THE APPALACHIAN REGION:

A DATA OVERVIEW FROM THE

2006-2010 AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY

Chartbook

Kelvin Pollard

Linda A. Jacobsen

Population Reference Bureau

Prepared for the Appalachian Regional Commission

Under Contract #CO-16506-09

February 2012

The authors wish to thank David Carrier and Keith Witt of ARC

for their support and guidance.

 
1 

THE APPALACHIAN REGION: A DATA OVERVIEW FROM THE 2006-2010 AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

FOREWORD 3

CHAPTER 1. POPULATION BASICS

Table 1.1: Population, Land Area, and Population Density in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 4

Figure 1.1: Population Distribution in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 5

Figure 1.2: Population per Square Mile of Land Area in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 6

CHAPTER 2. AGE

Table 2.1: Population in the Appalachian Region by Age Group, 2006-2010 7

Figure 2.1: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region Under Age 18, 2006-2010 8

Figure 2.2: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region Ages 18 to 24, 2006-2010 9

Figure 2.3: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region Ages 25 to 64, 2006-2010 10

Figure 2.4: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region Ages 65 and Over, 2006-2010 11

Figure 2.5: Median Age of Persons in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 12

CHAPTER 3. RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN

Table 3.1: Population in the Appalachian Region by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2006-2010 13

Figure 3.1: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region That Is Minority, 2006-2010 14

Figure 3.2: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region That Is Black Alone, not Hispanic, 2006-2010 15

Figure 3.3: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region That Is Hispanic or Latino, 2006-2010 16

CHAPTER 4. HOUSING OCCUPANCY AND TENURE

Table 4.1: Occupancy and Tenure of Housing Units in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 17

Figure 4.1: Percent of Housing Units in the Appalachian Region That Are Occupied, 2006-2010 18

Figure 4.2: Percent of Housing Units in the Appalachian Region That Are Vacant, 2006-2010 18

Figure 4.3: Percent Owner-Occupied Housing Units in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 20

Figure 4.4: Percent Renter-Occupied Housing Units in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 21

CHAPTER 5. EDUCATION

Table 5.1: Educational Attainment of Persons Ages 25 and Over in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 22

Table 5.2: Educational Attainment of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 23

Table 5.3: Educational Attainment of Persons Ages 65 and Over in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 24

Figure 5.1: Percent of Persons Ages 25 and Over in the Appalachian Region With a High School Diploma or More, 2006-2010 25

Figure 5.2: Percent of Persons Ages 25 and Over in the Appalachian Region With a High School Diploma but With No 

Postsecondary Degree, 2006-2010

26

Figure 5.3: Percent of Persons Ages 25 and Over in the Appalachian Region With a Bachelor’s Degree or More, 2006-2010 27

Figure 5.4: Percent of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region With a High School Diploma or More, 2006-2010 28

Figure 5.5: Percent of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region With a Bachelor’s Degree or More, 2006-2010 29

Figure 5.6: Percent of Persons Ages 65 and Over in the Appalachian Region With a Bachelor’s Degree or More, 2006-2010 30

CHAPTER 6. LABOR FORCE, EMPLOYMENT, AND UNEMPLOYMENT

Table 6.1: Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment Status of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian 

Region, 2006-2010

31

Figure 6.1: Percent of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region Who Are In the Labor Force, 2006-2010 32

Figure 6.2: Employment Rate for Civilian Labor Force Participants Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 33

Figure 6.3: Unemployment Rate for Civilian Labor Force Participants Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 34

CHAPTER 7. INCOME AND POVERTY

Table 7.1: Household, Family, and Per Capita Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010 35

Table 7.2: Poverty Status of Persons in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 36
2 

PAGE

Figure 7.1: Mean Household Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010 37

Figure 7.2: Median Household Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010 38

Figure 7.3: Mean Family Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010 39

Figure 7.4: Median Family Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010 40

Figure 7.5: Per Capita Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010 41

Figure 7.6: Percent of Persons in the Appalachian Region in Poverty, 2006-2010 42

CHAPTER 8. MIGRATION

Table 8.1: Mobility Status of Persons Ages 1 and Over in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010 43

Figure 8.1: Percent of Persons Ages 1 and Over in the Appalachian Region Who Had Moved in the Past Year, 2006-2010 44

Figure 8.2: Percent of Persons Ages 1 and Over in the Appalachian Region Who Had Migrated From Outside Their 

County of Residence in the Past Year, 2006-2010

45

Figure 8.3: Percent of Persons Ages 1 and Over in the Appalachian Region Who Had Migrated From Outside Their 

State of Residence in the Past Year, 2006-2010

46
3 

FOREWORD

The data contained in this chartbook come from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey. While the types of

demographic and housing data included in Chapters 1 through 4 were also collected in the 2010 decennial census, the

types of social and economic data included in Chapters 5 through 8 were not. This is because unlike previous 

censuses—which consisted of a “short form” of basic demographic and housing questions and a “long form” (used for a 

sample of households) that also asked detailed questions about social, economic, and housing characteristics—the 

2010 census only had a short form. 

The decennial long form has been replaced by the American Community Survey (ACS), a nationwide study collected 

continuously every year in every county in the United States. The ACS is designed to provide communities with reliable 

and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data each year. However, the annual sample size of the ACS is 

much smaller than the sample size of the decennial census long form; therefore, data from five years must be combined 

to provide reliable estimates for geographic areas with fewer than 20,000 people. Since a number of counties in the 

Appalachian region have fewer than 20,000 residents, we must use the 2006-2010 ACS data to have comparable 

statistics for all 420 counties in the region. (Although the data in Chapters 1 through 4 were also collected in the 2010 

decennial census, we use ACS data in this chartbook to create a comparable time series of data for all the counties in 

the 13 Appalachian states.)

The five-year ACS estimates for 2006-2010 represent concepts that are fundamentally different from those associated 

with data from the decennial census. While the main function of the census is to provide counts of people for 

congressional apportionment and legislative redistricting, the primary purpose of the ACS is to measure the changing 

characteristics of the U.S. population. Moreover, while the decennial census provides a “snapshot” of the U.S. population 

once every 10 years, the ACS has been described as a “moving video image” that is continually updated. Finally, while 

the census provides “point in time” estimates designed to approximate an area’s characteristics on a specific date, the 

ACS provides “period” estimates that represent data collected over a period of time. The five-year estimates in this 

chartbook, therefore, are data collected over the five-year (or 60-month) period from 2006 through 2010. These ACS 

estimates are not averages of monthly or annual values, but rather an aggregation of data collected over the five-year 

period. 

For areas with consistent population characteristics throughout the calendar year, ACS period estimates might not 

differ much from those that would result from a point-in-time survey like the decennial census. However, ACS period 

estimates might be noticeably different from point-in-time estimates for areas with seasonal populations or those that 

experience a natural disaster such as a hurricane. For example, a resort community in the upper Midwest might be 

dominated by locals in the winter months and by temporary workers and tourists in the summer months, with a 

corresponding decrease in employment rates during the winter and increase in these rates during the summer. In 

such a community, the ACS period estimate of the percent of persons in the labor force, which is based on data 

across the entire calendar year, would likely be higher than the decennial census point-in-time estimate from April 1.

While five-year ACS data are needed to provide reliable estimates for areas with small populations, they can make it 

difficult to track trends in these areas. The 2006-2010 ACS data illustrate this problem. The 2006-2010 time period 

covers three distinct periods of economic activity: the months of economic growth that preceded the recession of 

December 2007 to June 2009, the recession period itself, and the beginning of the economic recovery that followed the 

downturn. Since the 2006-2010 ACS pools data from all three periods, it smooths out the extreme variations in economic 

measures that would be evident in annual data from the recent severe recession. 
4 

CHAPTER 1: POPULATION BASICS 

Table 1.1: Population, Land Area, and Population Density in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

Population, Land Area, and Density Population,

2006-2010 

Land Area

(Square Miles) 

Population per 

Square Mile of Land 

Area, 2006-2010 

United States 303,965,272 3,531,905 86.1

Appalachian Region 25,002,346 204,452 122.3

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 8,387,792 56,980 147.2

North Central Appalachia 2,405,769 29,337 82.0

Central Appalachia 1,914,972 29,773 64.3

South Central Appalachia 4,653,980 34,997 133.0

Southern Appalachia 7,639,833 53,365 143.2

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 5,689,437 17,579 323.6

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 10,063,148 50,179 200.5

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 1,691,526 18,822 89.9

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 5,024,462 69,090 72.7

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 2,533,773 48,781 51.9

Alabama 4,712,651 50,645 93.1

Appalachian Alabama 3,020,853 25,763 117.3

Non-Appalachian Alabama 1,691,798 24,882 68.0

Georgia 9,468,815 57,513 164.6

Appalachian Georgia 2,848,461 11,378 250.3

Non-Appalachian Georgia 6,620,354 46,135 143.5

Kentucky 4,285,828 39,486 108.5

Appalachian Kentucky 1,182,639 18,231 64.9

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 3,103,189 21,256 146.0

Maryland 5,696,423 9,707 586.8

Appalachian Maryland 251,112 1,529 164.2

Non-Appalachian Maryland 5,445,311 8,178 665.8

Mississippi 2,941,991 46,923 62.7

Appalachian Mississippi 626,534 12,400 50.5

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 2,315,457 34,523 67.1

New York 19,229,752 47,126 408.0

Appalachian New York 1,068,045 11,681 91.4

Non-Appalachian New York 18,161,707 35,445 512.4

North Carolina 9,271,178 48,618 190.7

Appalachian North Carolina 1,673,291 11,887 140.8

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 7,597,887 36,731 206.9

Ohio 11,512,431 40,861 281.7

Appalachian Ohio 2,045,822 15,978 128.0

Non-Appalachian Ohio 9,466,609 24,882 380.5

Pennsylvania 12,612,705 44,743 281.9

Appalachian Pennsylvania 5,787,246 36,444 158.8

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 6,825,459 8,298 822.5

South Carolina 4,511,428 30,061 150.1

Appalachian South Carolina 1,143,985 3,824 299.2

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 3,367,443 26,237 128.3

Tennessee 6,234,968 41,235 151.2

Appalachian Tennessee 2,745,426 20,119 136.5

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 3,489,542 21,116 165.3

Virginia 7,841,754 39,490 198.6

Appalachian Virginia 768,130 11,179 68.7

Non-Appalachian Virginia 7,073,624 28,311 249.9

West Virginia (entire state) 1,840,802 24,038 76.6

Data Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
5 

Figure 1.1: Population Distribution in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

