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Poverty in Appalachia is caused by a lack of job opportunities and public services, a rural environment, health risks, and discrimination. The area is commonly rural, with poor education and difficulty attracting quality industry and higher-paying jobs. Lack of basic public services and telecommunications infrastructure contribute to poverty and sustain it. Discrimination based on race, economic class, and gender can continue to block opportunities for those who have lived in poverty for generations.
Causes of poverty in Appalachia include a lack of job opportunities and public services, a rural environment, and health risks. These causes are widespread and typically considered generational in nature.
The Appalachian region extends more than 1,000 miles (1609 km) along the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi in the United States. The area is commonly considered rural, with nearly half of its residents engaged in agriculture, mining, and heavy industry. Just over 40% of Appalachian population of more than 24 million residents is rural. The quality of education in rural areas such as Appalachia can also be substandard, especially in low-income counties. Rural youth in the United States do not tend to aspire to college degrees as frequently as urban and rural students, and less education can translate into lower earning power.
Appalachians generally have difficulty attracting quality industry and higher-paying jobs to the area. This may be due in part to a lack of basic public services. Poor communities often lack the resources to finance water and wastewater improvements. Without the proper infrastructure, businesses may be reluctant to go to Appalachia. As a result, residents typically rely on the limited industries located near their homes to work, which contributes to poverty in Appalachia.
Due to the lack of basic public services, public health and environmental risks are sometimes present in Appalachia. More than a quarter of Appalachian residents are not served by a community water system and must rely on private wells for their drinking water needs. Nearly half of all households have an on-site wastewater disposal system compared to utility systems. Poor health can make people more likely to fall into and stay in poverty.
Many Appalachian communities lack telecommunications infrastructure because access to telephone and Internet services can be difficult to provide to rural areas without adequate funding. Long-term poverty in Appalachia can be sustained by the lack of these vital services. For example, without telecommunications, school districts are unable to provide distance learning programs for rural students. The lack of high-speed internet access in Appalachia also adds to its challenge in attracting new businesses.
Discrimination based on race, economic class, and gender is sometimes seen in rural areas such as Appalachia. This discrimination can continue to block opportunities for those who have lived in poverty for generations. Long-term neglect of the needs of the poor can lead to generational poverty in Appalachia.
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