available at the
county level has been used.
Metro and Resort Areas in MidAppalachia
NC: Asheville (Buncombe Co.) and Winston-Salem
(Forsyth Co.)
TN: Chattanooga (Hamilton Co.), Knoxville (Knox
Co.), Bristol-Johnson City-Kingsport (Sullivan and
Washington Cos.), and Oak Ridge (Anderson and
Roane Cos.)
VA: Homestead Resort (Bath Co.), Sugarloaf Resort
(Botetourt Co.), Blacksburg (Montgomery Co.)
WV: Charleston (Kanawha Co.), Huntington (Cabell
and Wayne Cos.), Greenbrier Resort (Greenbrier Co.),
and Wheeling (Ohio Co.)
Overview
Overall, the Mid-Appalachia region remains mostly rural, lower-growth, less
densely populated, much less diverse, older, poorer, and less educated than the states of
which it is comprised and the U.S. In an economy that through the 1990s rewarded
metropolitan and high-amenity areas with highly educated workers, such characteristics
did not bode well for Mid-Appalachia's economy or people. While metro and resort areas
in the region did as well or better than their respective states in terms of economic and
demographic growth, other areas made little or no progress. In this global age where a
local economy's performance is tied to that of its state and the nation, the failure of much
of Appalachia to thrive during the booming 90s indicates entrenched challenges that will
continue to compromise the region's well-being.
Demography
Population growth from 1990 to 2000 in Mid-Appalachia was only 9.5 percent,
compared to the U.S. rate of 13.1 percent. State Appalachia regions lagged each state's
growth in all cases and also lagged U.S. rates, with the exception of NC Appalachia and
TN Appalachia, which include major metropolitan areas. (See Figure 1.)
Population density of each state's Appalachia region lags its state as well, with the
exception of Tennessee due to Chattanooga and Knoxville. The most mountainous areas
of Mid-Appalachia — Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia — had population densities
significantly lower than their North Carolina and Tennessee counterparts. (See Figure 2.)
Mid-Appalachia's population continues to be nearly all-white, with only NC
Appalachia having people of color comprise more than 10 percent of its population. NC
Appalachia's greater diversity is reflective of the state's having the country's highest
growth rate for Hispanic population from 1990 to 2000. Mid-Appalachia's population
was markedly less diverse than the country as a whole: the region's population was 92.5
percent white, 4.8 percent African American, 1.6 percent Hispanic, and .9 percent other,
while the U.S. figures were 75.1 percent white, 12.3 percent African American, 12.5
percent Hispanic, and 4.5 percent other. (See Figure 3.)
The population of Mid-Appalachia is markedly older than that of the U.S. as a
whole, with 39.2 percent of its population age 45 or older as compared to 34.4 percent for
the U.S. The region's retirement age population is higher, with 14.4 percent age 65 or
older, with the U.S. figure at 12.4 percent. The region's youth make up only 22.6 percent
of the population, versus the U.S. figure of 25.7 percent. (See Figure 4.)
These figures indicate that the region is left with an aging workforce and fewer
young people to potentially fill the gap left by those leaving the workforce. In the
remainder of the South, the population is aging but not at such extreme levels, and the
gap of younger workers is being filled by foreign-born immigrants drawn by job growth.
The lack of jobs (see Economy section below) in Mid-Appalachia disallows such an
opportunity and reinforces the downward spiral. The region's high median age in 2000,
37.9 years as opposed to the U.S. figure of 35.3 years, confirms that challenge. (See
Figure 5.)
The Mid-Appalachia region's adult population is also markedly less educated than
that of the U.S. In the year 200, of those age 25 years and older in the U.S., 28.6 percent
of the population has a high school diploma only, and 51.7 percent has at least some
education beyond high school. Only 19.6 percent had less than a high school diploma.
In Mid-Appalachia, while 34 percent has a high school diploma only, only 38.9 percent
has any education beyond high school, and a staggering 27.5 percent — more than a
quarter of the adult population — has not completed high school. Only 18 of the 214
counties had a lower percentage than the U.S. of adults with less than a high school
diploma. (See Figure 6.)
Economy
Economic possibilities for counties in Mid-Appalachia vary widely due to terrain,
available services, and infrastructure. The ARC distressed counties map (see Figure 7)
indicates those counties which, as of 2000, were considered to have the most "structurally
disadvantaged economies" as determined by poverty, unemployment, and per capita
market income rates.
In 1997, 16.1 percent of Mid-Appalachia's total population lived in poverty, as
compared to 13.3 percent of the U.S. population. (See Figure 8.)
For all five states studied, per capita personal
income (PCI) in 1999 was significantly less than for the
U.S., and the PCI of each state's Appalachia region was
even lower than the state PCI. The Mid-Appalachia
region's figure was $21,954, and the U.S. figure was
$28,546, a full 30 percent higher. (See Figure 9.) The
1999 Per Capita Personal Income
Figures for Median County
KY Appalachia
NC Appalachia
TN Appalachia
VA Appalachia
WV Appalachia
$15,883
$22,222
$19,434
$19,702
$17,787