Of the 304 million persons in the United States during the period from 2006-2010, 25 million lived in the Appalachian 

region. Yet the population of the region’s 420 counties varied greatly. On one hand, two-thirds of the counties had 

populations of fewer than 50,000 people, and 125 counties had fewer than 20,000 residents. On the other hand, 

pockets of the Appalachian population lived in large and mid-sized metropolitan areas, including Pittsburgh, 

Birmingham, and the Atlanta suburbs. Allegheny County, Pa. (where Pittsburgh is located) had 1.2 million residents. It 

is important to note that the Appalachian population has continued to grow; the 2010 census reported 25.2 million 

residents in the region (out of 308.7 million Americans nationwide).
6 

Figure 1.2: Population per Square Mile of Land Area in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

While Appalachia’s population density was noticeably greater than the United States as a whole over the 2006-2010 

period, less than half of the region’s counties had population concentrations at or above the national average. Most of 

the high-density counties were in metropolitan areas, both large (Pittsburgh, Birmingham, suburban Atlanta) and small 

(Winston-Salem, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.). Since the population in most of the region was higher in the 2010 census, 

population density likewise has increased in recent years—at least for the majority of counties.
7 

CHAPTER 2: AGE 

Table 2.1: Population in the Appalachian Region by Age Group, 2006-2010

Population by Age Group 

Total 

Population, 

2006-2010 

Percent of Population Median 

Age

(Years)

Under

Age 18 

Ages

18-24

Ages

25-64 Ages 65 

and over

United States 303,965,272 24.4 9.9 53.0 12.7 36.9

Appalachian Region 25,002,346 22.7 9.6 52.8 14.8 39.4

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 8,387,792 21.3 9.9 52.1 16.6 41.2

North Central Appalachia 2,405,769 22.1 9.6 53.3 15.0 39.9

Central Appalachia 1,914,972 22.6 8.7 54.0 14.7 39.9

South Central Appalachia 4,653,980 21.7 9.7 52.8 15.8 40.3

Southern Appalachia 7,639,833 25.2 9.4 53.2 12.2 36.7

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 5,689,437 24.1 8.7 54.1 13.1 38.2

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 10,063,148 22.2 10.4 52.5 14.8 39.2

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 1,691,526 23.2 9.8 51.9 15.1 39.7

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 5,024,462 22.0 9.3 52.6 16.1 40.7

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 2,533,773 22.7 9.1 52.4 15.7 40.2

Alabama 4,712,651 24.0 10.0 52.5 13.5 37.5

Appalachian Alabama 3,020,853 23.7 9.7 53.1 13.5 37.8

Non-Appalachian Alabama 1,691,798 24.6 10.6 51.4 13.4 36.9

Georgia 9,468,815 26.0 10.1 53.7 10.3 35.0

Appalachian Georgia 2,848,461 27.3 8.6 54.1 10.0 35.4

Non-Appalachian Georgia 6,620,354 25.5 10.7 53.5 10.4 34.8

Kentucky 4,285,828 23.8 9.6 53.6 13.1 37.7

Appalachian Kentucky 1,182,639 23.1 9.2 53.6 14.1 39.0

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 3,103,189 24.1 9.7 53.5 12.7 37.2

Maryland 5,696,423 23.9 9.6 54.6 11.9 37.6

Appalachian Maryland 251,112 21.7 9.7 53.1 15.5 40.0

Non-Appalachian Maryland 5,445,311 24.0 9.6 54.7 11.7 37.4

Mississippi 2,941,991 25.7 10.5 51.2 12.6 35.8

Appalachian Mississippi 626,534 25.0 10.7 50.5 13.8 36.7

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 2,315,457 25.9 10.4 51.4 12.2 35.5

New York 19,229,752 22.8 10.0 53.9 13.3 37.7

Appalachian New York 1,068,045 21.6 12.7 50.4 15.3 39.4

Non-Appalachian New York 18,161,707 22.9 9.9 54.1 13.2 37.6

North Carolina 9,271,178 24.1 9.8 53.4 12.6 37.1

Appalachian North Carolina 1,673,291 21.8 9.1 52.9 16.3 40.9

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 7,597,887 24.7 10.0 53.6 11.8 36.3

Ohio 11,512,431 24.0 9.5 52.7 13.8 38.3

Appalachian Ohio 2,045,822 23.4 9.0 52.4 15.3 39.9

Non-Appalachian Ohio 9,466,609 24.2 9.6 52.8 13.4 37.9

Pennsylvania 12,612,705 22.4 9.8 52.6 15.3 39.8

Appalachian Pennsylvania 5,787,246 21.0 9.8 52.4 16.9 41.5

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 6,825,459 23.6 9.7 52.8 13.9 38.2

South Carolina 4,511,428 23.7 10.2 52.9 13.2 37.4

Appalachian South Carolina 1,143,985 23.9 10.0 52.7 13.4 37.6

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 3,367,443 23.6 10.3 52.9 13.1 37.4

Tennessee 6,234,968 23.9 9.5 53.6 13.1 37.6

Appalachian Tennessee 2,745,426 22.2 9.2 53.3 15.4 40.0

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 3,489,542 25.2 9.7 53.8 11.3 35.7

Virginia 7,841,754 23.5 10.1 54.6 11.8 37.2

Appalachian Virginia 768,130 19.9 11.7 52.0 16.4 40.9

Non-Appalachian Virginia 7,073,624 23.9 9.9 54.8 11.4 36.8

West Virginia (entire state) 1,840,802 21.2 9.2 53.9 15.8 41.1

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
8 

Figure 2.1: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region Under Age 18, 2006-2010

Over the 2006-2010 period, the share of children and youth in the Appalachian population was slightly below the 

national average of 24 percent. And the percentage actually fell below 20 percent in one-eighth of the region’s 

counties (mostly outside metropolitan areas). In another one-fifth of the counties, however, the proportion of children 

under age 18 matched or exceeded the national average. Most of these were in southern Appalachia. Results from 

the 2010 census suggest that children’s share of the Appalachian (and U.S.) population continued to decline slightly 

in recent years.
9 

Figure 2.2: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region Ages 18 to 24, 2006-2010

While the share of young adults (ages 18 to 24) in Appalachia roughly equaled the national average in the 2006-2010 

period (as well as in the 2010 census), there were great variations within the region. For example, persons in this age 

group made up at least 15 percent of the population in 22 counties—most of which house colleges and universities. In

contrast, 18-to-24-year-olds made up less than 7.5 percent of the population in 111 Appalachian counties. Of the 

counties in the latter group, 77 were outside metropolitan areas, suggesting a possible lack of opportunities in these 

communities for youth making the transition to adulthood.
10

Figure 2.3: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region Ages 25 to 64, 2006-2010

In both the United States and Appalachia, adults in the prime working ages (ages 25 to 64) made up a slight majority 

of all residents in the 2006-2010 period. In more than half of Appalachian counties, the percentage of persons in this 

age group exceeded the national average. But there were 36 counties in the region (30 of which were outside 

metropolitan areas) where 25-to-64-year-olds made up less than half of the population. Many of these counties house 

colleges and universities (and thus had a high share of their populations in the 18-to-24 age range.)
11

Figure 2.4: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region Ages 65 and Over, 2006-2010

The Appalachian region—as well as 371 of its 420 counties—had a larger proportion of residents ages 65 and over in 

the 2006-2010 period than did the nation as a whole. In fact, older persons made up at least 15 percent of the 

population in more than three-fifths of Appalachia’s counties, most of which were outside metropolitan areas. In

contrast, a majority of the 49 Appalachian counties with older population shares below the national average were 

either in metro areas or home to colleges and universities. And the 2010 census results indicate that the share of 

residents ages 65 and over continued to grow—both in Appalachia and the nation.
12

Figure 2.5: Median Age of Persons in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

On average, the Appalachian population was two-and-a-half years older than that of the United States as a whole

during the 2006-2010 period. Indeed, the median age of the population (the point at which half the population is older 

and half is younger) was at least 40 years in three-fifths of the region’s counties. In 24 counties—almost all of which 

were outside metro areas—the median age was at least 45 years. Most of the counties with populations younger than 

the national median age were in southern Appalachia—the only subregion where the overall age structure 

approached that of the nation. Results from the 2010 census suggest that the Appalachian population continued to 

get older in recent years.
13

CHAPTER 3: RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN 

Table 3.1: Population in the Appalachian Region by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2006-2010

