Research Reports

Featured Reports

The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey
June 2020
Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen
Population Reference Bureau
This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states on topics including population, age, race, ethnicity, housing, education, labor force, employment, income, poverty, health insurance, disability status, and migration.
Abstract & Report Contents
Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission's Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects: FY 2009–FY 2016
May 2020
Jeff Hughes, Maureen Berner, Austin Thompson, Shadi Eskaf, Leigh-Ann Krometis, Tiffany Drape, Julia Cavalier, Grant McMillan, Ethan Smith
UNC Environmental Finance Center and Virginia Tech
This report presents an evaluation of 379 drinking water and wastewater projects funded by ARC between fiscal years 2009 and 2016.
Abstract & Report Contents
Industrial Make-Up of the Appalachian Region: Employment and Earnings, 2002-2017
November 2019
Logan Thomas
Appalachian Regional Commission
This report looks at the industrial make-up of employment and earnings in the Appalachian Region compared to the United States as a whole, differences found within the Region, and recent changes that have taken place.
Abstract & Report Contents
Report of Recommendations: ARC's Substance Abuse Advisory Council
August 2019
ARC Substance Abuse Advisory Council
This report includes 14 recommendations developed by ARC’s Substance Abuse Advisory Council to support a robust recovery ecosystem in Appalachia.
Abstract & Report Contents
The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey
May 2019
Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen
Population Reference Bureau
This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states on topics including population, age, race, ethnicity, housing, education, labor force, employment, income, poverty, health insurance, disability status, and migration.
Abstract & Report Contents
Issue Brief
Health Disparities Related to Obesity in Appalachia
Practical Strategies and Recommendations for Communities

April 2019
Kate Beatty, Nathan Hale, Michael Meit, Megan Heffernan, Michelle Dougherty, Luciana Rocha, Kelsey Ruane, and Ginny Kidwell.
East Tennessee State University, NORC at the University of Chicago’s Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, Appalachian Regional Commission
This brief summarizes relevant health statistics, offers key strategies and resources for communities to explore, and provides recommendations aimed at reducing health disparities in the Appalachian Region related to obesity.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (1 MB)
Issue Brief
Health Disparities Related to Opioid Misuse in Appalachia
Practical Strategies and Recommendations for Communities

April 2019
Kate Beatty, Nathan Hale, Michael Meit, Megan Heffernan, Michelle Dougherty, Luciana Rocha, Kelsey Ruane, Rob Pack, Stephanie Mathis, Bill Brooks, Angela Hagaman, and Sam Pettyjohn.
East Tennessee State University, NORC at the University of Chicago’s Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, Appalachian Regional Commission
This brief summarizes relevant health statistics, offers key strategies and resources for communities to explore, and provides recommendations aimed at reducing health disparities in the Appalachian Region related to opioid misuse.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (1 MB)
Issue Brief
Health Disparities Related to Smoking in Appalachia
Practical Strategies and Recommendations for Communities