PCI figure for the median county in each state's Appalachia region was even lower than
each state's Appalachia region figure, indicating an upward skew due to a few counties
with higher-than-typical figures.
Despite having significant leeway to make up ground in PCI between 1990 and
1999, only Virginia's Appalachia region managed to grow at a rate higher than its state,
and VA Appalachia still ended with a PCI at only 75 percent of its state PCI. The belowstate-level increases indicate that Mid-Appalachia was not able to take advantage of
economic opportunities in even the most prosperous of times, and some of the counties
fell even farther behind their states and the country. (See Figure 10.)
The average wage per job is certainly a factor
in the region's low per capita income and high
poverty rates. In 2000, the average wage per job in
the U.S. was $34, 652, a full 32.3 percent higher than
the Mid-Appalachia figure of $26,194. (See
Figure 11.) Each state's Appalachia region lagged the
state considerably; and in every case, the figure for
the Appalachia region's median county was lower
than the state's Appalachia region, again indicating
the figures were skewed high by a few counties.
2000 Average Wage per Job
Figures for Median County
KY Appalachia
NC Appalachia
TN Appalachia
VA Appalachia
WV Appalachia
$21,089
$23,211
$23,023
$23,659
$22,981
The percent increase in average wage per job from 1990 to 2000 again indicates a
region unprepared to take advantage of economic opportunity and falling farther behind
the U.S. and the involved states. The Mid-Appalachia increase of 35.02 percent is a full
13.4 percentage points behind the U.S. increase of 48.6 percent. (See Figure 12.)
The number of jobs per 100 people and
the unemployment rates underscore the lack of
opportunity in the region. At 53.09 jobs per 100
people, the region's rate is well below the U.S.'s
59.51 jobs per 100 people, and the median
county's number of jobs per 100 people in each
state's Appalachia region is below the state level
in every single case. (See Figure 13.)
Regarding unemployment, the figure for the
median county in each state's Appalachia region
was higher than the U.S., and with the exception
of North Carolina, also higher than its state rate.
(See Figure 14.)
Number of Counties in State
Appalachia Regions Below U.S.
Figure for Jobs per 100 people, Year
2000
Kentucky — 45 of 49 counties
North Carolina — 23 of 29 counties
Tennessee — 42 of 50 counties
Virginia — 17 of 23 counties
West Virginia — 48 of 55 counties
The types of jobs available in the region account in part for both income levels
and the number of jobs available. Traditional resource-based industries — farming and
mining — declined in each of the five states between 1978 and 1997. Nondurable goods
manufacturing — chemicals, textiles and apparel, and tobacco — all saw significant
declines in the states from 1978 to 1997. Still, manufacturing, services, and government
occupations account for the majority of jobs in Mid-Appalachia.
The more mountainous states have few options for placement of manufacturing
facilities, as reflected in the low percentage of jobs in manufacturing. The higher figures
in North Carolina and Tennessee are accounted for mainly with traditional
manufacturing, the number of jobs in which is declining in most industries due to
technology replacing workers and to global competition. (See Figure 15.)
Service and retail employment were areas of huge growth in the South in general
from 1978 to 1997, with health and business services being areas with continued
booming growth. Each state Appalachia region showed a percentage of jobs in services
lower than the U.S. and lower than its state in 2000, indicating a lack of economic
diversification and consistent with the areas' low population growth rates. (See
Figure 16.)
In all but Tennessee, a higher percentage of jobs are in the government sector in
Mid-Appalachia than in the U.S. Counties with high poverty rates and high government
sector employment are a particular problem. No fewer than eight of the 10 counties with
the highest poverty rates in each state's Appalachia region had a government sector
employment rate higher than the United States figure. These statistics indicate an
overreliance on public sector employment and an undiversified economy with a lack of
other opportunities, both of which bode poorly for economic growth. While a public
economy is better than no economy and more stable than some, it has very low growth
potential, providing little opportunity to lower poverty levels. (See Figure 17.)
Availability of higher
Higher Education and Big-Box Retail in
education in Mid-Appalachia
Mid-Appalachia Counties
does offer a resource for
strengthening the region's
# Higher Ed.
# Wal-Marts
# Wal-Marts
Institutions
in college cos.
workforce and its economy.
While geography and
KY
17
25
15
transportation are major issues in
NC
22
24
18
accessing education, the number
TN
24
44
30
of institutions does offer some
VA
15
14
9
WV
26
31
20
hope. However, higher
education institutions do tend to
be located in the (relatively) more prosperous counties, as indicated by the location of
Wal-Mart stores, which for the most part do not locate in counties with higher poverty
rates. In addition, higher education institutions are both a mechanism for importing
dollars into a community, through student tuition and spending at a minimum, and
through exporting knowledge, research, and services at a maximum.
State Profiles
Kentucky

