top of page

Appalachian Learning Initiative
Infographics Database

About This Page:

Welcome to the Appalachian Learning Initiative's Infographics Resource. This resource allows users to select one of the 13 Appalachian states and view state- and county-level data about adult literacy and numeracy, population demographics, quality of life statistics, and the public health measures that impact Appalachians.


Users will also find infographics for all 423 counties and 8 independent Virginia cities in the Appalachian Region which are free to the public and available for download and distribution.

The image is a map of Alabama divided into counties, each colored to represent the percentage of Appalachian adults who read at or below an 8th grade level. The color gradient ranges from green (42.4%) to red (80.5%). The map includes counties like Lauderdale, Colbert, Madison, and others, each labeled with their name and shaded according to the data. The left side shows a vertical color scale indicating the range of percentages. The top text reads "Appalachian Learning Initiative," and on the right, there's a description about the percentage of adults reading at or below an 8th grade level. Logos and contact information for APPLI are at the bottom.

We hope that our users will be able to turn these data into local- and state-level advocacy by working to increase funding for adult literacy and numeracy.

​

Here are a couple of tips to help users access and utilize the information they'll find:​​
 

  • If a data point reads "Suppressed," this means that there were fewer than 10 cases in a jurisdiction. Because of this, the exact numbers have been hidden to protect the patients' identities.
     

  • Incidence and mortality rates are rates per 100,000 residents (e.g., HIV Diagnosis Rate)
     

  • Our sources for these data may be found on our Resources page in the Citations section.

​

We truly hope that everyone enjoys this resource. Please remember to share these infographics with your networks and help us to spread the word about adult literacy and numeracy in Appalachia.

​

Sincerely,
Marcus J. Hopkins
Founder & Executive Director

Select a Jurisdiction

Kentucky

Knox County

Adults Reading At/Below
an 8th Grade Level:

78.7%

The image is an infographic highlighting statistics about Knox County, Kentucky, provided by the Appalachian Learning Initiative. At the top, the text states "Knox County, Kentucky," with a population of 29,794. The infographic includes several statistics: on the left, 78.7% of Knox County adults read at or below an 8th-grade level, depicted with four human icons where one is grayed out; on the right, 49.5% of residents earn below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level and 23.3% of adults haven’t graduated high school. Below these, 6.5% of residents lack health insurance. A multicolored map of Kentucky counties, highlighting Knox County among its neighbors, is in the center. At the bottom left, there is the APPLI logo with the text "Appalachian Learning Initiative www.appli.org," and at the bottom right, social media icons are shown next to "@APPLIORG" text. The source is noted as the National Center for Education Statistics, 2020.
The image is an infographic about Knox County, Kentucky, created by the Appalachian Learning Initiative. It features statistical data on a grey background. In the center, there is a map of Kentucky highlighting Knox County in yellow and surrounding counties in various colors such as red, orange, and brown. To the left, there are five silhouettes of people, with one highlighted in red, accompanied by the statistic "82.2% of Knox County adults struggle with basic math." Right below this is more text presenting other statistics: "12.7% of Knox County residents spend at least 50% of their income on housing." On the right, further statistics include "36.7% of Knox County residents live in extreme poverty" and "31.3% of Knox County residents rely on SNAP for Nutrition Assistance." At the bottom left, the logo of APPLI (Appalachian Learning Initiative) is displayed. In the bottom right corner, social media icons appear with text prompting to follow their accounts.

Adults Struggling with Basic Mathematics:

82.2%

Demographics (2023)

Population:

Male:

Female:

White:

Black:

Hispanic:

Asian:

American Indian /
Alaska Native:

Native Hawaiian /
Pacific Islander:

Other:

29,794

49.3%

50.7%

96.3%

1.4%

1.3%

0.5%

0.3%

0.0%

1.5%

Quality of Life Statistics

Adults Who Haven't
Finished High School (2023):

20.3%

Residents Earning Below
150% of the Federal
Poverty Level (2023):

45.9%

Residents Earning Below 100%
of the Federal Poverty Level:

34.0%

Residents Who Rely on SNAP
for Nutrition Assistance (2023):

31.1%

Residents Who Lack
Health Insurance (2023):

7.4%

Residents Spending
50%+of Their Income
on Housing (2023):

15.0%

Residents Facing
Food Insecurity (2022):

23.8%

Households Paying $200+ Per Month on Electricity (2023):

34.5%

Public Health Statistics

Drug Overdose
Death Rate (2022):

