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Why So Few Americans Live In Appalachia
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Mar 31, 2025
Appalachia is one of the most culturally revered regions of the United States. In many ways, it's the region people think about when someone says "Rural America." Despite its cultural prominence, however, the area remains as one of the most underpopulated in the eastern half of the country with bustling cities literally surrounding it. So why don't more people live in Empty Appalachia?
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The Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest regions of the United States are all teeming with global cities, large population centers, and powerful economies
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But squished in between them all is a very unique region best known as Appalachia
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And unlike these other three, there's no major city. Which is kind of odd because this area in particular was pivotal in creating the United States we know today
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So why don't more people live in empty Appalachia? Of course, people do live in this region of the country
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but it feels like it should have at least one major city, right? Well, it doesn't
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Typically, when we think about the eastern half of the contiguous United States
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we think of long sandy beaches along the coast, meandering rivers such as the Ohio River and Mississippi River that crisscross the region
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and of course, lots and lots of flat farmland with very fertile soil
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But there's actually a whole region of the east that is basically the opposite of this common perception, Appalachia
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Appalachia, while not as mountainous as the Rocky Mountains, is largely defined by its rugged terrain
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The Appalachian mountain range and its foothills, which run from the eastern edge of Canada through the northeast and into West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, and into northern Alabama
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created one of the very first barriers to westward expansion for the United States
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And despite not being as dramatic as West Coast mountain ranges, the entire region can be quite complex with deep valleys, steep ridges, and narrow hollows
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And the only reason why they're not as dramatic as the Rockies is because, well, they're much older
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The Appalachian Mountains are incredibly ancient, formed during the collision of the North American and African tectonic plates during the late Paleozoic era around 250 million years ago
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Meanwhile, the Rockies are only about 55 to 80 million years old
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If these mountain ranges were people, one would be in early grade school and the other
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would be a full adult with a job. Over the last 250 million years, erosion wore them down from their former towering heights
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to the rounded forested ridges we see today. The Great Smoky Mountains in the southern part of the region and the Allegheny Mountains
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in the north epitomize much of the region's character. As with the Rockies and other mountain ranges, Appalachia's climate is largely
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dependent on altitude. The higher elevations tend to have cooler temperatures and more precipitation
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supporting a range of deciduous and coniferous forests, while the lower valleys and plateaus
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experience warmer temperatures and a more temperate climate. These climatic variations contribute to the region's ecological diversity, with the Appalachian Mountains being recognized
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as a biodiversity hotspot, especially for plant species, salamanders, and migratory birds
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And because the Appalachian Mountains still act like most mountains, rivers tend to form out of them
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The Ohio River forms the western boundary of the region with its tributaries, such as the Kanawha, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers
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carving out deep valleys and gorges over millennia. These river systems have created some of the most dramatic landscapes in the region
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including the New River Gorge in West Virginia, the United States' newest national park, having been established on December 27, 2020
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Much of Appalachia is known for its karst topography that creates intricate and unique cavern formations
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adding another layer of complexity to the region's physical geography. Limestone bedrock in these areas has been dissolved by acidic water over time
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leading to the formation of caves, sinkholes, and underground streams. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, the longest known cave system in the world
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is one of the most incredible features of this kind of landscape found anywhere else in the world
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Finally, although the region's terrain was challenging to early settlers and pioneers
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it also provided an incredible amount of natural resources timber and of course fresh water But crucially for the Industrial Revolution in the mid to late 1800s coal and iron ore So much of the United States we know today was able to thrive because of the resources
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found in the Appalachian Mountains. This made the entire region one of the most economically important regions in the country
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for decades. And of course, with the prospect of natural resources and wealth came settlers looking
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to capitalize on it. Appalachia is not the sexiest region of the country, but it is one of the most historically
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important regions. And as we're going to find out, at one point, Appalachia could have had
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I've already talked quite a bit about how the region has impacted the United States
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But of course, the indigenous population saw value in the region for millennia before Europeans
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arrived. In fact, much of the Appalachian region we know today would be under the control of a large
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chiefdom called the Cusa, who resided and dominated the area from around the year 1400
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and into the 1600s. Early Spanish conquistadors such as Hernando de Soto visited the Cusa and
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estimated that it likely consisted of somewhere around 50,000 people. To put this number in
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perspective, the capital region of Spain, around Madrid, only reached a population of 60,000 in
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1598. While the Cusa lived in an area much larger than Madrid, it was still a large population for
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the time. Of course, European colonization would hit the region sometime in the 1700s
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English, Scots, Irish, and German immigrants were among the first to make their way into the rugged
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terrain of the Appalachians, drawn by the promise of land and resources. The isolation imposed by
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the region's mountainous geography forced these early settlers to become self-sufficient, relying
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on subsistence farming, hunting, and small-scale trade. And it was this exact isolation that would
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begin fostering a distinctive culture that would blend European traditions and frontier resilience
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that would come to characterize Appalachia for generations after. Eventually, as was common with most regions of the United States
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the settlers and indigenous tribes would come into conflict over land. This would lead to many battles and would culminate in one of the most significant
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and painful events in the history of the United States, the forced removal of the Cherokee in the 1830s, culminating in the infamous Trail of Tears
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Thousands of Cherokee were displaced from their ancestral homelands in the southern Appalachians
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and marched westward to Indian territory in what is now Oklahoma, a dark chapter for the