In educational attainment in the year 2000, every county in the KY Appalachia
region had a higher percentage of adults age 25 and above with less than a high
school diploma than the U.S. figure of 19.6 percent. Of the 10 KY Appalachia
counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty, 42.5 percent or
more of their adults age 25 and above had less than a high school diploma.

Every county in the KY Appalachia region had a higher percentage of people
living in poverty than the U.S.'s 13.3 percent and a higher percentage of children
living in poverty than the U.S.'s 19.9 percent in 1997. Forty-seven of the 49
counties had rates higher than Kentucky's 16 percent of all people. The KY
Appalachia median county's figure was 26.1 percent.

Every county in the KY Appalachia region had a 1999 per capita income rate
lower than the U.S. rate, and 47 of the 49 counties had a PCI figure below the
state figure.

In terms of jobs per 100 people in 2000, 45 of 49 KY Appalachia counties were
below both the U.S. and KY figures. The KY Appalachia median county's figure
was an astonishing 22.28 jobs lower than the U.S. figure of 59.51 jobs per
hundred people.

The 2000 average wage per job in every KY Appalachia county was lower than in
the U.S.'s $34,652, and 45 of 49 Appalachia counties were also below KY's
$28,100 figure.

The 10 KY Appalachia counties with the highest percentage of people living in
poverty all had a percent increase in the average wage per job from 1990 to 2000
that was below the U.S. increase, and eight of the 10 had a rate below that of KY.

Forty of the 49 KY Appalachia counties had unemployment figures higher than
the U.S. in 2001.

In the occupational mix, manufacturing was underrepresented in the highest
poverty counties in 2000. All but one of the 49 KY Appalachia counties had a
service employment rate lower than the U.S. The 10 KY Appalachia counties
with the highest percentage of people living in poverty all had government
employment rates well above the U.S. and KY rates, and nine of the 10 were
among the 15 counties with the highest government employment rate.

The three highest coal employment counties in 2000 are in top-five wage
counties, and it's a dying industry, indicating future decline in those counties.
North Carolina

In educational attainment in the year 2000, all but six counties in the NC
Appalachia region had a higher percentage of adults age 25 and above with less
than a high school diploma than the U.S. figure of 19.6 percent.

Fifteen of the 29 NC Appalachia counties had a percentage of people living in
poverty equal to or higher than the U.S. rate in 1997. The lower poverty rate in
the remaining counties is attributable in part to their being in metropolitan, resort,
or retirement areas. The percentage of children living in poverty follows the same
lines, with 14 of the 29 counties being equal to or higher than the U.S. figure.

All NC Appalachia counties were below the U.S. figure for average wage per job
in 2000, and 28 of the 29 were below the NC state figure as well, with
metropolitan Forsyth County being the exception. Nine of the 10 counties with
the highest percentage of people living in poverty had an average wage per job
below in the NC Appalachia region's median county figure, which was
approximately 30 percent lower than the U.S. figure.

Twenty-six of the 29 NC Appalachia counties had a per capita income figure
below the U.S. figure of $28,546 in 1999; 24 had a PCI below the state figure of
$26,417. Nine of the 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in
poverty had a PCI below the NC Appalachia region's median county's figure of
$22,222.

