Relative Poverty Rates in Appalachia, 2011–2015

(County Rates as a Percentage of the U.S. Average)

A poverty rate is the ratio of the persons below the poverty level to the total number of persons for whom poverty status has been determined. The percent of the U.S. average is computed by dividing the county poverty rate by the national average and multiplying by 100. The map uses critical breaks such as the national average to organize the data into groups of common values.

This map shows the poverty rate in each of the ARC counties, as a percentage of the U.S. average. The Appalachian rates range from 44.8% to 277.8% of the U.S. average. The U.S. average is 15.5%. The Appalachian average is 17.1%. For a list of county data by state, see the downloadable Excel file.