Suppressed

HIV Diagnoses Rate (2022):

Suppressed

HIV Prevalence (2022):

48.2

Adults Who Currently
Smoke Cigarettes (2023):

23.3%

Adults Living with
Obesity (2022):

15.8%

Adults with Diabetes (2022):

15.8%

Adults with Asthma (2022):

12.2%

Adults with COPD (2022):

13.9%

Adults with CHD (2022):

10.0%

Adults with a Disability (2022):

21.8%

Laurel County

Adults Reading At/Below
an 8th Grade Level:

69.1%

The image presents statistical data about Laurel County, Kentucky, as part of the Appalachian Learning Initiative. At the top, the text states the county name and population of 63,296. Below, on the left, a graphic illustrates that 69.1% of adults read at or below an eighth-grade level, featuring five silhouetted figures, with three in blue and two grayed out. In the center, a circular map highlights Laurel County in yellow, surrounded by other counties such as Pulaski, Knox, and Clay, each in different colors. To the right of the map, text notes that 30% of residents earn below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. Below the map, text states that 8.2% of residents lack health insurance. Another statistic indicates 17% of adults haven’t graduated high school. At the bottom, there's the APPLI logo alongside social media icons and institutional credits.
The image is an informational graphic titled "Appalachian Learning Initiative, Laurel County, Kentucky" with a highlighted population of 63,296. The background is a muted gray, and the text is prominent, emphasizing educational and economic statistics of Laurel County. On the left, there are four white figures and one red figure representing the statistic "77% of Laurel County adults struggle with basic math." Below this is the logo of APPLI (Appalachian Learning Initiative) with the website www.appli.org. In the bottom left corner, it states data is from the National Center for Education Statistics, 2020. The right side features three statistics in bold red: "21.3% of Laurel County residents live in extreme poverty," "9.5% of Laurel County residents spend at least 50% of their income on housing," and "17% of Laurel County residents rely on SNAP for Nutrition Assistance." Beside these, a circular map highlights Laurel County in tan, surrounded by neighboring counties in varying colors, labeled with their names. At the bottom right corner, there are icons for social media platforms and text inviting viewers to follow @APPLOrg.

Adults Struggling with Basic Mathematics:

77.0%

Demographics (2023)

Population:

Male:

Female:

White:

Black:

Hispanic:

Asian:

American Indian /
Alaska Native:

Native Hawaiian /
Pacific Islander:

Other:

63,296

49.4%

50.6%

96.5%

1.0%

1.8%

0.7%

0.4%

0.0%

1.4%

Quality of Life Statistics

Adults Who Haven't
Finished High School (2023):

16.1%

Residents Earning Below
150% of the Federal
Poverty Level (2023):

31.2%

Residents Earning Below 100%
of the Federal Poverty Level:

20.5%

Residents Who Rely on SNAP
for Nutrition Assistance (2023):

18.2%

Residents Who Lack
Health Insurance (2023):

5.9%

Residents Spending
50%+of Their Income
on Housing (2023):

15.5%

Residents Facing
Food Insecurity (2022):

17.7%

Households Paying $200+ Per Month on Electricity (2023):

44.2%

Public Health Statistics

Drug Overdose
Death Rate (2022):

41.3

HIV Diagnoses Rate (2022):

Suppressed

HIV Prevalence (2022):

113.4

Adults Who Currently
Smoke Cigarettes (2023):

21.5%

Adults Living with
Obesity (2022):

14.8%

Adults with Diabetes (2022):

14.8%

Adults with Asthma (2022):

11.4%

Adults with COPD (2022):

12.5%

Adults with CHD (2022):

9.2%

Adults with a Disability (2022):

17.8%

Lawrence County

Adults Reading At/Below
an 8th Grade Level:

73.0%

The image is an infographic about the Appalachian Learning Initiative in Lawrence County, Kentucky, with a population of 16,000. The infographic features several statistics accompanied by graphics. On the left, there is a row of five human figures, with four in blue and one in gray, next to a statistic stating "73% of Lawrence County adults read at or below an 8th Grade level." In the center, there is a circular map highlighting various counties: Greenup, Carter, Boyd, Elliott, Morgan, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin, Magoffin, and Floyd. It features different colors for each county, with Lawrence highlighted in orange. On the right, text states "33.5% of Lawrence County residents earn below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level" and "20.4% of Lawrence County adults haven't graduated high school." Below the map, another statistic in blue states "6.1% of Lawrence County residents lack health insurance." The bottom left features the Appalachian Learning Initiative (APPLI) logo, and the bottom right provides social media icons and contact information for APPLIPorg, with a note crediting the National Center for Education Statistics, 2020.
The image is an infographic about Lawrence County, Kentucky, part of the Appalachian Learning Initiative. The background is gray, and the main text is white. A large title at the top reads, "Appalachian Learning Initiative Lawrence County, Kentucky Population: 16,000." Below this, on the left, five human figure icons are shown, with four in white and one in red, along with the text: "80.8% of Lawrence County adults struggle with basic math." In the center, there is a circular map depicting Lawrence County and surrounding counties in different colors such as red, green, orange, and yellow. On the right side, bold red text states: "23.9% of Lawrence County residents rely on SNAP for Nutrition Assistance" and "22% of Lawrence County residents live in extreme poverty." Below the map, there is red text saying: "7.5% of Lawrence County residents spend at least 50% of their income on housing." At the bottom left is the Appalachian Learning Initiative logo with their website, "www.appli.org." On the bottom right, there is text crediting the National Center for Education Statistics, 2020, and social media icons with the handle "@APPLIOrg".

Adults Struggling with Basic Mathematics:

80.8%

Demographics (2023)

Population:

Male:

Female:

White:

Black:

Hispanic:

Asian:

American Indian /
Alaska Native:

Native Hawaiian /
Pacific Islander:

Other:

16,000

50.0%

50.0%

97.3%

0.6%

1.1%

0.3%

0.2%

0.1%

1.6%

Quality of Life Statistics

Adults Who Haven't
Finished High School (2023):

23.2%

Residents Earning Below
150% of the Federal
Poverty Level (2023):

36.8%

Residents Earning Below 100%
of the Federal Poverty Level:

26.3%

Residents Who Rely on SNAP
for Nutrition Assistance (2023):

26.3%

Residents Who Lack
Health Insurance (2023):

5.5%

Residents Spending
50%+of Their Income
on Housing (2023):

18.5%

Residents Facing
Food Insecurity (2022):

21.4%

Households Paying $200+ Per Month on Electricity (2023):

52.1%

Public Health Statistics

Drug Overdose
Death Rate (2022):

62.1

HIV Diagnoses Rate (2022):

0.0

HIV Prevalence (2022):

Suppressed

Adults Who Currently
Smoke Cigarettes (2023):

22.4%

Adults Living with
Obesity (2022):

16.0%

Adults with Diabetes (2022):

16.0%

Adults with Asthma (2022):

11.7%

Adults with COPD (2022):

13.7%

Adults with CHD (2022):

10.1%

Adults with a Disability (2022):

25.1%

Lee County

Adults Reading At/Below
an 8th Grade Level:

76.8%

The image is an infographic titled "Appalachian Learning Initiative Lee County, Kentucky" with the county's population listed as 7,293. The top half of the image contains the title in bold, blue text. Below the title is a set of statistics related to Lee County's education and economic challenges. On the left side is an icon of five figures, four blue and one gray, indicating that 76.8% of Lee County adults read at or below an 8th-grade level. A circular map of a portion of Kentucky is at the center, with counties labeled and colored differently. To the right, text notes that 46.3% of residents earn below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, and 25% of adults haven't graduated high school. At the bottom left is the APPLI logo, resembling a stylized bridge with an arc and vertical lines. The website "www.appli.org" is printed above the logo. The bottom right features links to APPLI's social media accounts, represented by icons for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The National Center for Education Statistics, 2020, is credited at the bottom center.
The image is an informational graphic about the Appalachian Learning Initiative and Lee County, Kentucky. The background is a light gray with white and red text. At the top, the title reads "Appalachian Learning Initiative Lee County, Kentucky Population: 7,293" in large white letters. Below the title is a stylized graphic of figures, with four in white and one in red, alongside the text "81.1% of Lee County adults struggle with basic math." In the center is a small map of the area highlighting Lee County with surrounding counties labeled, each in various colors like yellow, red, green, and orange. To the right of the map, bold red text states "30.1% of Lee County residents rely on SNAP for Nutrition Assistance" followed by "28.9% of Lee County residents live in extreme poverty." At the bottom, red text reads "8.1% of Lee County residents spend at least 50% of their income on housing." Below this text is the logo of the Appalachian Learning Initiative and its website, followed by social media icons with "Follow us @APPLIOrg" in black text.

