Appalachian Poverty

Appalachian Poverty is a major problem and it’s a problem that goes largely unnoticed by the rest of the country. We hope that by seeing Appalachia’s economic statistics, more people will take notice and help spread word of Appalachia’s need.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) reports on Appalachian statistics such as poverty, income, and employment. According to their 2010-2014 Poverty Rate report, poverty rates across the US was 15.6% compared to 19.7% in the combined Appalachian regions of Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Even within these states there is quite a difference between poverty rates. For example, in Virginia the statewide rate is 11.5% versus an 18.8% rate for the Appalachian region. The state with the worst poverty rate in the region is Kentucky with a 25.4% rate in the Appalachian portion versus 18.9% rate for the rest of the state.

After seeing that nearly a quarter of Appalachian Kentuckians are below the poverty line, it would be easy to assume that the unemployment rate would be to blame but that isn’t the whole story. In 2014, the unemployment rate for the US was 6.2% and the Appalachian region was at 6.5%.Kentucky’s rate was only 2% higher. So it would be best to look at the per capita income of Appalachia against the entire US.

One of the main poverty issues of Appalachia stems from the fact that the employed population of these states make significantly lower amounts of money than the rest of the US. In 2014, the per capita income of the Appalachian region of Kentucky was only $30,308 while the entire US was at $46,049. The number for the region taken as a whole comes out to $37,260, which is only 80.9% of the US per capita income.

Increased investment in Appalachia is needed to fix the issues of employment and poverty. To get these investments, awareness of the issues need to rise.

Fahe Resources

Energy Cost Burden in Persistent Poverty Counties in Central Appalachia

What You Can Do

Spread the Word: Tell your friends, family, and coworkers about Appalachia and Fahe.

Invest: You can earn a competitive return and help those less fortunate. We have a 100% repayment track record to ever investor in our history.

Volunteer: Come out and help, meet the people, and let the experience change your life and theirs for the better.