Population by Race and Hispanic Origin 

Total 

Population, 

2006-2010 

Percent of Population

White Alone, 

Not Hispanic 

Minority

Total Black Alone, 

Not Hispanic 

Hispanic or 

Latino

Other, Not 

Hispanic

United States 303,965,272 64.7 35.3 12.2 15.7 7.4

Appalachian Region 25,002,346 84.3 15.7 9.0 3.8 2.9

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 8,387,792 90.1 9.9 5.0 2.2 2.7

North Central Appalachia 2,405,769 93.6 6.4 2.8 1.2 2.4

Central Appalachia 1,914,972 95.7 4.3 1.8 1.0 1.5

South Central Appalachia 4,653,980 86.1 13.9 6.9 4.2 2.8

Southern Appalachia 7,639,833 71.0 29.0 18.3 7.0 3.8

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 5,689,437 75.9 24.1 14.4 5.3 4.4

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 10,063,148 83.8 16.2 9.0 4.2 3.0

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 1,691,526 89.1 10.9 4.7 3.7 2.5

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 5,024,462 90.4 9.6 4.8 2.7 2.1

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 2,533,773 89.3 10.7 7.8 1.4 1.5

Alabama 4,712,651 67.7 32.3 26.0 3.4 2.9

Appalachian Alabama 3,020,853 71.8 28.2 21.6 3.9 2.7

Non-Appalachian Alabama 1,691,798 60.3 39.7 33.9 2.6 3.2

Georgia 9,468,815 56.8 43.2 30.0 8.3 4.8

Appalachian Georgia 2,848,461 69.7 30.3 12.7 12.0 5.6

Non-Appalachian Georgia 6,620,354 51.3 48.7 37.5 6.7 4.5

Kentucky 4,285,828 86.9 13.1 7.6 2.7 2.7

Appalachian Kentucky 1,182,639 95.7 4.3 1.7 1.1 1.5

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 3,103,189 83.6 16.4 9.9 3.4 3.2

Maryland 5,696,423 55.8 44.2 28.9 7.5 7.8

Appalachian Maryland 251,112 87.3 12.7 7.5 2.4 2.8

Non-Appalachian Maryland 5,445,311 54.4 45.6 29.9 7.8 8.0

Mississippi 2,941,991 58.5 41.5 36.9 2.4 2.2

Appalachian Mississippi 626,534 65.2 34.8 31.3 2.0 1.5

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 2,315,457 56.7 43.3 38.4 2.5 2.4

New York 19,229,752 59.2 40.8 14.5 17.1 9.2

Appalachian New York 1,068,045 90.6 9.4 2.5 2.9 4.1

Non-Appalachian New York 18,161,707 57.3 42.7 15.2 17.9 9.6

North Carolina 9,271,178 66.1 33.9 21.2 7.8 4.9

Appalachian North Carolina 1,673,291 81.9 18.1 8.6 6.3 3.1

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 7,597,887 62.6 37.4 23.9 8.1 5.3

Ohio 11,512,431 81.6 18.4 12.0 2.9 3.5

Appalachian Ohio 2,045,822 92.0 8.0 4.3 1.5 2.1

Non-Appalachian Ohio 9,466,609 79.4 20.6 13.6 3.2 3.8

Pennsylvania 12,612,705 80.3 19.7 10.4 5.2 4.2

Appalachian Pennsylvania 5,787,246 90.1 9.9 5.2 2.2 2.6

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 6,825,459 72.0 28.0 14.8 7.8 5.5

South Carolina 4,511,428 64.5 35.5 28.0 4.6 2.9

Appalachian South Carolina 1,143,985 75.2 24.8 16.4 5.3 3.1

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 3,367,443 60.8 39.2 31.9 4.4 2.9

Tennessee 6,234,968 76.2 23.8 16.5 4.2 3.1

Appalachian Tennessee 2,745,426 89.2 10.8 5.3 3.0 2.5

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 3,489,542 66.0 34.0 25.4 5.1 3.5

Virginia 7,841,754 65.7 34.3 19.3 7.3 7.7

Appalachian Virginia 768,130 90.7 9.3 5.4 1.7 2.2

Non-Appalachian Virginia 7,073,624 63.0 37.0 20.8 7.9 8.3

West Virginia (entire state) 1,840,802 93.4 6.6 3.2 1.1 2.3

“Other” includes these racial groups: (a) American Indian and Alaska Native alone; (b) Asian alone; (c) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 

alone; (d) Some other race alone; and (e) Two or more races.

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
14

Figure 3.1: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region That Is Minority, 2006-2010

The Appalachian region is significantly less racially and ethnically diverse than the United States as a whole, and 

most parts of the region have remained far below the national average in their minority populations. In more than twothirds of Appalachian counties, minorities (defined as anyone who identifies with a racial or ethnic group other than

“white alone, not Hispanic”) made up less than 10 percent of the population during the 2006-2010 period. There were 

just 23 counties—all but one in southern Appalachia—where minorities’ share of the population matched or exceeded 

the national average. Yet racial and ethnic diversity is growing in Appalachia: The 2010 census reported that 

minorities’ share of the population was nearly a percentage point higher than it was in the 2006-2010 period.
15

Figure 3.2: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region That Is Black Alone, not Hispanic, 2006-2010

Although non-Hispanic African Americans remained the largest single minority group in Appalachia during the 2006-

2010 period, their share of the region’s total population was still lower than in the United States as a whole. Within the 

region, the largest proportions were in southern Appalachia—the only subregion where blacks’ share of the population 

exceeded the national average. Southern Appalachia also had virtually all of the 59 counties in the region where the 

black share of the population matched or surpassed that of the nation. At the other end of the spectrum, persons who 

are “black alone, not Hispanic” accounted for less than 5 percent of the residents in nearly three-fourths of 

Appalachian counties.
16

Figure 3.3: Percent of Population in the Appalachian Region That Is Hispanic or Latino, 2006-2010

Although Hispanics have become the United States’ largest minority group, they made up less than 1 in 25 residents 

in the Appalachian region during the 2006-2010 period. The county patterns reflect this fact as well, as Hispanics 

were at least 5 percent of the population in just 49 of Appalachia’s 420 counties. Moreover, just three Appalachian 

counties (Gwinnett, Hall, and Whitfield—all in Georgia) had Latino population shares that matched or exceeded the 

national average. While small, the share of Hispanics in the Appalachian population almost certainly continued to 

grow throughout the 2000s: The 2010 census found higher Latino shares for both the United States and Appalachia 

than there were in the 2006-2010 period.
17

CHAPTER 4: HOUSING OCCUPANCY AND TENURE 

Table 4.1: Occupancy and Tenure of Housing Units in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

Housing Occupancy and Tenure 

Total Number 

of Housing 

Units

Number of 

Occupied 

Housing Units 

Percent of Total

Housing Units

Percent of Occupied

Housing Units

Occupied Vacant OwnerOccupied 

RenterOccupied

United States 130,038,080 114,235,996 87.8 12.2 66.6 33.4

Appalachian Region 11,428,030 9,819,092 85.9 14.1 72.6 27.4

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 3,914,861 3,370,200 86.1 13.9 72.3 27.7

North Central Appalachia 1,110,869 946,477 85.2 14.8 74.1 25.9

Central Appalachia 882,042 742,565 84.2 15.8 74.1 25.9

South Central Appalachia 2,221,559 1,897,114 85.4 14.6 71.7 28.3

Southern Appalachia 3,298,699 2,862,736 86.8 13.2 72.7 27.3

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 2,473,987 2,193,291 88.7 11.3 73.1 26.9

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 4,523,074 3,998,110 88.4 11.6 70.9 29.1

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 784,201 654,076 83.4 16.6 73.8 26.2

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 2,415,386 1,984,091 82.1 17.9 74.3 25.7

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 1,231,382 989,524 80.4 19.6 74.7 25.3

Alabama 2,146,513 1,821,210 84.8 15.2 71.1 28.9

Appalachian Alabama 1,362,242 1,172,509 86.1 13.9 72.3 27.7

Non-Appalachian Alabama 784,271 648,701 82.7 17.3 69.0 31.0

Georgia 4,020,736 3,468,704 86.3 13.7 67.2 32.8

Appalachian Georgia 1,151,869 1,008,665 87.6 12.4 74.1 25.9

Non-Appalachian Georgia 2,868,867 2,460,039 85.7 14.3 64.4 35.6

Kentucky 1,911,822 1,676,708 87.7 12.3 69.9 30.1

Appalachian Kentucky 539,077 452,501 83.9 16.1 73.1 26.9

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 1,372,745 1,224,207 89.2 10.8 68.7 31.3

Maryland 2,354,870 2,121,047 90.1 9.9 69.0 31.0

Appalachian Maryland 112,382 96,480 85.9 14.1 69.1 30.9

Non-Appalachian Maryland 2,242,488 2,024,567 90.3 9.7 69.0 31.0

Mississippi 1,255,090 1,081,052 86.1 13.9 70.8 29.2

Appalachian Mississippi 276,207 237,026 85.8 14.2 72.3 27.7

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 978,883 844,026 86.2 13.8 70.4 29.6

New York 8,050,835 7,205,740 89.5 10.5 55.2 44.8

Appalachian New York 507,729 425,724 83.8 16.2 70.1 29.9

Non-Appalachian New York 7,543,106 6,780,016 89.9 10.1 54.3 45.7

North Carolina 4,229,552 3,626,179 85.7 14.3 68.1 31.9

Appalachian North Carolina 839,296 686,642 81.8 18.2 72.1 27.9

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 3,390,256 2,939,537 86.7 13.3 67.1 32.9

