Research Reports



Coal Production and Employment in the Appalachian Region, 2024

This report analyzes coal production and employment data from 2000 to 2023, with a focus on how trends in Appalachia compare to those elsewhere in the country. Variation within the region is also examined. For Appalachia as a whole, despite some slight increases over the past few years, coal production…
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Appalachian Diseases of Despair, 2024

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 2022 and serves as an update to previous ARC…
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Transportation Access in Appalachia – Maryland DOT Pilot Implementation Project

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…
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The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey

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,…
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Food Insecurity in the Appalachian Region

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…
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Coal Production and Employment in Appalachia, 2023

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…
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Appalachian Diseases of Despair, 2023

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…
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Private-Sector Employment in Appalachia

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…
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Network Appalachia: Freight, Trade, and Economic Development

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…
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The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2017-2021 American Community Survey

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,…
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Appalachian Diseases of Despair, 2022

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…
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Coal Production and Employment in Appalachia, 2022

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…
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The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2016-2020 American Community Survey

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,…
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Agriculture and Local Food Economies in the Appalachian Region

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…
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