Kentucky continues to have the most economically depressed Appalachian counties, according to a federal survey.
All but three of Kentucky’s 54 Appalachian counties are either economically distressed or at risk of becoming economically distressed, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Only Madison, Clark and Garrard rank as transitional counties – those between the strongest and weakest economically – in the commission’s annual index.
Eight counties – Adair, Boyd, Greenup, Hart, Lincoln, Montgomery, Pulaski and Russell – are considered at risk, falling in the bottom 25% of counties nationwide.
The other 43 are in the bottom 10% of counties nationwide. Of the 423 total Appalachian counties that span 13 states, Kentucky has the most counties in distress.
The commission takes into account each county’s unemployment rate, per-capita market income and poverty rate.