Ohio 5,107,273 4,552,270 89.1 10.9 69.2 30.8

Appalachian Ohio 903,400 795,922 88.1 11.9 73.7 26.3

Non-Appalachian Ohio 4,203,873 3,756,348 89.4 10.6 68.2 31.8

Pennsylvania 5,537,308 4,940,581 89.2 10.8 71.0 29.0

Appalachian Pennsylvania 2,715,672 2,336,302 86.0 14.0 72.6 27.4

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 2,821,636 2,604,279 92.3 7.7 69.6 30.4

South Carolina 2,088,161 1,741,994 83.4 16.6 69.9 30.1

Appalachian South Carolina 508,381 444,536 87.4 12.6 70.6 29.4

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 1,579,780 1,297,458 82.1 17.9 69.6 30.4

Tennessee 2,769,457 2,443,475 88.2 11.8 69.6 30.4

Appalachian Tennessee 1,269,305 1,112,833 87.7 12.3 71.9 28.1

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 1,500,152 1,330,642 88.7 11.3 67.6 32.4

Virginia 3,315,739 2,974,481 89.7 10.3 68.9 31.1

Appalachian Virginia 362,989 309,078 85.1 14.9 72.6 27.4

Non-Appalachian Virginia 2,952,750 2,665,403 90.3 9.7 68.4 31.6

West Virginia (entire state) 879,481 740,874 84.2 15.8 74.6 25.4

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey. 
18

Figure 4.1: Percent of Housing Units in the Appalachian Region That Are Occupied, 2006-2010

Although the home occupancy rate during the 2006-2010 period was slightly lower in Appalachia than in the United 

States as a whole, rates varied within the region. On one hand, 119 of the 420 counties had occupancy rates that 

were at or above the national average. And while they were scattered throughout the region, 75 of these counties 

were in metropolitan areas. Conversely, less than four-fifths of housing units were occupied in 103 Appalachian 

counties—all but 13 of which lay outside metropolitan areas. It is important to note that the occupancy rates in the 

2006-2010 period were about a full percentage point lower than they were in the 2010 census, suggesting that 

housing occupancy has increased in recent years after the end of the great recession in 2009.
19

Figure 4.2: Percent of Housing Units in the Appalachian Region That Are Vacant, 2006-2010

In Appalachia, 14 percent of housing units were vacant during the 2006-2010 period, which is about two percentage 

points above the national average. (The rates for both the United States and Appalachia were about a full percentage 

point higher than what was observed in the 2010 census, suggesting that vacancy rates may have dropped by 2010 

as the nation began to recover from the housing bust.) The vacancy rate varied within the region, however. While onefourth of Appalachian counties (nearly all outside metropolitan areas) had vacancy rates exceeding 20 percent, 

another one-fourth (mostly in metro areas) had rates below the national average. It is important to note that in 152 of

the 305 Appalachian counties with vacancy rates of 12.2 percent or more, at least one in three vacant units were 

designed for seasonal or occasional use, suggesting significant recreational, resort, or retirement activity in the

community.
20

Figure 4.3: Percent Owner-Occupied Housing Units in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

In the 2006-2010 period, homeownership was more common in the Appalachian region than in the rest of the country. 

In all but 19 counties, the share of owner-occupied housing units matched or exceeded the national average. Indeed, 

the homeownership rate was at least 75 percent in 231 of Appalachia’s 420 counties. It is important to note that for 

some parts of the region, the high homeownership rates might be related to low levels of economic and residential 

mobility, the rise in the number and share of mobile homes among the housing stock, and to a lesser extent, the older 

age structure of the Appalachian population. Also useful to note is the fact that the share of owner-occupied units 

during 2006-2010 was a percentage point higher than observed in the 2010 census. This suggests a possible decline 

in homeownership by 2010, as owners shifted to rentals in response to the housing bust.
21

Figure 4.4: Percent Renter-Occupied Housing Units in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

The share of renter-occupied housing units during the 2006-2010 period was well below the national average 

throughout Appalachia; in fact, it was less than 25 percent in more than half of the region’s counties. Among the 20 

Appalachian counties where the share of renter-occupied units matched or exceeded the national average, most are 

home to colleges or universities, where students make up a fairly sizeable share of the population. It is interesting to 

note that the share of renter-occupied units was lower in the 2006-2010 period than it was in the 2010 census, 

suggesting an increase in rentals in response to the housing crisis. 
22

CHAPTER 5: EDUCATION 

Table 5.1: Educational Attainment of Persons Ages 25 and Over in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

Education (Highest Level Attained) 

Total 

Population 

Ages 25 and 

Over, 

2006-2010 

Percent of Population Ages 25 and Over

Less than 

High School 

Diploma 

High School Diploma or More

Total 

H.S. Grad, No 

Postsecondary 

Degree 

Associate's 

Degree

Bachelor's 

Degree or 

More

United States 199,726,659 15.0 85.0 49.6 7.5 27.9

Appalachian Region 16,911,530 17.1 82.9 54.8 7.3 20.7

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 5,763,871 12.3 87.7 57.9 8.3 21.6

North Central Appalachia 1,642,078 17.1 82.9 59.5 6.2 17.3

Central Appalachia 1,314,972 28.0 72.0 54.2 5.6 12.1

South Central Appalachia 3,193,421 18.5 81.5 52.9 7.2 21.3

Southern Appalachia 4,997,188 18.9 81.1 51.2 7.1 22.8

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 3,821,085 12.5 87.5 51.8 7.9 27.8

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 6,780,281 15.9 84.1 54.3 7.4 22.3

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 1,133,096 17.7 82.3 59.0 7.4 15.8

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 3,450,597 20.4 79.6 57.7 7.1 14.9

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 1,726,471 24.9 75.1 55.0 6.2 13.9

Alabama 3,108,132 18.6 81.4 52.8 6.9 21.7

Appalachian Alabama 2,011,642 18.5 81.5 52.4 6.8 22.3

Non-Appalachian Alabama 1,096,490 18.8 81.2 53.5 7.0 20.7

Georgia 6,052,410 16.5 83.5 49.7 6.6 27.2

Appalachian Georgia 1,826,511 18.3 81.7 50.4 6.8 24.6

Non-Appalachian Georgia 4,225,899 15.8 84.2 49.4 6.5 28.4

Kentucky 2,856,001 19.0 81.0 54.0 6.6 20.3

Appalachian Kentucky 800,625 28.2 71.8 53.3 5.6 12.8

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 2,055,376 15.5 84.5 54.3 7.0 23.3

Maryland 3,789,931 12.2 87.8 45.7 6.3 35.7

Appalachian Maryland 172,450 16.0 84.0 58.5 7.8 17.7

Non-Appalachian Maryland 3,617,481 12.1 87.9 45.1 6.2 36.6

Mississippi 1,876,719 20.4 79.6 52.6 7.6 19.5

Appalachian Mississippi 402,824 24.1 75.9 52.8 7.1 16.1

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 1,473,895 19.4 80.6 52.5 7.8 20.4

New York 12,914,436 15.6 84.4 44.1 8.2 32.1

Appalachian New York 701,701 12.1 87.9 53.0 11.3 23.7

Non-Appalachian New York 12,212,735 15.8 84.2 43.6 8.0 32.6

North Carolina 6,121,611 16.4 83.6 49.1 8.3 26.1

Appalachian North Carolina 1,156,711 17.9 82.1 51.1 8.4 22.6

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 4,964,900 16.1 83.9 48.7 8.3 26.9

Ohio 7,655,994 12.6 87.4 56.0 7.3 24.1

Appalachian Ohio 1,383,846 15.7 84.3 62.1 6.9 15.3

Non-Appalachian Ohio 6,272,148 11.9 88.1 54.6 7.4 26.1

Pennsylvania 8,558,693 12.6 87.4 53.7 7.3 26.4

Appalachian Pennsylvania 4,005,959 11.6 88.4 57.5 8.1 22.8

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 4,552,734 13.4 86.6 50.4 6.6 29.6

South Carolina 2,981,382 17.0 83.0 50.8 8.3 24.0

Appalachian South Carolina 756,211 18.4 81.6 49.5 8.6 23.5

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 2,225,171 16.5 83.5 51.2 8.2 24.1

Tennessee 4,156,132 17.5 82.5 53.8 6.0 22.7

Appalachian Tennessee 1,884,903 19.5 80.5 54.7 6.0 19.8

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 2,271,229 15.9 84.1 53.1 5.9 25.1

Virginia 5,208,536 13.9 86.1 45.6 6.7 33.8

Appalachian Virginia 525,526 22.9 77.1 52.2 7.9 17.1

Non-Appalachian Virginia 4,683,010 12.9 87.1 44.9 6.5 35.7

West Virginia (entire state) 1,282,621 18.1 81.9 58.9 5.8 17.3

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
23

Table 5.2: Educational Attainment of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

Education (Highest Level Attained) 

Total 

Population 

Ages 25-64, 

2006-2010 

Percent of Population Ages 25-64

Less than 

High School 

Diploma 

High School Diploma or More

Total 

H.S. Grad, No 

Postsecondary 

Degree 

Associate's 

Degree

Bachelor's 

Degree or 

More

United States 160,977,246 12.7 87.3 49.1 8.4 29.8

Appalachian Region 13,210,061 13.5 86.5 55.3 8.5 22.7

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 4,372,683 8.6 91.4 57.0 10.0 24.4

