Research Report



Worker Displacement in Appalachia

This report examines worker displacement throughout the Appalachian Region, an issue last examined by ARC in 2005. Using data from the past five iterations of the Displaced Worker Supplement (DWS), which cover the years 2011-2021, the report examines how worker displacement varies based on a number of factors, including…
Report


The Appalachian Region: A Data Overview from the 2019-2023 American Community Survey

This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states from the 2019-2023 American Community Survey (ACS) and from U.S. Census Bureau population estimates on topics including population, age, housing occupancy and tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage, disability status, migration…
Report


Export-Oriented Industry Clusters, Trade and Transportation in Appalachia

This research report provides a comprehensive assessment of industry clusters and international trade in Appalachia. This report is an update of the 2004 report, Analysis of Global Competitiveness of Selected Industries and Clusters in the Appalachian Region and provides a current analysis of key export-oriented industries and industry clusters…
Report


Access in Appalachia North Carolina DOT – Pilot Study

This report, commissioned by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and led by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, explores transportation accessibility within North Carolina. Building upon the foundational insights provided by ARC’s Access in Appalachia report of 2020, this report provided an opportunity to measure differences in accessibility across…
Report


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…
Report


Appalachian Regional Truck Parking Study

The objective of this research report on truck parking in Appalachia, commissioned by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and completed by CPCS Transcom Inc., was to: 1) bring together the best available data and insights from existing state-level efforts and complete new research into an integrated regional assessment of truck…
Report


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…
Report


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…
Report


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,…
Report


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…
Report


Coal Production and Employment in Appalachia, 2023

With data through 2022, this report details major trends in coal production and employment in Appalachia over the last two decades and assesses how those trends may affect the economic performance in the region. Coal Production and Employment in Appalachia, 2023 – pdf 2 MB…
Report


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…
Report


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…
Report


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…
Report


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,…
Report