April 2019
Kate Beatty, Nathan Hale, Michael Meit, Megan Heffernan, Michelle Dougherty, Luciana Rocha, and Kelsey Ruane, Ginny Kidwell, and Hadii Mamudu.
East Tennessee State University, NORC at the University of Chicago’s Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, Appalachian Regional Commission
This brief summarizes relevant health statistics, offers key strategies and resources for communities to explore, and provides recommendations aimed at reducing health disparities in the Appalachian Region related to smoking.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (1 MB)
Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission's Leadership and Community Capacity Projects: FY 2008–FY 2015
March 2019
Shauna Harps, Liam Ristow, Marneena Evans, Clarissa McKithen, Bess Rose, Kerri Wills
Westat
This report presents an evaluation of 152 leadership and community capacity projects funded by ARC between fiscal years 2008 and 2015.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (2.9 MB)
Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia
February 2019
Downstream Strategies, The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, Dialogue + Design Associates, West Virginia University
This study defines and quantifies economic resilience in order to understand the underlying factors that allow communities to buffer economic shocks.
Abstract & Report Contents
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia
September 2018
EntreWorks Consulting with the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness
This research effort examines entrepreneurship in Appalachia through both quantitative and qualitative analysis. It includes a detailed overview of the components that tend to support vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Abstract & Report Contents
Identifying Bright Spots in Appalachian Health: Statistical Analysis
July 2018
G. Mark Holmes, Nancy M. Lane, William Holding, Randy Randolph, Jonathan Rodgers, Pam Silberman, Lisa Villamil, Thomas A. Arcury, Kelly Ivey, Daniel Goolsby, Ashli Keyser, and J&J Editorial
Appalachian Regional Commission; PDA, Inc.; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
This report is the second in a series exploring health in the Appalachian Region and describes the results of the regression analysis used to identify Appalachian “Bright Spot” counties.
Abstract & Report Contents
Exploring Bright Spots in Appalachian Health: Case Studies
July 2018
Nancy M. Lane, G. Mark Holmes, Thomas A. Arcury, Michael L. Schwalbe, Randy Randolph, John Frank, Sharita Thomas, Janine Latus, Jonathan Rodgers, Alexa Cohen, Kelly Ivey, William Holding, Maura Lane, Pam Silberman, Katie Gaul, Lisa Villamil, Ashli Keyser
Appalachian Regional Commission; PDA, Inc.; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Burness
The third report in a series exploring health in the Appalachian Region, this report presents in-depth studies of 10 of the 42 “Bright Spot” counties identified through the statistical analysis described in the series’ second report.
Abstract & Report Contents
The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2012-2016 American Community Survey
March 2018
Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen
Population Reference Bureau
This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states on topics including population, age, race, ethnicity, housing, education, labor force, employment, income, poverty, health insurance, disability status, and migration.
Abstract & Report Contents
An Economic Analysis of the Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem
January 2018
Eric Bowen, Mark L. Burton, Christiadi, David B. Clarke, Rebecca J. Davis, John Deskins, Randall Jackson, Péter Járosi, Brian Lego, Matthew Murray, Péter Schaeffer, and Charles Sims
West Virginia University and The University of Tennessee
This January 2018 series of five ARC-commissioned reports explores some of the current and potential impacts of Appalachia’s declining coal production on elements of the coal ecosystem.
Abstract & Report Contents
Appalachian Diseases of Despair
August 2017
Michael Meit, Megan Heffernan, Erin Tanenbaum, and Topher Hoffmann
The Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
This study analyzed the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within Appalachia, focusing on increasing morbidity and mortality from three main causes: alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease.
Abstract & Report Contents
Health Disparities in Appalachia
August 2017
Julie L. Marshall, Logan Thomas, Nancy M. Lane, G. Mark Holmes, Thomas A. Arcury, Randy Randolph, Pam Silberman, William Holding, Lisa Villamil, Sharita Thomas, Maura Lane, Janine Latus, Jonathan Rodgers, and Kelly Ivey
PDA, Inc.; Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research; Appalachian Regional Commission
Health Disparities in Appalachia is the first report in a series exploring health issues in Appalachia. The 2017 report measures population health in Appalachia and documents disparities between the Region and the nation as a whole and within the Region.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (46.1 MB)
Economic Analysis of Completing the Appalachian Development Highway System: Technical Report
July 2017
Economic Development Research Group, Inc., and WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff
This report is the second volume of a study that analyzed the effect of ADHS development on economic growth in Appalachia, and the future economic benefits and costs of completing the system.
Abstract & Report Contents
The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey
March 2017
Kelvin Pollard and Linda A. Jacobsen
Population Reference Bureau
This study examines state- and county-level data on population, age, race and ethnicity, housing, education, labor force, employment, income and poverty, health insurance, disability status, migration, and veteran status for the 13 Appalachian states.
Abstract & Report Contents
Access vs. Isolation: Preserving Appalachia's Rail Connectivity in the 21st Century
March 2017
Center for Transportation Research, University of Tennessee
This report examines the effect of reductions in coal production on Appalachia’s current and future rail freight transportation network and highlights opportunities to help ensure rail connectivity to markets essential to Appalachia’s economic success.
Abstract & Report Contents
Appalachian Development Highway System Economic Analysis Study: Synthesis of Findings to Date
May 2016
