Last May, I wrote a blog post titled Poverty in Appalachian America. I am intrigued about the 13 state regions; therefore, I subscribed to their mailing list and receive email updates. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) was approved by Congress in 1965. The regions receive millions of dollars for education, infrastructure, and jobs.
This week, the ARC reported the lowest number of distressed counties in 19 years. Improvement is related to a decrease in the number of distressed counties in Georgia, Mississippi and West Virginia. No stated experienced an increase in the number of distressed counties.
The Appalachian Region consists of 206,000 square miles across 13 states. There are approximately 26.4 million residents living in rural and major metropolitan areas. Family incomes increased to 9% and labor force employment is slightly above the U.S. rate at 95.7%.
The Region’s residents live in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and all of West Virginia.
The Region has three federally recognized and five states recognized Native American Tribal Communities, with Tribal entities in Appalachian Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, and North Carolina.
Overall, incomes increased and poverty rates decreased. According to their studies, more than one in four residents 25 or older, reached or surpassed a Bachelor’s degree. In addition, internet access increased by 12%. The median income is $61, 688 compared to $75, 149 for median income for the United States.
It’s not surprising that Appalachia trends older and has been declining faster since 2010. Though it has a smaller minority population, rural Appalachia does lead the rest of rural America in its percentage of the Black American population. Approximately 7.8% of rural Appalachia’s population is Black, while only 6.3% of rural America’s population is.
Based on their in-depth studies, ARC reported significant improvements were made in key economic factors such as poverty, per capita income, and high school graduation rates. However, Appalachia still lags behind the rest of the nation on a number of socioeconomic indicators. In order for the Region to recover from economic disruptions, more work is needed to address the substance abuse crisis, and attract additional private sector investments.
In the meantime, cities outside Appalachia continue to have high rates of poverty. The Poor People and Low-Wage Workers’ Campaign have a moral march on Washington every year. Approximately 135 to 140 million Americans live in poverty or low-wage conditions. If Congressional funds are allocated to Appalachian Regions, funds should be allocated to other regions as well.
Francie Mae. June 29, 2024.
Reference
Appalachian Regional Commission. 1666 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 700. Washington, D.C.