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Alabama

A silhouette of the state of Alabama

Basic Statistics

Alabama's Appalachian counties have a population of 3,302,235 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024)

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37 of Alabama's 67 counties lie within the Appalachian Region

Alabama is home to the southernmost county in Appalachia—Macon County

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Alabama is the 7th-most impoverished state in the U.S., with 16.2% of residents earning 100% or less of the Federal Poverty Level. Similarly, 16.2% of residents living Appalachian counties live in extreme poverty.

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More than 1 out of every 7 adults (15.6%) in Alabama's Appalachian counties has not graduated from high school.

Looking for More Data?

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Check out APPLI's Infographics database for state- and county-level data and downloadable graphics.

Literacy

Literacy in Alabama

The image is a vertical bar divided into three equal sections. The top section is bright red with "26.3%" written in white text. The middle section is orange with "39.4%" in black text. The bottom section is green with "34.4%" in black text. Each section occupies approximately one-third of the bar's height, and the text in each section represents a percentage value.

26.3% of adults living in Alabama's Appalachian counties read below a 3rd Grade level

39.4% of adults read between a 3rd and 8th Grade level

34.4% of Alabama adults are proficient in reading texts above an 8th Grade level

The image is in the shape of the state of Alabama, filled with a dark red color. It features five stick figure icons across the top. Three of the icons are white, and the other two are gray, indicating a statistical representation. Below the figures is white text that covers most of the image, highlighting a literacy statistic about adults in Alabama's Appalachian counties.
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Numeracy
The image is shaped like the state of Alabama and has a dark blue background. At the top, there are five human figure icons in a row. The first three figures are white, and the last two are orange. Below the figures, large white text reads, "Nearly 3 out of 4." Beneath this, in smaller white text, it states, "adults living in Alabama’s Appalachian counties struggle with basic math."

Numeracy in Alabama

39.6% of adults living in Alabama's Appalachian counties struggle to solve math problems that require more than 1 step

34.4% of Alabama adults struggle to solve math problems that require more than 3 steps

26% of adults are proficient in math taught above an 8th Grade level

The image is a vertical stacked bar chart divided into three colored sections, each representing a percentage. The bottom section is green, covering 26% of the bar, followed by a yellow segment in the middle, accounting for 34.4%. The top section is red, representing 39.6%. Each section has a bold percentage label in white text, positioned in the center.
County Data

Literacy by County

In Alabama's 37 Appalachian counties, 2 out of every 3 adults read below an 8th Grade level

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More than 1 out of every 4 residents (26.6%) earns below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level

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Black Appalachians are the majority demographic in the two counties with the lowest levels of reading ability (Hale and Macon Counties)

A temperature bar with the lower range being 42.4%, the middle range being 66.9%, and a top range being 80.5%
A heatmap of the state of Alabama
A heatmap of the state of Alabama
A temperature bar with the lower range being 52.2%, the middle range being 74.5%, and the upper range being 90%

Numeracy by County

In Alabama's 37 Appalachian counties, 3 out of every 4 adults struggle to perform basic math

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More than 1 out of every 7 Appalachian Alabamians relies on SNAP for nutrition assistance

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More than 1 out of every 11 Appalachian residents lacks health insurance

Resources

Alabama Adult Education Resources

Horizon School.png
Literacy Council of Central Alabama

2301 1st Ave. N., #102
Birmingham, AL 35203

Charge for Services:

No

Counties Served:

  • Blount

  • Jefferson

  • Shelby

  • St. Clair

  • Walker

Services Offered

  • Adult Literacy

Delivery Model:

  • In-Person

  • Virtual

  • Hybrid In-Person/Virtual

Contact Info:

Steve Hannum

Email
(205) 541-7722
Horizon School.png
The Horizons School

2018 15th Ave. S.
Birmingham, AL 35205

Charge for Services:

Yes

Counties Served:

  • Jefferson

Services Offered

  • Adult Literacy

  • Adult Numeracy

Delivery Model:

  • In-Person

Contact Info:

Shon Jackson

Email
(205) 322-6606
Horizon School.png
Village of Promise

2700 Fairbanks St NW
Huntsville, AL 35816, USA

Charge for Services:

No

Counties Served:

  • Madison

Services Offered

  • Adult Literacy

  • Family Literacy

  • GED/High School Equivalence Prep

Delivery Model:

  • In-Person

Contact Info:

T'Sha Buycks

Email
(256) 536-8052
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