Adults Struggling with Basic Mathematics:

81.1%

Demographics (2023)

Population:

Male:

Female:

White:

Black:

Hispanic:

Asian:

American Indian /
Alaska Native:

Native Hawaiian /
Pacific Islander:

Other:

7,293

56.7%

43.3%

94.8%

3.5%

1.2%

0.3%

0.5%

0.0%

0.9%

Quality of Life Statistics

Adults Who Haven't
Finished High School (2023):

25.7%

Residents Earning Below
150% of the Federal
Poverty Level (2023):

50.4%

Residents Earning Below 100%
of the Federal Poverty Level:

31.4%

Residents Who Rely on SNAP
for Nutrition Assistance (2023):

33.6%

Residents Who Lack
Health Insurance (2023):

8.6%

Residents Spending
50%+of Their Income
on Housing (2023):

10.6%

Residents Facing
Food Insecurity (2022):

23.9%

Households Paying $200+ Per Month on Electricity (2023):

37.1%

Public Health Statistics

Drug Overdose
Death Rate (2022):

247.9

HIV Diagnoses Rate (2022):

0.0

HIV Prevalence (2022):

110.4

Adults Who Currently
Smoke Cigarettes (2023):

29.7%

Adults Living with
Obesity (2022):

18.9%

Adults with Diabetes (2022):

18.9%

Adults with Asthma (2022):

12.1%

Adults with COPD (2022):

17.2%

Adults with CHD (2022):

11.5%

Adults with a Disability (2022):

28.5%

Leslie County

Adults Reading At/Below
an 8th Grade Level:

78.7%

The image provides statistical information about Leslie County, Kentucky, as part of the Appalachian Learning Initiative. At the top, the text states the county's population as 9,864. Below, several statistics are displayed with corresponding icons and a thematic map. On the left, silhouettes of people illustrate that 78.7% of Leslie County adults read at or below an 8th-grade level. The map in the center highlights Leslie County in red within Kentucky, surrounded by other counties in shades of yellow, orange, and red. On the right, additional statistics are listed: 40.9% of residents earn below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, 2.2% of residents lack health insurance, and 17.6% of adults haven’t graduated high school. The bottom shows logos and social media icons with the Appalachian Learning Initiative's name and website.
The image is a detailed infographic about Leslie County, Kentucky, as part of the Appalachian Learning Initiative. The background is a muted gray with white and red text and icons. The top section states "Appalachian Learning Initiative Leslie County, Kentucky" with the population noted as 9,864. On the left, four gray stick figures and one red represent that 82.1% of adults in Leslie County struggle with basic math. Below is a colorful map showing Leslie County and its neighboring regions in various shades of red and yellow, with Leslie highlighted prominently in red. Next to the map, statistics are presented: 30.4% rely on SNAP for nutrition assistance, and 27.3% live in extreme poverty, both written in red. At the bottom left, it states 8.3% of residents spend at least 50% of their income on housing. The Appalachian Learning Initiative logo is centered at the bottom with the website URL, and there are social media icons for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube on the right. The information source is stated as the National Center for Education Statistics, 2020.

Adults Struggling with Basic Mathematics:

82.1%

Demographics (2023)

Population:

Male:

Female:

White:

Black:

Hispanic:

Asian:

American Indian /
Alaska Native:

Native Hawaiian /
Pacific Islander:

Other:

9,864

50.1%

49.9%

97.8%

0.6%

0.9%

0.3%

0.2%

0.1%

1.1%

Quality of Life Statistics

Adults Who Haven't
Finished High School (2023):

17.5%

Residents Earning Below
150% of the Federal
Poverty Level (2023):

45.0%

Residents Earning Below 100%
of the Federal Poverty Level:

33.6%

Residents Who Rely on SNAP
for Nutrition Assistance (2023):

21.9%

Residents Who Lack
Health Insurance (2023):

6.1%

Residents Spending
50%+of Their Income
on Housing (2023):

8.4%

Residents Facing
Food Insecurity (2022):

24.2%

Households Paying $200+ Per Month on Electricity (2023):

53.1%

Public Health Statistics

Drug Overdose
Death Rate (2022):

Suppressed

HIV Diagnoses Rate (2022):

0.0

HIV Prevalence (2022):

Suppressed

Adults Who Currently
Smoke Cigarettes (2023):

23.5%

Adults Living with
Obesity (2022):

17.5%

Adults with Diabetes (2022):

17.5%

Adults with Asthma (2022):

12.0%

Adults with COPD (2022):

15.2%

Adults with CHD (2022):

11.0%

Adults with a Disability (2022):

27.8%

bottom of page