Economic Development Research Group, Inc.
This report reviews and summarizes the findings of previously published studies on the impacts of the Appalachian Development Highway System on economic growth and transportation connectivity in Appalachia.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF: 1.3 MB
Appalachian Coal Industry, Power Generation, and Supply Chain
March 2016
Dan Hodge
Hodge Economic Consulting
This 2016 study commissioned by ARC provides an overview of the coal industry ecosystem including production, power generation, and supply chain linkages, and presents the most current data and trends on coal-related industrie
Abstract & Report Contents
Program Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission's Telecommunications and Technology Projects: FY 2004–FY 2010
November 2015
Sara Lawrence, Zachary Oliver, Michael Hogan, Sara VanLear, Jim Baller, John Horrigan, Mark Johnson, Jane Smith Patterson, Ashley Stelfox, and Deborah Watts
RTI International
This report presents an evaluation of 322 telecommunications and technology projects funded by ARC between fiscal years 2004 and 2010.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (4.5 MB)
Agriculture and Food System Trends in the Appalachian Region: 2007-2012
July 2015
Charlie Jackson, Allison Perrett, and Katie Descieux
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP)
This report examines trends in the 2007 and 2012 Censuses of Agriculture and related socioeconomic databases in order to assess, benchmark, and document food and farm activity and the local food economy in the Appalachian Region.
Abstract & Report Contents
Appalachia Then and Now: Examining Changes to the Appalachian Region since 1965
February 2015
Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness and West Virginia University
This study, commissioned by ARC, analyzes 50 years of socioeconomic trends in the Appalachian Region. The study comprises an executive summary, a technical report, and a summary of input from stakeholders
Abstract & Report Contents Appalachia Then and Now: Complete Study (PDF: 12 MB)
An Assessment of Natural Assets in the Appalachian Region: Water Resources
September 2014
Downstream Strategies, West Virginia University, and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
This study attempts to understand water assets in the Appalachian Region in order to facilitate water management and planning strategies. It evaluates water quantity, water quality, and water value, using data and information collected for a variety of me
Abstract & Report Contents Full report in PDF (3.5 MB)
College Completion Rates and Remedial Education Outcomes for Institutions in Appalachian States
September 2014
John Armstrong and Katie Zaback
State Higher Education Executive Officers Association
This report analyzes college completion metrics for the Appalachian Region, compares outcomes of students attending campuses in the Region with those of students attending campuses outside the Region, and discusses stumbling blocks to college completion.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF
An Assessment of Natural Assets in the Appalachian Region: Forest Resources
September 2014
Downstream Strategies,West Virginia University,and the National Network of Forest Practitioners
This study describes forest assets in the Appalachian Region to facilitate forest management and planning strategies and to provide useful information and tools for decision-makers.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (6 MB)
Economic Diversity in Appalachia
March 2014
Edward Feser, Troy Mix, Mark White, Ken Poole, Deb Markley, and Erik Pages
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Regional Economics Applications Laboratory and the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness, with assistance from the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and EntreWorks Consulting
This March 2014 report provides an analysis of economic diversity trends in the Appalachian Region.
Abstract & Report Contents Economic Diversity in Appalachia: Compilation of All Documents (PDF: 6 MB)
Household Wealth and Financial Security in Appalachia
November 2013
Linda A. Jacobsen, Marlene Lee, and Kelvin Pollard
Population Reference Bureau
This report analyzes the effects of the recent recession on household wealth and economic well-being in Appalachia and assesses whether the Region has been disproportionately affected by the economic downturn.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (3 MB)
Access to Capital and Credit in Appalachia and the Impact of the Financial Crisis and Recession on Commercial Lending and Finance in the Region
July 2013
Josh Silver and Archana Pradhan, National Community Reinvestment Coalition; and Spencer M. Cowan, Woodstock Institute
This study examines recent trends in the availability of capital and credit for small businesses in the Appalachian Region, compares financial conditions in 2010 with those in 2007, and assesses the impact of strategies to address capital gaps.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (8.5 MB)
Program Evaluation of ARC's Education and Workforce Development Projects: 2000-2008
December 2012
Gary Silverstein and Melissa Bryce, Westat; Diana Long, Rahall Transportation Institute; and Steve Landau, Economic Development Research Group
Prepared by Westat
This report presents findings from an evaluation of education and workforce development projects funded by ARC between fiscal years 2000 and 2008, and recommendations for enhancing performance measurement procedures.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (2.3 MB)
Health Care Costs and Access Disparities in Appalachia
July 2012
PDA, Inc., and the Cecil B. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
This report describes the relative availability of health care resources, level of health insurance coverage and cost of providing health services in the Appalachian Region compared with the rest of the United States.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (6.9 MB)
An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region
July 2012
Denise D. Krause, Ph.D.; Warren L. May, Ph.D.; Nancy M. Lane, MA; Jeralynn S, Cossman, Ph.D.; Thomas R. Konrad, Ph.D.
This study analyzes disparities in oral health status and access to oral health care in the Appalachian Region, and examines relationships between oral health disparities and socioeconomic status indicators.
Abstract & Report Contents Full Report in PDF (6.8 MB)
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