Economists, mapping specialists, evaluators, and data analysts in ARC’s Research and Evaluation Division regularly publish internal and commissioned reports and maps, and maintain an updated county-specific searchable data report tool. Research reports address critical socioeconomic issues impacting the Appalachian Region, while evaluations assess ARC’s own investment portfolios. ARC’s research and data is meant to help policymakers and our partners better understand Appalachia’s challenges and make more informed, effective decisions to address them. Published information also provides valid data for outside researchers studying the Region.
Types
See All
Research Topics
See All
Map Topics
See All
Years
?
ARC's Fiscal Year runs September 30 - October 1, and is named for the calendar year in which it closes. County Economic Status maps, investment data, and budget and performance documents are categorized by Fiscal Year.
Other ARC content, including research reports, evaluations and news updates, fall into the January 1- December 31 calendar year.
Author(s): Saumya Jain, Eric Lind, Andrew Owen, and Shirley Shiqin Liu Author Organization(s): Accessibility Observatory, University of Minnesota This research report, commissioned by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and led by the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration, explores transportation accessibility within the Appalachian Region. Building upon the foundational insights provided by…
This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS) and from U.S. Census Bureau population estimates on topics including population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage,…
Our new report, Access to Capital and Credit for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses in Appalachia: The report also considers the significant and lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on this economic landscape. Based on the existing supply and capital sources, the research points to core needs across…
This report provides a comprehensive assessment of food insecurity dynamics in Appalachia—primarily through analysis of datasets from Feeding America, the American Community Survey (ACS), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It highlights the realities, risks, and opportunities related to food insecurity in the region. The report also offers case…
The coal industry—both in Appalachia and in the United States as a whole—has undergone a severe downturn over the last decade as demand for coal has fallen across the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated recession weighed down on coal production even more. With data through 2022, this report…
This study analyzes the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within the Appalachian Region, focusing on mortality from three main causes: alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. It includes data through 2021 and serves as an update to previous ARC…
These state-level reports offer a glimpse at private-sector employment throughout the Appalachian Region. Each report, focusing on the Appalachian portions of the states, includes employment data for 91 industries, allowing readers to see which industries account for the largest percentages of total employment. The reports also include variables measuring recent…
This research report, commissioned by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Network Appalachia multimodal transportation advisory group, provides an assessment of the freight network in Appalachia and the global context that surrounds it. This report is an update of the 2010 Network Appalachia: Access to Global Opportunity report and maps freight network…
This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS) and from U.S. Census Bureau population estimates on topics including population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage,…
This study analyzed the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within the Appalachian Region, focusing on mortality from three main causes: alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. It served as an update to ARC reports from 2017 and 2020…
The coal industry—both in Appalachia and in the United States as a whole—has undergone a severe downturn over the last decade as demand for coal has fallen across the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated recession weighed down on coal production even more. This report details major trends in…
This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states from the 2016-2020 American Community Survey (ACS) and from U.S. Census Bureau population estimates on topics including population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage,…
The Agriculture and Local Food Economies in the Appalachian Region report examines agricultural activity and local food systems throughout the Appalachian Region. Based largely on data from the Census of Agriculture, it provides a quantitative overview of activity taking place within Appalachia—how it compares to the United States as…
In the Spring of 2021, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), in partnership with Maher & Maher, embarked on a series of stakeholder engagement activities. The purpose was to gather input regarding the strengths, challenges, and opportunities facing the Region, along with ideas for strategies and solutions to advance economic prosperity.