Despite a percentage increase in PCI above the U.S., NC, and NC Appalachia
region figures from 1990 to 2000, all 10 counties with the highest percentage of
people living in poverty still had a PCI below the U.S., state, and NC Appalachia
figures.

NC Appalachia had an extremely high reliance on manufacturing compared to the
U.S. in 2000, and that manufacturing is concentrated in declining traditional
industries such as tobacco processing and furniture manufacturing.

Eight of the 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty in
1997 had a percentage of employment in the government sector above the state
and U.S. figures in 2000, and five of the 10 were among the six counties with the
highest rates of government employment.

Twenty-three of the 29 Appalachia counties had fewer jobs per 100 people than
the state at 61.41 and the United States at 59.51 jobs per 100 people in 2000.
Tennessee

In educational attainment in the year 2000, 48 of the 50 TN Appalachia counties
had a higher percentage of adults age 25 and above with less than a high school
diploma than the U.S. figure of 19.6 percent. Of the 10 TN Appalachia counties
with the highest percentage of people living in poverty, 37.1 percent or more of
their adults age 25 and above had less than a high school diploma.

Of the 50 TN Appalachia counties, 37 had a higher percentage of people living in
poverty than the United States at 13.3 percent and Tennessee at 13.6 percent in
1997. The figures follow in line for the percentage of children living in poverty,
with 40 TN Appalachia counties having a percentage higher than the U.S. at 19.9
percent and TN at 18.9 percent. The majority of counties with lower percentages
were metropolitan areas.

All but one of the 50 TN Appalachia counties had a 1999 per capita income lower
than the U.S. figure of $28,546, and all but two were below the TN figure of
$25,548; those two were Hamilton and Knox, the counties containing
Chattanooga and Knoxville. All 10 counties with the highest percentage of
people living in poverty had PCI below the TN Appalachia region's median
county's figure of $19,245.

Every TN Appalachia county had an average wage per job in 2000 that was below
the U.S. figure of $34, 652; 45 of the 50 were below the TN figure of $29,894.
Eight of the 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty
had an average wage per job below the TN Appalachia median of $23,023, and
five of the 10 also were the five with the lowest average wage per job.

All of the 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty in
1997 had an unemployment rate in 2001 higher than the U.S., TN Appalachia,
and TN figures. Seven of the 10 were also among the 10 counties with the
highest unemployment rate.

Of the 50 TN Appalachia counties, 42 had fewer jobs per hundred than TN's
61.63 figure, and 40 had fewer than the U.S.'s 59.51 figure in 2000.

Of the 50 counties, 45 had a higher reliance on manufacturing than the U.S., and
39 had a higher reliance than TN in 2000. Nine of the 10 counties with the
highest percentage of people living in poverty had a higher reliance on
manufacturing than the U.S.

In 2000, of the 50 counties, 47 had a lower percentage of employment in services
than the U.S.'s 31.8 percent, and 46 were below TN's 28.6 percent.

Nine of the 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty
had a higher percentage of people employed in the government sector than the
state and U.S.
Virginia

In educational attainment in the year 2000, 21 of 23 counties in the VA
Appalachia region had a higher percentage of adults age 25 and above with less
than a high school diploma than the U.S. figure of 19.6 percent. Of the 10 VA
Appalachia counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty, 29.8
percent or more of their adults age 25 and above had less than a high school
diploma.

Of the 23 VA Appalachia counties in 1997, 18 had a higher percentage of people
living in poverty than the state's 11.6 percent, and 16 had a higher percentage than
the U.S.'s 13.3 percent.

All five of the counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty in
1997 were among the seven counties with the highest percentage of people
employed in mining in 2000.

The 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty in 1997
were also the 10 counties with the highest percentage of children living in poverty
that year.

Nine of the 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty in
1997 had unemployment levels in 2001 higher than the state, the VA Appalachia
region, and the U.S.

Eighteen of the 23 counties had fewer jobs per 100 in the year 2000 than the
state's 62.61 figure, and 17 were below the U.S.'s 59.51 figure, including all of the
10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty. Note that the
counties with the highest numbers of jobs per 100 people have independent cities
within them.

