More than 25 million Americans live in the Appalachian region—a 205,000 square-mile area that covers portions of 12 states and all of West Virginia. And while Appalachia is a distinct part of the United States, the region is far from homogeneous, covering both rural areas and major metropolitan areas such as Pittsburgh.
With funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission, PRB has prepared a series of chartbooks and research reports that analyze demographic and socioeconomic patterns in the 13-state region. These publications, which use data from the Decennial Census and the American Community Survey, look at demographics, housing, education, economics, and other topics vital to the current and future well-being of the region and its people.
2010 Census and American Community Survey
- Appalachia’s Digital Gap in Rural Areas Leaves Some Communities Behind, by Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen (May 2019)
- The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview From the 2012-2016 American Community Survey, by Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen (April 2018)
- The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview From the 2011-2015 American Community Survey, by Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen (March 2017)
- The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview From the 2010-2014 American Community Survey, by Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen (April 2016)
- The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview From the 2009-2013 American Community Survey, by Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen (February 2015)
- The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview From the 2008-2012 American Community Survey, by Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen (February 2014)
- Household Wealth and Financial Security in Appalachia, by Linda A. Jacobsen, Marlene Lee, and Kelvin Pollard (November 2013)
- The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview From the 2007-2011 American Community Survey, by Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen (April 2013)
- “Low Education Levels, Unemployment Linked in Appalachia,”by Paola Scommegna (March 2012)
- The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview From the 2006-2010 American Community Survey, by Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen (February 2012)
- “Appalachia’s Slow Growth Not Seen in All Its Counties,” by Paola Scommegna (January 2012)
- The Appalachian Region in 2010: A Census Data Overview, by Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen (September 2011)
Long-Term Changes (1960-2000)
- Standards of Living in Appalachia, 1960 to 2000, by Dan A. Black, Mark Mather, and Seth G. Sanders (September 2007)
- The Upskilling of Appalachia: Earnings and the Improvement of Skill Levels, 1960 to 2000, by Dan A. Black, Kelvin M. Pollard, and Seth G. Sanders (September 2007)
1990 and 2000 Censuses
- Changing Patterns of Poverty and Spatial Inequality in Appalachia, by Daniel T. Lichter and Lori Ann Campbell (May 2005)
- Emerging Patterns of Population Redistribution and Migration in Appalachia, by Daniel T. Lichter, Jillian Garratt, Mary L. Marshall, and Michael Cardella (April 2005)
- Population Growth and Distribution in Appalachia: New Realities, by Kelvin M. Pollard (February 2005)
- A “New Diversity”: Race and Ethnicity in the Appalachian Region, by Kelvin M. Pollard (September 2004)
- Labor Market Performance, Poverty, and Income Inequality in Appalachia, by Dan A. Black and Seth G. Sanders (September 2004)
- Educational Attainment in Appalachia, by John G. Haaga (June 2004)
- Households and Families in Appalachia, by Mark Mather (June 2004)
- The Aging of Appalachia, by John G. Haaga (April 2004)
- Housing and Commuting Patterns in Appalachia, by Mark Mather (April 2004)
- Appalachia at the Millennium: An Overview of Results from Census 2000, by Kelvin M. Pollard (June 2003)