North Central Appalachia 1,281,840 13.0 87.0 60.7 7.3 18.9

Central Appalachia 1,034,353 22.2 77.8 57.9 6.7 13.2

South Central Appalachia 2,458,096 14.7 85.3 54.2 8.4 22.8

Southern Appalachia 4,063,089 15.9 84.1 51.7 8.0 24.4

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 3,076,103 9.6 90.4 50.7 9.0 30.7

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 5,286,963 12.6 87.4 54.5 8.6 24.3

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 877,174 14.1 85.9 60.0 8.8 17.1

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 2,641,753 16.1 83.9 59.5 8.4 16.0

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 1,328,068 20.2 79.8 57.6 7.3 14.9

Alabama 2,472,915 15.4 84.6 53.4 7.9 23.3

Appalachian Alabama 1,603,194 15.3 84.7 52.9 7.8 24.1

Non-Appalachian Alabama 869,721 15.6 84.4 54.4 8.0 22.0

Georgia 5,081,059 14.1 85.9 49.8 7.2 28.9

Appalachian Georgia 1,540,547 16.0 84.0 50.4 7.4 26.1

Non-Appalachian Georgia 3,540,512 13.3 86.7 49.6 7.0 30.1

Kentucky 2,295,967 14.8 85.2 55.4 7.6 22.1

Appalachian Kentucky 634,411 22.5 77.5 57.0 6.7 13.9

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 1,661,556 11.9 88.1 54.9 8.0 25.3

Maryland 3,112,651 9.9 90.1 45.4 6.9 37.8

Appalachian Maryland 133,446 12.2 87.8 59.3 9.2 19.3

Non-Appalachian Maryland 2,979,205 9.8 90.2 44.8 6.8 38.6

Mississippi 1,507,382 17.1 82.9 53.7 8.7 20.5

Appalachian Mississippi 316,423 20.1 79.9 54.6 8.3 16.9

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 1,190,959 16.3 83.7 53.4 8.8 21.5

New York 10,359,108 12.9 87.1 43.0 9.3 34.8

Appalachian New York 538,636 9.4 90.6 51.7 13.1 25.8

Non-Appalachian New York 9,820,472 13.1 86.9 42.6 9.1 35.3

North Carolina 4,953,839 13.6 86.4 49.2 9.3 27.9

Appalachian North Carolina 884,417 14.7 85.3 51.8 9.7 23.8

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 4,069,422 13.4 86.6 48.7 9.2 28.7

Ohio 6,071,295 9.6 90.4 55.5 8.5 26.4

Appalachian Ohio 1,071,619 12.1 87.9 62.6 8.3 17.0

Non-Appalachian Ohio 4,999,676 9.1 90.9 53.9 8.6 28.4

Pennsylvania 6,631,836 9.1 90.9 52.9 8.6 29.4

Appalachian Pennsylvania 3,030,116 7.8 92.2 56.5 9.8 25.9

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 3,601,720 10.1 89.9 49.9 7.5 32.5

South Carolina 2,385,946 14.0 86.0 51.6 9.2 25.1

Appalachian South Carolina 602,925 15.2 84.8 50.1 9.6 25.1

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 1,783,021 13.6 86.4 52.2 9.1 25.1

Tennessee 3,341,382 13.9 86.1 54.8 6.8 24.5

Appalachian Tennessee 1,463,278 15.4 84.6 56.4 6.9 21.3

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 1,878,104 12.8 87.2 53.6 6.6 27.0

Virginia 4,279,358 11.2 88.8 45.4 7.3 36.1

Appalachian Virginia 399,590 17.0 83.0 54.6 9.5 18.8

Non-Appalachian Virginia 3,879,768 10.6 89.4 44.4 7.1 37.9

West Virginia (entire state) 991,459 13.8 86.2 60.4 6.8 19.0

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
24

Table 5.3: Educational Attainment of Persons Ages 65 and Over in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

Education (Highest Level Attained) 

Total 

Population 

Ages 65 and 

Over, 

2006-2010 

Percent of Population Ages 65 and Over

Less than 

High School 

Diploma 

High School Diploma or More

Total 

H.S. Grad, No 

Postsecondary 

Degree 

Associate's 

Degree

Bachelor's 

Degree or 

More

United States 38,749,413 24.3 75.7 51.6 3.9 20.1

Appalachian Region 3,701,469 30.0 70.0 53.3 3.0 13.8

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 1,391,188 23.7 76.3 60.4 3.0 12.9

North Central Appalachia 360,238 31.4 68.6 55.0 2.3 11.4

Central Appalachia 280,619 49.5 50.5 40.5 1.8 8.2

South Central Appalachia 735,325 31.5 68.5 48.7 3.4 16.4

Southern Appalachia 934,099 31.7 68.3 49.4 3.3 15.6

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 744,982 24.3 75.7 56.5 3.2 16.1

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 1,493,318 27.6 72.4 53.9 3.3 15.3

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 255,922 30.2 69.8 55.7 2.8 11.3

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 808,844 34.3 65.7 51.9 2.6 11.1

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 398,403 40.6 59.4 46.1 2.5 10.7

Alabama 635,217 31.2 68.8 50.4 3.0 15.4

Appalachian Alabama 408,448 31.4 68.6 50.4 2.9 15.3

Non-Appalachian Alabama 226,769 30.9 69.1 50.3 3.2 15.6

Georgia 971,351 29.2 70.8 48.9 3.5 18.4

Appalachian Georgia 285,964 30.5 69.5 50.0 3.5 16.1

Non-Appalachian Georgia 685,387 28.7 71.3 48.4 3.5 19.4

Kentucky 560,034 36.5 63.5 48.2 2.4 12.9

Appalachian Kentucky 166,214 50.2 49.8 39.5 1.7 8.6

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 393,820 30.6 69.4 51.8 2.7 14.8

Maryland 677,280 23.0 77.0 47.2 3.7 26.2

Appalachian Maryland 39,004 28.8 71.2 55.8 3.2 12.3

Non-Appalachian Maryland 638,276 22.7 77.3 46.6 3.7 27.0

Mississippi 369,337 33.8 66.2 47.9 3.2 15.0

Appalachian Mississippi 86,401 38.6 61.4 46.0 2.4 12.9

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 282,936 32.4 67.6 48.5 3.5 15.7

New York 2,555,328 26.2 73.8 48.5 3.9 21.4

Appalachian New York 163,065 20.9 79.1 57.1 5.3 16.6

Non-Appalachian New York 2,392,263 26.5 73.5 47.9 3.8 21.8

North Carolina 1,167,772 28.4 71.6 48.7 4.3 18.7

Appalachian North Carolina 272,294 28.4 71.6 48.7 4.0 18.9

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 895,478 28.4 71.6 48.7 4.3 18.6

Ohio 1,584,699 23.9 76.1 57.8 2.8 15.5

Appalachian Ohio 312,227 28.1 71.9 60.2 2.0 9.7

Non-Appalachian Ohio 1,272,472 22.8 77.2 57.2 3.0 17.0

Pennsylvania 1,926,857 24.7 75.3 56.5 2.9 15.8

Appalachian Pennsylvania 975,843 23.5 76.5 60.7 2.8 13.1

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 951,014 26.0 74.0 52.2 3.1 18.7

South Carolina 595,436 28.8 71.2 47.2 4.6 19.4

Appalachian South Carolina 153,286 31.1 68.9 47.3 4.6 17.1

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 442,150 28.1 71.9 47.1 4.6 20.2

Tennessee 814,750 32.2 67.8 49.8 2.8 15.3

Appalachian Tennessee 421,625 33.8 66.2 48.7 2.9 14.6

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 393,125 30.5 69.5 50.9 2.6 16.0

Virginia 929,178 26.5 73.5 46.6 3.6 23.4

Appalachian Virginia 125,936 41.6 58.4 44.3 2.7 11.4

Non-Appalachian Virginia 803,242 24.1 75.9 46.9 3.7 25.3

West Virginia (entire state) 291,162 32.8 67.2 53.6 2.4 11.2

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
25

Figure 5.1: Percent of Persons Ages 25 and Over in the Appalachian Region With a High School Diploma or 

More, 2006-2010

Although the share of Appalachian adults with at least a high school diploma was slightly below the national average

over the 2006-2010 period, it exceeded the national share in 99 counties in the region—two-thirds of them in northern 

Appalachia and three-fifths in metro areas. And both the regional and national shares were slightly higher than they 

were in the 2005-2009 period, possibly suggesting a continued trend toward high school completion among entering 

cohorts (at least between the non-overlapping years of 2005 and 2010). Yet in 141 counties, less than three-fourths of 

adults had completed high school; 112 of those were nonmetropolitan counties located in central, south central, and 

southern Appalachia.
26

Figure 5.2: Percent of Persons Ages 25 and Over in the Appalachian Region With a High School Diploma but 

With No Postsecondary Degree, 2006-2010

In nine out of 10 Appalachian counties, at least half of the adult population had a high school diploma, but no 

postsecondary degree (including an associate’s degree) during the 2006-2010 period. Many of these adults had 

attended college but did not graduate, while others acquired vocational training. Conversely, many of the adults 

outside of this group did earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, while others never finished high school at all.
27

Figure 5.3: Percent of Persons Ages 25 and Over in the Appalachian Region With a Bachelor’s Degree or 