All 23 of the VA Appalachia counties have a 1999 per capita income figure below
Virginia's $29,794 and the U.S.'s $28,546. Nine of the 10 counties with the
highest percentage of people living in poverty had a PCI below the VA
Appalachia region's PCI. Despite high increases in per capita income from 1990
to 1999 in VA Appalachia, the actual PCI figures indicate a huge gap remains.

All 23 VA Appalachia counties were below the U.S.'s average wage per job of
$34,652 in the year 2000 and below VA's figure of $34,655. The state's figure
was a dramatic 21 percent higher than the highest county in the VA Appalachia
region.

Despite significant room for improvement, seven of the 10 counties with the
highest percentage of people living in poverty in 1997 were among the nine
counties with the lowest percentage increase in average wage per job from 1990
to 2000.

Eleven of the 23 Appalachia counties had employment in manufacturing above
the U.S. figure of 11.4 percent in 2000, indicating an overreliance on an
occupational sector declining in the state and the U.S. However, six of the 10
counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty fell well below
the U.S. figure.

All but one of the 23 counties had a percentage of employment in services below
the state and the country in 2000. The exception was Bath County, location of
The Homestead Resort and several snow-skiing areas.

All of the 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty had
government employment rates higher than the U.S. in 2000.
West Virginia

In educational attainment in the year 2000, 48 of 55 counties in the WV
Appalachia region had a higher percentage of adults age 25 and above with less
than a high school diploma than the U.S. figure of 19.6 percent. Nine of the 10
WV Appalachia counties with the highest percentage of people living in poverty
were among the 10 counties with the highest percentage of adults with less than a
high school diploma. In those nine counties, 34.6 percent or more of the adults
age 25 and above had less than a high school diploma.

Forty-eight of the 55 West Virginia counties had a higher percentage of people
living in poverty in 1997 than the U.S.'s 13.3 percent. The WV figure was 16.8
percent, but the state's median was 17.5 percent.

Of the 10 counties with
the highest percentage
of people living in
poverty in 1997, all had
a population increase of
3.8 percent or less from
1990 to 2000. Eight of
the 10 had population
declines, with figures
ranging from –3.8
percent to –22.4
percent. Of those eight,
Counties
Logan
Wyoming
Calhoun
Mingo
Gilmer
Summers
Webster
McDowell
% Living in
Poverty,
1997
23
23
24.2
24.9
25.0
24.2
28.5
31.4
% Employment in
Mining, 2000
6.9
13.1
8.2
29.2
6.8
N/A
9.6
11.2
% Change in
Population,
1990 - 2000
-12.4
-11.3
-3.8
-16.3
-6.6
-8.5
-9.4
-22.4
all but one was also among the counties with the highest percentage of
employment in mining.

Of the 55 counties, 47 had a higher percentage of children living in poverty than
the U.S. in 1997; percentages of the total population living in poverty and of
children in poverty tracked closely.

Every WV county had a 1999 per capita income lower than the U.S. figure of
$28,546. Seven of the 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in
poverty are also the seven counties with the lowest PCI, indicating an extreme
lack of jobs paying a sustaining wage.

In 2000, 48 of the 55 counties had fewer jobs per 100 than the U.S.'s 59.51; 42 of
55 counties had fewer jobs per 100 than WV's 49.46. The state median of 42.13
jobs per 100 indicates the state figure is skewed high due to a few high counties,
the top four of which are metro counties. The 10 counties with the highest
percentage of people living in poverty are below the median figure, and five of
those are in the bottom eight counties in jobs per 100, with figures ranging from
29.46 to only 18.72.

In 2000, all 55 counties had an average wage per job below the U.S. figure of
$34,652. Eight of the 10 counties with the highest percentage of people living in
poverty had an average wage per job below the state figure of $26,217.

In 2001, unemployment rates in WV counties ranged from 2.2 percent in metro
areas to 15.4 percent. The 10 counties with the highest percentage of people
living in poverty had unemployment rates higher than the U.S. rate of 4.8 percent
and the state figure of 4.9 percent.

From 1990 to 1999, 51 of the 55 counties had a percent increase in the average
wage per job below the U.S. figure of 48.58 percent, despite having had huge
room for improvement due to starting with such a low figure in 1990. The state
figure was only a 28.26 percent increase.

