Search

"The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey," also known as "The Chartbook," draws from the most recent American Community Survey and comparable Census Population Estimates. The report contains over 300,000 data points about Appalachia's economy, income, employment, education, and other important indicators--all presented at regional, subregional, state, and county levels. Though that data was collected before, and during the initial ten months of, the COVID-19 pandemic, they provide a critical benchmark for comparison when more pandemic and post-pandemic information becomes available. [For the 2016-2020 Chartbook, see ED625962.]

The American Community Survey (ACS), a nationwide study collected continuously every year in every county in the United States, is designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data each year. These ACS estimates are not averages of monthly or annual values, but rather an aggregation of data collected over the five-year period. The data contained in this Chartbook describe how residents in the Appalachian Region were faring before and during the initial 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020. As such, these numbers do not measure the social and economic impact of the outbreak beyond 2020. As data from the pandemic and post-pandemic period are released in the coming years, these figures can serve as a point of comparison that ultimately can enable data users to better measure the pandemic's effect on Appalachia's social and economic dynamics. [For the 2015-2019 Chartbook, see ED613609.]

This report presents state- and county-level data for the Appalachian Region. The 12 chapters focus on: (1) Population Basics; (2) Age; (3) Race and Hispanic Origin; (4) Housing Occupancy, Tenure, and Type; (5) Education, Device Ownership, and Internet Access; (6) Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment; (7) Transportation and Commuting Patterns; (8) Income and Poverty (9) Health and Insurance Coverage; (10) Disability Status; (11) Migration; and (12) Veteran Status. Most of the data come from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. This year's Chartbook includes two appendices. Appendix A uses selected demographic and socioeconomic measures to provide an overview comparing rural Appalachia (defined here as nonmetropolitan counties not adjacent to any metropolitan area) to rural areas outside the Appalachian Region. (It also includes a map showing the location of these rural counties.) Appendix B contains two reference maps--one of the five Appalachian subregions, and one of the five rural-urban county types. Both the subregions and county types are referenced throughout the report. [For the 2014-2018 Chartbook, see ED606327.]

This report presents state- and county-level data for the Appalachian Region. The 12 chapters focus on: (1) Population Basics; (2) Age; (3) Race and Hispanic Origin; (4) Housing Occupancy, Tenure, and Type; (5) Education, Device Ownership, and Internet Access; (6) Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment; (7) Transportation and Commuting Patterns; (8) Income and Poverty (9) Health and Insurance Coverage; (10) Disability Status; (11) Migration; and (12) Veteran Status. Most of the data contained in this chartbook come from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey. This year's Chartbook includes two appendices. Appendix A uses selected demographic and socioeconomic measures to provide an overview comparing rural Appalachia (defined here as nonmetropolitan counties not adjacent to any metropolitan area) to rural areas outside the Appalachian Region. (It also includes a map showing the location of these rural counties.) Appendix B contains two reference maps--one of the five Appalachian subregions, and one of the five rural-urban county types. Both the subregions and county types are referenced throughout the report. [For the 2012-2016 Chartbook, see ED585953.]

This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (ACS) and from U.S. Census Bureau population estimates on topics including population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage, disability status, migration patterns, and veteran status. Additionally, data are provided on types of housing units, homeownership, types of living arrangements, travel time to work and location of work, and income-to-poverty ratio. New to the study this year is information on computer device ownership, internet access, and household vehicle availability. Information is summarized for five Appalachian subregions and five metro designations. The report also compares data from two recent non-overlapping time periods, allowing the study of trends. [For the 2012-2016 Chartbook, see ED585953.]

This study examines state- and county-level data for the Appalachian Region. The 11 chapters focus on: (1) Population Basics; (2) Age; (3) Race and Hispanic Origin; (4) Housing Occupancy, Tenure, and Type; (5) Education; (6) Labor Force, Employment, Unemployment, and Commuting Patterns; (7) Income and Poverty; (8) Health Insurance Coverage (9) Disability Status; (10) Migration; and (11) Veteran Status. Data come from the 2011-2016 American Community Survey (ACS) for the Appalachian region. Beginning with this year's chartbook, the data in Chapters 1 through 3 come not from the ACS, but instead from the postcensal population estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Division. This year's chartbook also includes data for several new subject areas. In addition to information on housing occupancy and tenure, Chapter 4 now also includes tables and maps on the type of housing units (such as single- or multiple-unit dwellings) and types of living arrangements (family households, nonfamily households, and group quarters) for residents in the Appalachian Region. Chapter 6 now includes information on commuting patterns (that is, travel time to and place of work) as well as labor force, employment, and unemployment patterns. Finally, in addition to tables and maps on income and poverty, Chapter 7 now also includes data on income-to-poverty ratios, which measure how closely Appalachian residents' incomes compare to the federal poverty threshold. The chartbook also includes two reference maps--one of the five Appalachian subregions and one of the five rural-urban county types. Both the subregions and county types are referenced throughout the report. [For the 2011-2015 Chartbook, see ED580141.]

This study examines state- and county-level data on population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and housing tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage, disability status, migration patterns, and veteran status from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey (ACS) for the 13 Appalachian states. Information is summarized for five Appalachian subregions and five metro designations. The study includes ACS data topics that were in the 2010 decennial census, as well as others that are no longer available in the census, to provide a comparable time series of data for all counties in Appalachia. The report compares two non-overlapping five-year periods and allows for the study of trends in the data. [For the 2010-2014 edition, see ED580140.]

This study examines state- and county-level data on population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and housing tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage, disability status, migration patterns, and veteran status from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey (ACS) for the 13 Appalachian states. Information is summarized for five Appalachian subregions and five metro designations. The study includes ACS data topics that were in the 2010 decennial census, as well as others that are no longer available in the census, to provide a comparable time series of data for all counties in Appalachia. For the first time, this report compares two non-overlapping five-year periods and allows for the study of trends in the data.