More, 2006-2010

In 401 of Appalachia’s 420 counties, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or more in the 2006-2010 period 

was lower than the national average of 28 percent. In fact, less than one-fifth of persons ages 25 and over were

graduates of a four-year college or university in 342 Appalachian counties. And in 75 counties—nearly all of which 

were outside metropolitan areas and nearly half in central Appalachia—less than one in 10 adults had at least a 

bachelor’s degree. The 19 counties where the percentage of college graduates matched or surpassed the national 

average were either in metropolitan areas or home to a well-known college or university. Most of these counties also 

experienced higher than average residential mobility rates. It is interesting to note that the share of adults with a fouryear degree was slightly higher in the 2006-2010 period than it was in 2005-2009, which possibly suggests a 

continued trend toward greater educational attainment among cohorts entering this age group.
28

Figure 5.4: Percent of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region With a High School Diploma or More, 

2006-2010

In the 2006-2010 period, the percentage of working-age adults (ages 25 to 64) in the Appalachian region with at least 

a high school diploma was only slightly below the national average of just over 87 percent. (And both shares were 

slightly higher than they were in the 2005-2009 period.) In 127 of Appalachia’s 420 counties, the share matched or 

exceeded the national average. Nearly half of these 127 counties were outside metropolitan areas, and most were in 

northern or north central Appalachia. At the other end of the spectrum, less than three in four working-age adults had 

finished high school in 53 Appalachian counties—almost all of which were outside metropolitan areas, and more than 

half of which were in central Appalachia.
29

Figure 5.5: Percent of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region With a Bachelor’s Degree or More, 

2006-2010

Only 23 percent of the working age population in Appalachia had a bachelor’s degree or more—seven percentage 

points lower than the U.S. average of 30 percent. This is a striking indicator of the lower educational level of the 

Appalachian workforce. Just 13 percent of working-age adults in central Appalachia had a bachelor’s degree, as did 

only 15 percent of residents of rural Appalachian counties that were not adjacent to metro areas. In just 20 

Appalachian counties—all either in metropolitan areas or home to a four-year college or university—the share of 

working-age adults ages 25 to 64 with at least a bachelor’s degree matched or exceeded the national average in the 

2006-2010 period. In contrast, there were 58 counties where less than one in 10 adults had a four-year degree. Of 

these, 48 were outside metropolitan areas, and 38 of those nonmetropolitan counties were in central, south central, 

and southern Appalachia. On the positive side, educational attainment levels for the United States and Appalachia 

were slightly higher than they were in the 2005-2009 period.
30

Figure 5.6: Percent of Persons Ages 65 and Over in the Appalachian Region With a Bachelor’s Degree or 

More, 2006-2010

While one in five older Americans (ages 65 and over) had attained at least a bachelor’s degree in the 2006-2010 

period, less than one in 10 older adults had done so in nearly half of Appalachia’s 420 counties. Not surprisingly, most 

of these were outside metropolitan areas and nearly one-third were in central Appalachia. (Just 8 percent of central 

Appalachia’s older adults were college graduates.) Yet in 31 Appalachian counties, the share of older adults with a 

bachelor’s degree or higher was at or above the national average. Most of these were in metropolitan areas or home 

to a college or university, but some others may be rural counties with significant retirement or seasonal activity, as 

suggested by the fact that much (if not most) of their vacant housing was for seasonal or occasional use.
31

CHAPTER 6: LABOR FORCE, EMPLOYMENT, AND UNEMPLOYMENT 

Table 6.1: Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment Status of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian 

Region, 2006-2010

Labor Force, Employment, and

Unemployment 

Total Number 

of Civilian 

Persons Ages 

25-64 

Total Persons Ages 25-64 in 

Civilian Labor Force

Employment 

Rate (Pct. of 

Civ. Labor 

Force)

Unemployment 

Rate (Pct. of 

Civ. Labor 

Number Percent Force)

United States 160,279,913 125,059,841 78.0 93.6 6.4

Appalachian Region 13,192,595 9,739,072 73.8 93.5 6.5

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 4,368,636 3,327,765 76.2 94.0 6.0

North Central Appalachia 1,280,143 897,106 70.1 93.6 6.4

Central Appalachia 1,033,570 629,652 60.9 92.7 7.3

South Central Appalachia 2,455,374 1,828,354 74.5 93.2 6.8

Southern Appalachia 4,054,872 3,056,195 75.4 93.1 6.9

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 3,072,080 2,404,360 78.3 93.8 6.2

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 5,278,032 3,958,075 75.0 93.7 6.3

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 876,426 641,945 73.2 92.7 7.3

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 2,639,644 1,869,045 70.8 93.1 6.9

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 1,326,413 865,647 65.3 93.0 7.0

Alabama 2,460,381 1,795,541 73.0 93.3 6.7

Appalachian Alabama 1,598,737 1,173,264 73.4 93.4 6.6

Non-Appalachian Alabama 861,644 622,277 72.2 93.0 7.0

Georgia 5,044,598 3,885,641 77.0 92.9 7.1

Appalachian Georgia 1,538,404 1,204,310 78.3 93.2 6.8

Non-Appalachian Georgia 3,506,194 2,681,331 76.5 92.8 7.2

Kentucky 2,285,459 1,646,112 72.0 93.3 6.7

Appalachian Kentucky 633,913 387,669 61.2 92.4 7.6

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 1,651,546 1,258,443 76.2 93.6 6.4

Maryland 3,090,221 2,544,633 82.3 94.9 5.1

Appalachian Maryland 133,115 98,757 74.2 94.3 5.7

Non-Appalachian Maryland 2,957,106 2,445,876 82.7 95.0 5.0

Mississippi 1,498,956 1,081,871 72.2 92.8 7.2

Appalachian Mississippi 315,464 224,494 71.2 92.0 8.0

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 1,183,492 857,377 72.4 93.0 7.0

New York 10,345,420 8,073,348 78.0 93.9 6.1

Appalachian New York 538,263 415,935 77.3 94.2 5.8

Non-Appalachian New York 9,807,157 7,657,413 78.1 93.9 6.1

North Carolina 4,907,180 3,798,065 77.4 92.8 7.2

Appalachian North Carolina 883,332 668,156 75.6 93.1 6.9

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 4,023,848 3,129,909 77.8 92.8 7.2

Ohio 6,062,474 4,748,169 78.3 93.0 7.0

Appalachian Ohio 1,071,044 778,313 72.7 92.3 7.7

Non-Appalachian Ohio 4,991,430 3,969,856 79.5 93.1 6.9

Pennsylvania 6,624,247 5,187,953 78.3 94.2 5.8

Appalachian Pennsylvania 3,027,152 2,316,165 76.5 94.3 5.7

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 3,597,095 2,871,788 79.8 94.2 5.8

South Carolina 2,367,502 1,786,074 75.4 92.4 7.6

Appalachian South Carolina 602,267 454,127 75.4 92.5 7.5

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 1,765,235 1,331,947 75.5 92.4 7.6

Tennessee 3,328,784 2,505,009 75.3 93.0 7.0

Appalachian Tennessee 1,461,699 1,064,453 72.8 93.0 7.0

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 1,867,085 1,440,556 77.2 92.9 7.1

Virginia 4,198,913 3,334,756 79.4 95.5 4.5

Appalachian Virginia 399,290 278,040 69.6 94.0 6.0

Non-Appalachian Virginia 3,799,623 3,056,716 80.4 95.6 4.4

West Virginia (entire state) 989,915 675,389 68.2 94.4 5.6

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
32

Figure 6.1: Percent of Persons Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region Who Are In the Labor Force, 2006-2010

In the 2006-2010 period (a period of both economic growth and decline), nearly 74 percent of Appalachia’s civilians in the 

prime working ages (ages 25 to 64) were in the civilian labor force, slightly below the U.S. average of 78 percent. In 44 

Appalachian counties (scattered throughout the region), the share was above the national average; two-thirds of those 

counties were in metropolitan areas. On the other hand, there were 49 counties where less than 60 percent of 25-to-64-yearolds were in the civilian labor force, a full 18 percentage points below the national average. Nearly all of these counties were 

outside of metropolitan areas, with three-fourths in central Appalachia. Indeed, just 61 percent of working-age residents in 

central Appalachia were in the labor force. And there are signs of a possible connection between educational attainment and 

labor force participation. For example, in most of the counties with labor force participation rates matching or exceeding the 

U.S. average, the share of working-age adults with at least a high school diploma was also at or above the national average. 
33

Figure 6.2: Employment Rate for Civilian Labor Force Participants Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian Region, 

2006-2010

Among members of the civilian labor force ages 25 to 64, the employment rate in Appalachia during the 2006-2010 

period (which incorporates not only the recent recession, but also years of economic growth) was almost identical to 

the national average. Although there were only slight differences among subregions and urban/rural county types, 

there was some variation among the counties. In nearly half of Appalachian counties, the employment rate matched 

or exceeded the national average, with about one in six counties having employment rates of at least 95 percent. Yet 

in 34 counties in the region, employment among 25-to-64-year-olds was less than 90 percent. Nearly all of these 

counties were outside metropolitan areas.
34

Figure 6.3: Unemployment Rate for Civilian Labor Force Participants Ages 25 to 64 in the Appalachian 

Region, 2006-2010

Although unemployment in the Appalachian region among persons ages 25 to 64 was just above the national average during 

the 2006-2010 period, it was at least 10 percent in 36 counties. All but two of these counties were outside metropolitan areas, 

and nearly half were in central Appalachia. At the other end of the spectrum, unemployment was below 5 percent in 59 