In 2000, 44 of the 55 counties had a higher percentage of employment in
government than the U.S.'s 13.6 percent. Three of the 10 counties with the
highest percentage of people living in poverty were in the top five in government
employment, all three had population loss between 1990 and 2000, and all but one
were also in the top 10 in mining employment in 2000.
Supporting Information and Data
Mining Employment
Ten Counties per State with Highest Percentage of Mining Employment
(only includes those counties for which data were disclosed in the 2000 Census)
Kentucky
County
Leslie
Martin
Knott
Pike
Letcher
Harlan
Perry
Floyd
Magoffin
Bell
% Mining Employment
29.3%
24.9%
21.6%
14.5%
14.1%
12.2%
7.9%
6.8%
5.3%
5.2%
North Carolina
County
Mitchell
Alexander
Buncombe
Caldwell
% Mining Employment
0.5%
0.2%
0.1%
0.1%
Tennessee
County
Clay
Cannon
Rhea
Blount
Knox
Roane
Sullivan
White
% Mining Employment
6.1%
3.6%
0.4%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
Virginia
County
Buchanan
Dickenson
Wise
Wythe
Russell
Lee
Botetourt
% Mining Employment
17.7%
13.9%
12.1%
7.8%
4.4%
3.3%
1.5%
West Virginia
County
Boone
Mingo
Wyoming
Clay
McDowell
Webster
Calhoun
Upshur
Logan
Gilmer
% Mining Employment
37.9%
29.2%
13.1%
12.3%
11.2%
9.6%
8.2%
7.8%
6.9%
6.8%
Location of Higher Education Institutions
Kentucky
County
Adair
Bath
Bell
Boyd
Breathitt
Carter
Casey
Clark
Clay
Clinton
Cumberland
Elliott
Estill
Fleming
Floyd
Garrard
Green
Greenup
Harlan
Jackson
Johnson
Knott
Knox
Laurel
Lawrence
Lee
Leslie
Letcher
Lewis
Lincoln
McCreary
Madison
Magoffin
Martin
Menifee
Monroe
Montgomery
Morgan
College/University
Lindsey Wilson College
# of Wal-Mart Stores
1
Cumberland Valley Technical College
1
2
1
Kentucky Christian College
1
1
Prestonsburg Community College
1
Ashland Community College
Southeast Community College
1
1
Alice Lloyd College
Union College
Laurel Technical College
1
1
1
1
Berea College
Eastern Kentucky University
2
1
Owsley
Perry
Pike
Powell
Pulaski
Rockcastle
Rowan
Russell
Wayne
Whitley
Wolfe
Hazard Community College
Pikeville College
1
2
Somerset Community College
1
Morehead State University
Rowan Technical College
1
Cumberland College
1
2
North Carolina
County
Alexander
Alleghany
Ashe
Avery
Buncombe
Burke
Caldwell
Cherokee
Clay
Davie
Forsyth
Graham
Haywood
Henderson
Jackson
McDowell
Macon
Madison
Mitchell
Polk
College/University
# of Wal-Mart Stores
1
University of North Carolina at
Asheville
Warren Wilson College
Montreat College
Asheville-Buncombe Technical College
Western Piedmont Community College
Caldwell Community College
Tri-County Community College
3
Wake Forest University
Forsyth Technical/Community College
Salem College
Winston-Salem State
Haywood Community College
Western Carolina University
Southwestern Community College
McDowell Technical/Community
College
1
1
1
1
4
1
1
1
1
1
Mars Hill College
Mayland Community College
Blue Ridge Community College
1
Rutherford
Stokes
Surry
Swain
Transylvania
Watauga
Wilkes
Yadkin
Yancey
1
Surry Community College
1
Brevard College
Appalachian State University
Wilkes Community College
1
1
1
1
Tennessee
County
Anderson
Bledsoe
Blount
Bradley
Campbell
Cannon
Carter
Claiborne
Clay
Cocke
Coffee
Cumberland
De Kalb
Fentress
Franklin
Grainger
Greene
Grundy
Hamblen
Hamilton
Hancock
Hawkins
Jackson
Jefferson
Johnson
College/University
# of Wal-Mart Stores
1
Maryville College
Cleveland State Community College
Lee College
1
1
Lincoln Memorial University
University of Tennessee Space
Institute
1
1
1
2
1
University of the South
1
1
Tusculum College
1
Walters State Community College
Chattanooga State Technical
Community College
University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga
Southern Adventist University
1
4
Carson-Newman College
Milligan College
1
Knox
Loudon
McMinn
Macon
Marion
Meigs
Monroe
Morgan
Overton
Pickett
Polk
Putnam
Rhea
Roane
Scott
Sequatchie
Sevier
Smith
Sullivan
Unicoi
Union
