top of page
Search

Appalachian Kentucky in 2025

  • Marcus J. Hopkins
  • Mar 15
  • 5 min read
The image is a map titled "Defining Appalachia," depicting the Berea Region as defined in 1896. The map encompasses parts of the eastern United States, highlighting areas within the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and others. The highlighted regions are shown in varying shades of green, with darker green indicating counties included in the definition of Appalachia, totaling 194 counties and 12 Virginia cities. Light green areas represent the surrounding regions. The background is a muted grayscale map of the eastern United States. At the bottom left, the Appalachian Learning Initiative logo, "APPLI," is present, and a note attributes the definition to Frost in 1896. Social media icons appear at the bottom right.
Learn more about how counties are selected to be part of the Appalachian Region by visiting "Defining Appalachia"

By: Marcus J. Hopkins

March 15th, 2025


Kentucky is home to Berea College, where William Goodell Frost created the first geographic definition of "Appalachia" in 1896. This first map, after being adjusted to account for shifting county borders, included 195 counties and 12 independent cities in Virginia.

Kentucky's Appalachian counties also have some of the lowest literacy and numeracy rates in the region, as well as significantly higher rates of both infectious and non-infectious diseases and negative health behaviors. These educational outcomes and health issues are very likely exacerbated by the many social and structural barriers faced by Appalachians living in the state.


Kentucky's page on our website recently received an overhaul after a longer-than-expected delay due to illness within the APPLI staff. This update centralizes and expands state-specific information, including county-level educational data, public health infographics, information about social determinants of learning and health, and the contact information from our newest addition—the Appalachian Advocacy Toolkit.


Educational Outcomes in Appalachian Kentucky


The image features a red silhouette of the state of Georgia on a white background. Inside the silhouette, there are five person icons, with three in white and two in gray, representing statistical data. Below these icons, bold white text states, "More than 3 out of 5 adults living in Georgia’s Appalachian Counties read at or below an 8th Grade level." To the right of the state, black text reads, "Appalachian Learning Initiative." Beneath it, in slightly smaller text, is "APPLI is building solutions." At the bottom, the APPLI logo is shown with the full name, Appalachian Learning Initiative, and a URL, "www.appli.org." At the bottom right, social media icons for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube are accompanied by "@APPLIOorg." The text at the bottom also cites, "National Center for Education Statistics, 2020."
71.4% of adults living in Kentucky's Appalachian counties read at or below an 8th Grade level, including nearly 1 out of every 3 (30.1%) who read below a 3rd Grade level or are unable to read at all

As of the most recent data release, nearly 3 out of every 4 adults aged 16-65 (71.4%) living in Kentucky's Appalachian counties read at or below an 8th Grade level, including nearly 1 out of every 3 (30.1%) who read below a 3rd Grade level or are unable to read at all. When compared with the Appalachian counties in the other 12 states within the region, Kentucky's Appalachian counties have the lowest literacy proficiency rate.


In 2024, Kentucky received $9,546,936 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education through the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). IT IS UNCLEAR IF THIS FUNDING WILL BE RENEWED OR DISBURSED UNDER THE CURRENT REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION


The image features a map silhouette of Kentucky, colored in red, overlaid with several design elements and text. In the upper left corner, large red text reads "Appalachian Learning Initiative." On the map, a graphic represents five figures, with four in red to indicate a statistic, accompanied by text stating "Nearly 4 out of 5 adults living in Kentucky's Appalachian counties read below an 8th Grade level." Below the map, bold red text declares "APPLI is building solutions." At the bottom left, the logo for APPLI shows a stylized bridge with the text "Appalachian Learning Initiative" and "www.appli.org." The bottom right corner includes contact icons and text urging viewers to follow @APPLIORG.
Nearly 4 out of every 5 adults (78%) struggle with bath math

In addition to reading proficiency issues, nearly 4 out of every 5 adults (78%) struggle with basic math. These adults have trouble solving math problems with more than three steps, struggle with fractions and percentages, & are unable to perform basic tasks, like making correct change or budgeting finances.


These adults have trouble solving math problems with more than three steps, struggle with fractions and percentages, and are unable to perform basic tasks, such as making correct change or budgeting finances.


Kentucky's Appalachian counties have the lowest numeracy proficiency rate among the 13 states within the region.


Adults with low literacy and numeracy proficiency rates face significant real-world implications and impacts.


Adults with low literacy skills face more difficulty finding and keeping jobs that provide wages capable of sustaining a family than their peers with higher literacy skills. They are also less likely to advance in their careers as a result of lower reading, digital, and critical thinking skills that might afford them more opportunities (Vineis, 2024).


Adults with low numeracy skills face similar difficulties, being less likely to be employed, less likely to earn sufficient wages, and often report being less healthy and having lower levels of life satisfaction. Additionally, modern technology has allowed companies across every sector to automate many manual labor jobs that traditionally employed adults with lower levels of literacy and numeracy (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2024).