Appalachian counties; these were more evenly distributed among urban/rural types and subregions. There are indications of a 

connection between unemployment and educational attainment: In 25 of the 36 Appalachian counties with double-digit 

unemployment, less than four-fifths of 25-to-64-year-olds had a high school diploma or more. It is important to note that 

unemployment during the 2006-2010 period reflects not just patterns during the 2007-2009 economic downturn and postrecession recovery, but also patterns during the years of pre-recession economic growth.
35

CHAPTER 7: INCOME AND POVERTY 

Table 7.1: Household, Family, and Per Capita Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010

Income 

Household Income, 2006-2010

(2010 Dollars)

Family Income, 2006-2010

(2010 Dollars) Per Capita 

Income,

2006-2010

(2010 Dollars) 

Mean HH 

Income 

Median HH 

Income 

Mean Family 

Income 

Median 

Family 

Income 

United States 70,883 51,914 82,446 62,982 27,334

Appalachian Region 56,458 42,498 66,724 53,191 22,727

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 57,397 44,001 68,724 55,859 23,635

North Central Appalachia 52,678 40,089 62,408 50,467 21,371

Central Appalachia 44,163 32,278 52,017 40,947 17,820

South Central Appalachia 54,568 40,537 64,939 51,100 22,638

Southern Appalachia 61,043 45,784 70,774 55,838 23,441

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 67,923 51,692 79,981 63,871 26,759

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 57,416 43,264 68,464 54,835 23,358

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 51,446 40,501 59,842 49,592 20,386

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 49,062 37,958 57,702 47,391 19,909

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 45,321 33,387 53,351 42,010 18,317

Alabama 57,655 42,081 68,275 52,863 22,984

Appalachian Alabama 59,577 43,535 70,486 54,743 23,780

Non-Appalachian Alabama 54,183 39,786 64,198 50,087 21,562

Georgia 66,620 49,347 76,702 58,790 25,134

Appalachian Georgia 67,239 52,714 75,200 60,677 24,293

Non-Appalachian Georgia 66,366 47,957 77,396 58,062 25,496

Kentucky 56,009 41,576 66,166 52,046 22,515

Appalachian Kentucky 44,246 31,521 52,194 40,042 17,638

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 60,356 45,527 71,559 57,301 24,373

Maryland 91,454 70,647 106,643 85,098 34,849

Appalachian Maryland 61,605 47,724 72,982 60,136 24,533

Non-Appalachian Maryland 92,876 72,052 108,229 87,154 35,325

Mississippi 52,484 37,881 61,026 47,031 19,977

Appalachian Mississippi 46,591 33,864 54,774 42,770 18,200

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 54,139 39,322 62,802 48,468 20,457

New York 80,374 55,603 93,102 67,405 30,948

Appalachian New York 56,801 44,577 67,716 55,741 23,048

Non-Appalachian New York 81,855 56,987 94,664 68,749 31,413

North Carolina 61,781 45,570 72,592 56,153 24,745

Appalachian North Carolina 54,855 40,803 65,260 51,676 22,927

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 63,398 46,821 74,278 57,500 25,145

Ohio 62,205 47,358 74,164 59,680 25,113

Appalachian Ohio 52,488 41,001 61,504 50,904 20,963

Non-Appalachian Ohio 64,264 48,929 76,967 62,013 26,010

Pennsylvania 67,282 50,398 80,704 63,364 27,049

Appalachian Pennsylvania 58,628 44,643 70,540 56,931 24,267

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 75,045 56,429 89,727 70,656 29,408

South Carolina 58,941 43,939 69,172 54,223 23,443

Appalachian South Carolina 58,560 43,740 69,322 54,926 23,293

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 59,071 44,048 69,120 54,263 23,493

Tennessee 59,212 43,314 69,725 53,246 23,722

Appalachian Tennessee 53,944 39,823 64,028 49,825 22,247

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 63,618 46,482 74,505 57,088 24,883

Virginia 82,584 61,406 95,703 73,514 32,145

Appalachian Virginia 49,150 37,617 58,515 47,737 20,384

Non-Appalachian Virginia 86,461 65,342 99,980 77,888 33,422

West Virginia (entire state) 51,064 38,380 60,821 48,896 21,232

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
36

Table 7.2: Poverty Status of Persons in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

Poverty Status Poverty Universe, 

2006-2010

Persons Below Poverty Level,

2006-2010

Number Percent

United States 296,141,149 40,917,513 13.8

Appalachian Region 24,244,056 3,791,020 15.6

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 8,065,072 1,090,138 13.5

North Central Appalachia 2,328,303 395,762 17.0

Central Appalachia 1,861,986 427,551 23.0

South Central Appalachia 4,519,766 739,391 16.4

Southern Appalachia 7,468,929 1,138,178 15.2

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 5,585,922 661,872 11.8

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 9,721,607 1,482,892 15.3

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 1,636,782 277,402 16.9

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 4,845,075 839,254 17.3

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 2,454,670 529,600 21.6

Alabama 4,596,836 786,544 17.1

Appalachian Alabama 2,947,863 465,256 15.8

Non-Appalachian Alabama 1,648,973 321,288 19.5

Georgia 9,204,793 1,445,752 15.7

Appalachian Georgia 2,802,406 365,389 13.0

Non-Appalachian Georgia 6,402,387 1,080,363 16.9

Kentucky 4,157,077 735,782 17.7

Appalachian Kentucky 1,144,664 279,679 24.4

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 3,012,413 456,103 15.1

Maryland 5,557,115 476,732 8.6

Appalachian Maryland 236,844 28,025 11.8

Non-Appalachian Maryland 5,320,271 448,707 8.4

Mississippi 2,845,365 604,272 21.2

Appalachian Mississippi 609,056 138,500 22.7

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 2,236,309 465,772 20.8

New York 18,710,113 2,650,166 14.2

Appalachian New York 1,010,347 151,732 15.0

Non-Appalachian New York 17,699,766 2,498,434 14.1

North Carolina 9,013,443 1,399,945 15.5

Appalachian North Carolina 1,628,120 261,543 16.1

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 7,385,323 1,138,402 15.4

Ohio 11,199,642 1,586,292 14.2

Appalachian Ohio 1,982,449 324,787 16.4

Non-Appalachian Ohio 9,217,193 1,261,505 13.7

Pennsylvania 12,199,544 1,509,858 12.4

Appalachian Pennsylvania 5,571,977 714,893 12.8

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 6,627,567 794,965 12.0

South Carolina 4,369,147 716,537 16.4

Appalachian South Carolina 1,109,604 169,033 15.2

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 3,259,543 547,504 16.8

Tennessee 6,075,066 1,002,467 16.5

Appalachian Tennessee 2,677,523 452,975 16.9

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 3,397,543 549,492 16.2

Virginia 7,595,386 781,516 10.3

Appalachian Virginia 734,111 128,713 17.5

Non-Appalachian Virginia 6,861,275 652,803 9.5

West Virginia (entire state) 1,789,092 310,495 17.4

Note: Poverty status is determined by a series of income thresholds that are determined by family size and composition. In 2010, the poverty 

threshold for a family of two adults and two children was $22,113.

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
37

Figure 7.1: Mean Household Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010

In the 2006-2010 period (which covers the years before, during, and after the economic recession of 2007-2009), the 

mean income of Appalachian households was $56,458, just 80 percent of the U.S. average. Patterns within the region 

show an even greater dispersion: In just nine of the region’s counties, average household income matched or 

exceeded that of the nation as a whole. And in only 58 other counties, mean household income matched or 

surpassed the Appalachian average. Almost all of these counties were in metropolitan areas. In contrast, median 

income was less than $40,000 in 45 counties; all of these counties were outside metro areas, and three-fourths of 

them were in central Appalachia. 
38

Figure 7.2: Median Household Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010

At $42,498, median household income in Appalachia (the level at which half the households have higher incomes and 

the other half have lower incomes) was 82 percent that of the United States during the 2006-2010 period. While 19 

counties in the region (almost all of them in metropolitan areas) had household incomes at or above the national 

median, another 56 had median household incomes below $30,000. Nearly all the counties in the latter group were 

outside metropolitan areas (39 of them were not adjacent to any metro), and 37 of them were in central Appalachia. 