Van Buren
Warren
Washington
White
Pellissippi State Technical Community
College
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Johnson Bible College
Tennessee Wesleyan College
8
1
1
1
1
Hiwassee College
1
Tennessee Technological University
Bryan College
Roane State Community College
1
1
1
1
Northeast State Technical Community
College
Kings College
East Tennessee University
1
1
4
1
1
1
Virginia
County/City
Alleghany
Bath
Bland
Botetourt
Buchanan
Carroll
Craig
Dickenson
Floyd
Giles
College/University
# of Wal-Mart Stores
Appalachian School of Law
1
Grayson
Highland
Lee
Montgomery
Pulaski
Rockbridge
Russell
Scott
Smyth
Tazewell
Washington
Wise
Wythe
Bristol City
Buena Vista City
Clifton Forge City
Covington City
Galax City
Lexington City
Norton City
Radford City
Virginia Tech
New River Community College
1
1
1
3
Bluefield College
Southwest Virginia Community College
Virginia Highlands Community College
University of Virginia at Wise
1
Mountain Empire Community College
Wytheville Community College
Virginia Intermont College
1
Southern Virginia University
Dabney S. Lancaster Community
College
1
1
Washington & Lee University
1
Virginia Military Institute
1
Radford University
1
West Virginia
County
Barbour
Berkeley
Boone
Braxton
Brooke
Cabell
Calhoun
Clay
Doddridge
Fayette
Gilmer
Grant
Greenbrier
Hampshire
College/University
Alderson-Broaddus College
Shepherd College
Bethany College
West Liberty State College
Marshall University
# of Wal-Mart Stores
1
1
West Virginia Institute of Technology
Glenville State College
1
West Virginia School of Osteopathic
Medicine
1
Hancock
Hardy
Harrison
Jackson
Jefferson
Kanawha
Lewis
Lincoln
Logan
McDowell
Marion
Marshall
Mason
Mercer
Mineral
Mingo
Monongalia
Monroe
Morgan
Nicholas
Ohio
Pendleton
Pleasants
Pocahontas
Preston
Putnam
Raleigh
Randolph
Ritchie
Roane
Summers
Taylor
Tucker
Tyler
Upshur
Wayne
Webster
Wetzel
Wirt
Salem International University
Salem-Teikyo University
University of Charleston
West Virginia Junior College
West Virginia State College
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
Southern West Virginia Community
and Technical College
1
Fairmont State College
2
Bluefield State College
Concord College
Valley College Institute of Technology
Potomac State College
West Virginia University
1
1
1
1
1
Wheeling Jesuit University
College of West Virginia
Davis and Elkins College
1
1
1
1
West Virginia Wesleyan College
1
1
1
Wood
Wyoming
Ohio Valley College
West Virginia University at
Parkersburg
3
Economic Indicators by Correlation
to Percentage of Population Living in Poverty
(Indicators listed from highest correlation to lowest correlation,
based on 10 counties with highest poverty rate)
Kentucky
North Carolina
% children living in poverty
% government employment
1999 PCI
Jobs per 100 in 2000
2000 average wage per job
% change average wage 90-00
2001 unemployment rate
% manufacturing employment
% services employment
% change PCI 90-99
% children living in poverty
2000 average wage per job
% change PCI 90-99
1999 PCI
% manufacturing employment
% government employment
% services employment
Jobs per 100 in 2000
% change average wage 90-00
2001 unemployment rate
Tennessee
Virginia
% children living in poverty
1999 PCI
2000 average wage per job
2001 unemployment rate
Jobs per 100 people in 2000
% government employment
% services employment
% manufacturing employment
% change in PCI 90-99
% change average wage 90-00
% children living in poverty
2001 unemployment rate
Jobs per 100 people in 2000
1999 PCI
% change average wage 90-00
2000 average wage per job
% change PCI 90-99
% manufacturing employment
% services employment
% government employment
West Virginia
% children in poverty
1999 PCI
Jobs per 100 people in 2000
% government employment
2001 unemployment rate
% manufacturing employment
% change average wage 90-00
% services employment
% change PCI 90-00
2000 average wage per job