New ARC Data Shows Falling Poverty, Rising Income and Education in Appalachia—but Challenges Remain 

Despite economic improvements, the region still lags behind the U.S. in population growth and broadband access.

Washington, D.C., August 20, 2026 – New data released today by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in the 16th annual update of The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey shows key improvements in Appalachia, including a decline in poverty rates and increased income levels and educational attainment.  

Drawing from the latest American Community Survey and comparable 2024 Census Population Estimates, ARC’s report, known as “The Chartbook,” contains more than 300,000 data points comparing Appalachia’s regional, subregional, and state data with the rest of the nation.  

Key improvements in the region’s economic indicators are as follows:    

Poverty rates decline and income levels rise  

  • Since 2015–2019, the share of Appalachian residents in poverty fell 1 percentage point to 14.3% in 2020–2024, compared to the national decline of 0.9 points.  
  • Median household income in Appalachia increased by 4.3% to $66,555 in 2020–2024, nearly the same as the national increase of 4.4%.    

Educational attainment levels improve 

  • Bachelor’s degrees among individuals ages 25 and over in Appalachia increased by 3.3 percentage points to 28%, slightly less than the U.S. increase of 3.6 points. 
  • In Appalachia, 31.8% of adults ages 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree earned it in a STEM field — an increase of 0.9 percentage points since 2015–2019. 

Below average number of cost burdened households  

  • The share of households in Appalachia that are cost burdened — where housing costs are 30% or more of monthly income — is 7 percentage points lower than the U.S. average.  
  • In Appalachia and nationally, housing cost burden is highest among the youngest and oldest renters.  

Population growth in Southern Appalachia  

  • Southern Appalachia’s population increased by 15% between mid-2010 and 2024, which surpassed the nation’s population growth average of 10%. 

“Appalachia’s story is one of resilience, collaboration and continued progress,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “The Chartbook highlights the meaningful gains communities across the region have made, while also underscoring the challenges that remain. ARC is committed to working alongside our local, state and federal partners to ensure every Appalachian has access to the resources needed to build a prosperous future in the places they call home.” 

Despite positive trends, several data points revealed key challenges affecting Appalachian economies compared to the rest of the nation:    

Despite population increase, growth lags  

  • Appalachia’s population is growing — but more slowly than the nation as a whole.  
  • Growth in the region was 5.1 percentage points lower than the national average between 2010 and 2024.  
  • In addition, Appalachia’s population is, on average, 2.1 years older than the U.S. population, with 1 in 5 Appalachian residents age 65 or older.  

Post-secondary educational attainment remains behind national average  

  • 28% of Appalachians hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, falling behind the national average of 35.7%.   

Greater share of Appalachians live in poverty than in rest of nation  

  • At $66,555 the median household income in Appalachia is over $14,000 below the U.S. average of $80,734.  
  • Though regional poverty rates have declined overall, more than 14% of Appalachians live in poverty compared to the national rate of 12.5%, and rates have stayed the same or increased in 143 counties. 

Rural-urban digital divide on computer and broadband access  

  • Rural households in Appalachia lag behind households in large metropolitan areas in access to computer devices (90.1% vs. 95.0%) and broadband internet subscriptions (83.7% vs. 91.1%). 

“This year’s Chartbook highlights progress in the Appalachian Region’s economic development while identifying where work still needs to be done,” said Sara Srygley, a senior research associate at Population Reference Bureau (PRB). “The data provides a foundation for decision-making, as the region moves toward parity with the rest of the nation.” 

For the first time, this report covers analysis of the Appalachian counties according to their designation in ARC’s County Economic Status Classification System. This new appendix compares distressed, at-risk, transitional, competitive, and attainment counties in the Appalachian Region to regional and national estimates on selected demographic and socioeconomic measures. Highlights on each economic status designation include: 

  • Distressed (bottom 10% nationwide): High-speed internet access in these counties reached 82.8%—up 15.3 percentage points from 2015–2019—but still trails attainment counties (95.7%). 76 of Appalachia’s 423 counties are distressed. 
  • At-risk (bottom 10%–25% nationwide): These counties lead the region in the share of adults ages 25–64 with an associate’s degree, at 11.3%, compared with 9.1%–10.6% in the other four designations. 85 Appalachian counties are at-risk. 
  • Transitional (bottom 25% to top 25% nationwide): The labor force participation rate in these counties, at 75.4%, exceeds the region’s overall rate (74.9%) and approaches the national rate (79.1%). At 240 counties, transitional is the most common designation in the region. 
  • Competitive (top 10%–25% nationwide): Median household income here ($80,958) is slightly above the national value ($80,734) and over $14,000 higher than the regional average ($66,555). 18 Appalachian counties are competitive.  
  • Attainment (top 10% nationwide): These counties lead the region in population growth (+35.8% since 2010), labor force participation (82.5%), and educational attainment (50.4% with a bachelor’s degree or higher), and have the lowest unemployment rate (2.7%). Four Appalachian counties are at attainment status. 

In addition to the written report co-authored by PRB, ARC offers companion web pages on Appalachia’s population, employment, education, income and poverty, computer and broadband access, and rural Appalachian counties compared to the rest of rural America’s counties. For more information, visit www.arc.gov/chartbook.  

About the Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to invest and partner to strengthen economic development in Appalachia to help the region reach its full economic potential.