This development is not surprising: median household income was $33,387 for the most rural counties and $32,278 

for central Appalachia. It is useful to note that the income levels displayed here reflect income received not only during 

the years of the 2007-2009 economic downturn, but also in the years before and after it.
39

Figure 7.3: Mean Family Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010

In only 12 Appalachian counties (all in metropolitan areas), the average income of families matched or surpassed the U.S. 

mean of $82,446 for the 2006-2010 period. Indeed, there were only 66 counties (55 of which were part of metro areas) where 

mean family income was equal to or greater than the Appalachian regional average ($66,724). In contrast, mean family 

income was less than $50,000 in 87 Appalachian counties. Most of these counties were either in the most remote rural areas 

or in central Appalachia—mean family income over the 2006-2010 period (a time frame that includes extended periods of 

economic growth and decline) was less than $55,000 for both areas.
40

Figure 7.4: Median Family Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010

In 21 Appalachian counties—nearly all in metro areas—median family income (the level where half of all families have 

higher incomes while the other half have lower incomes) was at or above the U.S. median of $62,982 during the 

2006-2010 period. In another 58 counties (again, mostly in metro areas), median income matched or exceeded the 

median for families in the Appalachian region ($53,191). In contrast, median family income was less than $40,000 in 

76 counties. Of the counties in this latter group, 47 were rural counties not adjacent to a metro area (median family 

income in those counties was just over $42,000), while 42 were in central Appalachia (where median family income 

was slightly less than $41,000). It is important to note that the 2006-2010 period includes years of a booming U.S. 

economy, a major recession, and the beginnings of an economic recovery.
41

Figure 7.5: Per Capita Income in the Appalachian Region (In Adjusted 2010 Dollars), 2006-2010

At $22,727, per capita income in the Appalachian region in the 2006-2010 period was 83 percent that of the U.S. 

average of $27,334. And there was greater variance within the region: Per capita income was the same or higher than 

the national average in 11 Appalachian counties and was at or above the regional average in 64 others. Yet in 25 

Appalachian counties, per capita income was less than $15,000. As with other income measures, the counties with 

the highest per capita incomes generally were in metro areas, while the ones with the lowest were in rural areas, 

particularly in central Appalachia. Indeed, per capita income in the 2006-2010 period (which includes both pre- and 

post-recession years) was just $18,317 in rural Appalachian counties as a whole, and just $17,820 in central 

Appalachia.
42

Figure 7.6: Percent of Persons in the Appalachian Region in Poverty, 2006-2010

Over the 2006-2010 period (which includes years of economic growth and downturn), about one in six Appalachian 

residents lived below the poverty level (income below $22,113 for a family of two adults and two children in 2010)—

nearly two percentage points above the U.S. average. But there is much variation within the region: In 125 counties, 

at least one-fifth of persons were poor, yet in another 93 counties the poverty rate was below the national average. 

And there was a regional and urban/rural pattern: Nearly all of the counties with poverty rates exceeding 20 percent 

were outside of metropolitan areas, with about half in central Appalachia. In contrast, most of the counties with 

poverty levels below the U.S. rate were in metropolitan areas, and nearly half were in northern Appalachia. 
43

CHAPTER 8: MIGRATION 

Table 8.1: Mobility Status of Persons Ages 1 and Over in the Appalachian Region, 2006-2010

Mobility Status in the Last Year 

Total Population 

Ages 1 and Over, 

2006-2010 

Percent of Population Ages 1 and Over

Did Not 

Move in Past 

Year 

Moved from a Different Residence in the Past Year

Within the 

County 

Outside the County

 Within the 

State 

Outside the 

State

United States 300,061,429 84.2 15.8 9.4 6.4 3.3 3.0

Appalachian Region 24,714,726 86.0 14.0 8.1 5.9 3.3 2.6

Subregions

Northern Appalachia 8,300,764 87.3 12.7 7.6 5.1 2.9 2.2

North Central Appalachia 2,378,673 86.5 13.5 7.6 5.9 3.2 2.7

Central Appalachia 1,893,203 87.4 12.6 7.4 5.2 3.1 2.1

South Central Appalachia 4,601,880 85.3 14.7 8.4 6.4 3.4 3.0

Southern Appalachia 7,540,206 84.4 15.6 8.9 6.7 3.8 2.8

County Types

Large Metros (pop. 1 million +) 5,621,458 86.0 14.0 8.2 5.8 3.3 2.6

Small Metros (pop. <1 million) 9,948,074 85.1 14.9 8.7 6.2 3.3 3.0

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Large Metros 1,671,430 86.3 13.7 8.0 5.7 3.7 2.0

Nonmetro, Adjacent to Small Metros 4,969,570 86.8 13.2 7.5 5.7 3.5 2.2

Rural (nonmetro, not adj. to a metro) 2,504,194 87.6 12.4 7.1 5.3 3.2 2.1

Alabama 4,655,013 84.3 15.7 9.4 6.4 3.3 3.0

Appalachian Alabama 2,984,451 84.4 15.6 9.4 6.1 3.5 2.7

Non-Appalachian Alabama 1,670,562 83.9 16.1 9.3 6.8 3.0 3.7

Georgia 9,336,301 82.3 17.7 8.9 8.8 5.0 3.8

Appalachian Georgia 2,808,577 84.4 15.6 8.2 7.5 4.5 3.0

Non-Appalachian Georgia 6,527,724 81.5 18.5 9.2 9.4 5.2 4.1

Kentucky 4,230,789 84.0 16.0 9.1 6.9 3.7 3.2

Appalachian Kentucky 1,168,024 86.5 13.5 7.9 5.6 3.4 2.2

Non-Appalachian Kentucky 3,062,765 83.1 16.9 9.5 7.4 3.8 3.6

Maryland 5,623,191 85.9 14.1 7.4 6.8 3.0 3.8

Appalachian Maryland 248,345 86.1 13.9 7.7 6.3 3.0 3.3

Non-Appalachian Maryland 5,374,846 85.9 14.1 7.3 6.8 3.0 3.8

Mississippi 2,901,139 84.3 15.7 8.8 6.9 3.9 2.9

Appalachian Mississippi 617,710 85.7 14.3 8.1 6.2 4.0 2.2

Non-Appalachian Mississippi 2,283,429 84.0 16.0 9.0 7.0 3.9 3.1

New York 19,002,070 88.3 11.7 6.9 4.7 2.5 2.2

Appalachian New York 1,057,124 84.9 15.1 8.6 6.5 4.0 2.5

Non-Appalachian New York 17,944,946 88.5 11.5 6.9 4.6 2.5 2.2

North Carolina 9,149,364 83.4 16.6 9.1 7.5 3.6 3.9

Appalachian North Carolina 1,653,469 86.5 13.5 7.7 5.8 3.1 2.7

Non-Appalachian North Carolina 7,495,895 82.7 17.3 9.4 7.9 3.7 4.2

Ohio 11,372,638 85.0 15.0 9.8 5.2 3.3 1.9

Appalachian Ohio 2,021,955 87.3 12.7 7.9 4.7 3.1 1.7

Non-Appalachian Ohio 9,350,683 84.5 15.5 10.2 5.3 3.3 2.0

Pennsylvania 12,473,016 87.4 12.6 7.5 5.1 2.7 2.4

Appalachian Pennsylvania 5,728,091 87.4 12.6 7.5 5.1 2.9 2.2

Non-Appalachian Pennsylvania 6,744,925 87.4 12.6 7.5 5.1 2.5 2.5

South Carolina 4,453,863 84.3 15.7 8.4 7.2 3.2 4.0

Appalachian South Carolina 1,129,468 83.5 16.5 10.0 6.5 3.1 3.4

Non-Appalachian South Carolina 3,324,395 84.6 15.4 7.9 7.5 3.2 4.3

Tennessee 6,156,578 83.8 16.2 9.9 6.3 3.0 3.3

Appalachian Tennessee 2,714,859 85.2 14.8 8.8 6.1 3.1 3.0

Non-Appalachian Tennessee 3,441,719 82.7 17.3 10.8 6.5 2.9 3.5

Virginia 7,743,920 83.8 16.2 6.7 9.5 5.2 4.3

Appalachian Virginia 761,224 84.9 15.1 7.4 7.8 4.9 2.8

Non-Appalachian Virginia 6,982,696 83.7 16.3 6.6 9.6 5.2 4.5

West Virginia (entire state) 1,821,429 87.6 12.4 6.9 5.5 2.5 3.0

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey.
44

Figure 8.1: Percent of Persons Ages 1 and Over in the Appalachian Region Who Had Moved in the Past Year, 

2006-2010

In the 2006-2010 period, mobility in both the United States and Appalachia showed signs of a slight decline from what 

was observed in the 2005-2009 period, which suggests an impact of the economic recession of 2007 to 2009. 

Although residential mobility in Appalachia was below the national average, the percentage of residents who moved in 

the past year exceeded the U.S. average in one-sixth of the region’s counties. Most of these counties were in 

southern or south central Appalachia, and nearly half were in metropolitan areas or were home to a four-year college 

or university. In one-fourth of the counties, less than 10 percent of the residents had moved in the previous 12 

months; most of these counties were outside metro areas.
45

Figure 8.2: Percent of Persons Ages 1 and Over in the Appalachian Region Who Had Migrated From Outside 

Their County of Residence in the Past Year, 2006-2010

Although people in Appalachia were slightly less likely to have migrated from outside their county of residence in the 

2006-2010 period than Americans as a whole, residents in 131 of the region’s counties were more likely to have done 

so. These counties were scattered throughout the Appalachian region and were distributed across all urban/rural

types. In 192 counties, less than 5 percent of the residents had migrated from another county—three-fourths of these

counties were outside metropolitan areas, and two-fifths of those were rural counties not adjacent to a metro area. 

Out-of-county migration patterns were slightly lower in 2006-2010 than they were in the 2005-2009 period, possibly 

suggesting the impact of the recession of the late 2000s, which led to lower mobility rates nationwide.
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Figure 8.3: Percent of Persons Ages 1 and Over in the Appalachian Region Who Had Migrated From Outside 

Their State of Residence in the Past Year, 2006-2010

The share of Americans migrating from outside their state of residence was 3 percent in the 2006-2010 period, down 

slightly from 3.2 percent in 2005-2009. This suggests a possible impact of the economic downturn of the late 2000s, 

which lowered migration rates overall. Yet in 91 of Appalachia’s 420 counties, out-of-state migration levels were 

greater than the U.S. average. Most of these counties were in southern and south central Appalachia, and about half 

were in metropolitan areas. In 203 counties, on the other hand, less than 2 percent of residents had come from out of 

state, and three-fourths of these counties were outside metropolitan areas.