APPLI will continue to gather and report data highlighting educational disparities in Appalachian Kentucky and the region.

 

Health Outcomes in Appalachian Kentucky


The image presents information about coronary heart disease prevalence in Kentucky's Appalachian counties. On the left side, there is a map of Kentucky highlighting counties shaded in shades of red. The color gradient represents a range from 6.8% to 13.1% prevalence. Wolfe and Casey counties are specifically marked, with Wolfe at 13.1% and Casey at 12.1%. On the right side, there is text explaining that more than 1 out of every 10 adults in these counties has coronary heart disease. Below the text, there is a visual of four figures, with one shaded dark to represent the mentioned statistic. The background features an abstract, painted landscape. Text at the bottom attributes the data to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2024.
More than 1 out of every 10 adults living in Kentucky's Appalachian counties is living with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)—a significantly higher rate than both the statewide prevalence of 6.6% and the national rate of 4.4% (Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2024)

Kentucky's Appalachian counties tend to have significantly higher incidence and prevalence rates of both infectious and non-infectious diseases and health behaviors, including:

The link between educational attainment and poor health outcomes has long been established. Essentially, higher educational attainment generally results in people making better health decisions and having greater access to employment opportunities and financial resources that enable easier access to high-quality health services (Shankar et al., 2013).


Similarly, additional research also indicates that learners' health can profoundly impact educational attainment. Learners who are living with chronic illnesses, such as asthma, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and other illnesses and syndromes, are more likely to miss school than their peers, which can impact their ability to complete work on time, take part in exams, participate in school and group activities, and/or physically maneuver through their learning environment. These factors can result in lower or poor academic performance (Victoria State Government, 2012).

 

Social Determinants in Appalachian Kentucky


The image depicts a map illustrating disability prevalence in Kentucky's Appalachian counties. The map is shaded in varying hues of blue, indicating different percentages of adults living with a disability. Wolfe County is highlighted with the highest percentage at 35.6%, while Madison County has the lowest at 15.4%. A color gradient scale at the bottom ranges from light blue (15.4%) to dark blue (35.6%) to represent these percentages. To the right, there is a scenic background image of Appalachian mountains in autumn colors. In the bottom right corner is the logo and name of the Appalachian Learning Initiative, along with their website.
Nearly 1 out of every 4 adults (24%) living in Kentucky's Appalachian counties is living with a disability—a significantly higher rate than both the statewide prevalence of 17.6% and the national prevalence of 13.5% (Source: PLACES, 2024)

In addition to facing significant health issues that may hinder educational attainment and outcomes, adults living in Kentucky's Appalachian counties face substantial barriers—called social determinants—that may impact both health and learning.


For example:


  • Nearly 1 out of every 4 adults (24%) is living with a disability, compared to 17.6% statewide and 13.5% nationally;

  • Nearly 1 out of every 4 residents (24%) lives in extreme poverty, earning less than 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), compared to 16.1% statewide and 12.4% nationally;

  • Nearly 1 out of every 5 adults (18.7%) has not graduated from high school or achieved an equivalent certification, compared to 11.5% statewide and 10.7% nationally;

  • Nearly 2 out of 5 residents (39.2%) are publicly insured through Medicaid, Medicare, the Veterans Health Administration, or another program, compared to the statewide rate of 27.5%. Both the regional and statewide rates of uninsured adults are significantly higher than the national rate of 21.3%


Similar to how social determinants can impact health, they also impact learning—a framework called the Social Determinants of Learning™ (SDOL™). SDOLs are social and structural factors outside the individual learner, often beyond the traditional reach of teachers and schools, that can affect learning (Levinson & Cohen, 2023). These include healthcare access and quality, economic stability, neighborhood and built environments, social inclusion and non-discrimination, educational access, the quality of educational opportunities and institutions, and family group and structural conflicts.


You can discover more information about social determinants and health issues in Kentucky's Appalachian counties on our dedicated page:



The image features a teal background with white text centered on it. At the top, the text reads, "Help support our research, reporting, and advocacy in Appalachia." Below this, centered in larger text, it says, "Donate at: https://www.appli.org/donate." Toward the bottom left, there is a row of small social media icons followed by the text "Follow us @APPLIOrg." At the bottom is a multicolored horizontal stripe in shades of dark red, orange, yellow, and blue. In the lower center is the APPLI logo, with the words "Appalachian Learning Initiative" and the website "www.appli.org" beneath it.
The Appalachian Learning Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Morgantown, WV. All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of donations go toward operating costs.

APPLI will be working to update these data across all of Appalachia throughout 2025 to ensure they are current.


We know that many people living and working in Appalachia are struggling, and we hope that you will consider making a donation if you are able to.

APPLI operates entirely off of donations, which cover all the costs associated with running a non-profit, including website hosting, content creation, research, and software licenses.


We try to keep costs as low as possible, with the entirety of APPLI's team serving in a volunteer capacity.



To donate, please visit our donation page:




Kommentare

bottom of page