Map: Poverty by County in Appalachia

[badgate]

Would definitely be interesting to see how this looks with the most recent data. Looks like this data comes from the 2000 census. It has poverty at +1.2% over the national average.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I read that the New York portion of Appalachia is poorer than Appalachia as a whole. That map doesn't seem to suggest that.

[Horus]

Gwinnett County is part of Appalachia?

[ElectionsGuy]

Gwinnett County is part of Appalachia?

Macon County, AL is part of Appalachia. The definition of what is Appalachia is something I'll never understand. Plus whats with the two random counties in the middle of TN?

[DINGO Joe]

It all dates back to LBJ and the war on poverty.  I'm sure some counties on the fringe got snuck into Appalachia for polical/pork reasons.


Amazing how poor the coal mining regions, especially the CAPP region, were before Obammy even got the chance to destroy them.

[minionofmidas]

It all dates back to LBJ and the war on poverty.  I'm sure some counties on the fringe got snuck into Appalachia for polical/pork reasons.

And the Shenandoah Valley got snuck out for self-esteem/ideological reasons of its Representative at the time...

[DINGO Joe]

Mississippi is the funniest, as Lafayette county (Ole Miss) is surrounded on all four sides by "Appalachia", but itself is excluded.  Oktibbeha (Miss St.) gladly took admittance.

[Indy Texas]

It all dates back to LBJ and the war on poverty.  I'm sure some counties on the fringe got snuck into Appalachia for polical/pork reasons.

And the Shenandoah Valley got snuck out for self-esteem/ideological reasons of its Representative at the time...

Really? Who was the representative? Was it a case of not wanting his district to be thought of as a poor, underdeveloped backwater (even if it may have actually been one)?

[minionofmidas]

IIRC it was a mix of that and ideological opposition to the ARC as such, yeah.

I can't find it right now. It's been years since I read about that.

[ElectionsGuy]

I totaled up 2008 results real quick using Dave's App.

Mississippi Appalachia

McCain - 166,660 (58.1%)
Obama - 117,288 (40.9%)

Alabama Appalachia

McCain - 839,647 (62.6%)
Obama - 489,030 (36.5%)

Georgia Appalachia

McCain - 739,415 (67.2%)
Obama - 350,049 (31.8%)

South Carolina Appalachia

McCain - 297,116 (63.2%)
Obama - 165,037 (35.1%)

North Carolina Appalachia

McCain - 435,779 (54.7%)
Obama - 350,357 (44.0%)

Virginia Appalachia

McCain - 189,547 (58.2%)
Obama - 131,332 (40.4%)

Tennessee Appalachia

McCain - 719,000 (64.8%)
Obama - 373,930 (33.7%)

Kentucky Appalachia

McCain - 292,128 (65.2%)
Obama - 148,530 (33.1%)

West Virginia

McCain - 394,278 (55.7%)
Obama - 301,438 (42.6%)

New York Appalachia

Obama - 228,625 (50.0%)
McCain - 220,647 (48.2%)

Pennsylvania Appalachia

McCain - 1,329,695 (49.8%)
Obama - 1,308,426 (49.0%)

Total Appalachia

McCain - 5,623,912 (57.9%)
Obama - 3,964,042 (40.8%)

Anyway, I find it interesting that the most poverty-ridden areas (Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia) are the areas that swung the hardest against Obama.

[smoltchanov]

Anyway, I find it interesting that the most poverty-ridden areas (Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia) are the areas that swung the hardest against Obama.

I see nothing strange in that. For people in these areas Obama is well-to-do (unlike them) liberal (unlike them) elitist (unlike them).

[jimrtex]

Would definitely be interesting to see how this looks with the most recent data. Looks like this data comes from the 2000 census. It has poverty at +1.2% over the national average.

The rate is lower in and around cities: Huntsville, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Spartanburg, Greenville, Asheville, Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Wheeling, Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Erie, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Binghamton, and Elmira.

There are fewer jobs in rural areas, and even low-skilled jobs may hire more educated workers (high school graduates), whereas in cities some college might be required for a similar position.  More education is correlated with intelligence, even if not with being better educated.

Housing is less expensive in rural areas, but is not considered in determining the poverty rate.  Persons in rural areas are likely to have more access to home gardens, and possibly meat from hunting.

An interesting exception is Centre County, PA.  While it has some highly educated individuals, it annually has an influx of 1000s of 18 YO, with barely a HS education, and possibly no job skills, at best working part time in fast food or menial clerical tasks, and often living in crowded residences that lack cooking facilities or even non-shared bathrooms.

[Indy Texas]

Anyway, I find it interesting that the most poverty-ridden areas (Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia) are the areas that swung the hardest against Obama.

I see nothing strange in that. For people in these areas Obama is well-to-do (unlike them) liberal (unlike them) elitist (unlike them).

Haven't more or less all US presidents and presidential candidates in recent history been well-to-do and at least a little bit elitist?

[smoltchanov]

Anyway, I find it interesting that the most poverty-ridden areas (Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia) are the areas that swung the hardest against Obama.

I see nothing strange in that. For people in these areas Obama is well-to-do (unlike them) liberal (unlike them) elitist (unlike them).

Haven't more or less all US presidents and presidential candidates in recent history been well-to-do and at least a little bit elitist?

He is a Black to boot...

[Adam Griffin]

I'm going to make an updated map of this - please stand by.

[Del Tachi]

I don't like this definition of Appalachia.

How can some Mississippi counties (Oktibbeha, Noxubee, Lowndes) be in the both Appalachia and the Black Belt? 

[badgate]

I don't like this definition of Appalachia.

How can some Mississippi counties (Oktibbeha, Noxubee, Lowndes) be in the both Appalachia and the Black Belt? 

let's blame LBJ and call it a day

[Adam Griffin]

I'll let the changes speak for themselves for now:

[memphis]

I don't like this definition of Appalachia.

How can some Mississippi counties (Oktibbeha, Noxubee, Lowndes) be in the both Appalachia and the Black Belt? 

Or for that matter, how New England gets excluded altogether. The mountains don't come to an abrupt halt in the Southern Tier.

[Indy Texas]

I'll let the changes speak for themselves for now:

That is just sad.

[Sol]

I'll let the changes speak for themselves for now:

It should be noted that several areas (most notably Athens, OH and Watauga, NC) are poorer because of increased student populations.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

looks like SW WV had a tiny bit of improvement.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Of course U.S.A statistical poverty is a joke that grossly underestimates the scale of the problem.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Of course U.S.A statistical poverty is a joke that grossly underestimates the scale of the problem.