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country and Appalachia specifically. But it would be the industrial revolution in the 1800s that
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would bring profound changes to the region. The discovery of vast coal reserves in the region's
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mountains led to a mining boom that would forever alter the landscape and economy Coal companies often and unfortunately controlled by interests outside of the region began extracting resources on a massive scale
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leading to the growth of mining towns and an influx of workers from other parts of the country
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and abroad. The development of railroads to transport coal to industrial centers transformed
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once-isolated communities into hubs of activity. Despite this natural resource boom, the wealth
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generated by the coal industry was not evenly distributed. Many of the people who lived and worked in the coal towns of West Virginia
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Kentucky, and Tennessee faced harsh working conditions, low wages, and economic exploitation
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Labor strikes and violent confrontations between miners and coal companies became a hallmark of the region's history
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with events like the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921 standing as one of the largest armed labor uprisings in U.S. history
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Appalachia, while not seeming like it today, stands as one of the most important regions of the country to advance workers' rights and protections
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As with most resource booms, however, there would be an inevitable decline
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as new resources were found in other parts of the country. As demand for coal dropped and mechanization reduced the need for labor
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many mining communities in the region were economically devastated. The closure of mines led to widespread unemployment and out-migration
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with younger generations often leaving in search of opportunities elsewhere, such as California, Texas, and Florida
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The decline of the coal industry has also left environmental scars on the landscape
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The once beautiful and majestic Appalachian Mountains now had deep scars caused by strip
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mining, mountaintop removal, and polluted waterways. In recent years, efforts have been made to diversify the economy of Appalachia, with
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tourism, outdoor recreation, and conservation playing an increasingly important role. The establishment of national parks and protected areas, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National
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Park and the Appalachian Trail has brought new attention to the region's natural beauty. And of
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course, there's the cultural heritage of the region which stands as one of the most prominent
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and popular culture within the country. Today, Appalachia is truly one of the most beautiful
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regions of the United States. And given its history and natural resource boom of the past
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you would think that there would be more people who live here, right? So why do so few people live in this region today relative to its surrounding areas
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As with most things in population geography, there is no single reason for Appalachia's population woes
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Instead, it's a confluence of geographic factors and historic decisions that have shaped the region we know today
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Appalachia today consists of the entirety of West Virginia, large parts of Western Virginia and North Carolina
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large parts of Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, large parts of Northern Alabama and Georgia
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and small parts of Maryland and South Carolina. And within the vast area comprising all of these states is just 13 million people
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In truth, that's not too terrible. But given the cultural and geographic prominence of the region within the United States
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it does stand out as a bit odd. Of course, the relatively sparse population of Appalachia can be attributed to its rugged geography
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The Appalachian Mountains, which dominate the region, are not only ancient but also
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exceptionally difficult to traverse and develop. The steep ridges, narrow valleys, and dense forests made large-scale agriculture and urbanization a challenge for early settlers
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And these geographic barriers have continued to limit infrastructure development into the modern era
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As a result, much of the region remains isolated, with small, scattered communities instead of large population centers
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Unless there's a very good reason to establish a large population center in the middle of a mountain range, people tend to avoid it
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But while the physical geography doesn help it probably the region economic history that played the most significant role in its depopulation While the discovery of coal in the 1800s brought a wave of economic activity to parts of the region it also created a dependency on a single industry that has since declined Coal mining was once a major employer
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but the rise of automation and the gradual shift away from coal as an energy source has devastated local economies
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As coal mines closed and job opportunities dried up, people had no choice but to leave the region
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Appalachia is a prime, cautionary tale of a region that becomes too dependent on a single industry
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When that industry suffers, the entire region has nothing else to turn to for economic prosperity
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Which probably makes you think, why didn't they invest in other industries if it was so important
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And they were making so much money during that time. This is actually an issue that's relatively unique to Appalachia
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You see, the wealth generated by the coal mines in Appalachia often flowed out to mine owners
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corporate interests and industrial hubs located elsewhere in the country, rather than being reinvested in the local communities
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And this meant that the infrastructure and social services in Appalachia remained underdeveloped
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Schools, healthcare facilities, and transportation networks in many parts of the region
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lag far behind national standards, making it less attractive for people to stay or move into the area
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As it turns out, things such as good schools and accessible healthcare facilities
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are important to families and people looking for a new home. All of this leads to a region that is relatively isolated despite its central and prominent position within the eastern half of the United States
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People in Appalachia often face long travel distance to access basic services, employment, and educational opportunities
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In an increasingly urbanized world, where proximity to economic hubs, technology, and infrastructure is crucial
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this isolation has compounded the region's struggle to retain and attract residents
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Limited internet access, for example, has further isolated communities, particularly as remote work and digital connectivity become more essential in modern economies
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As of the most recent census, counties within Appalachia remain as some of the most
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disconnected in the entire country. Yes, even more so than many of the counties in the middle of the Rocky Mountains
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And that's basically it. The region had a rough start due to its challenging geography
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but then when it was finally getting a large industry and population growth
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Much of its wealth was siphoned to other parts of the country, and that left a relatively hollowed-out region with less infrastructural development than the regions that surround it
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Today, this region is home to about 13 million people, which again, isn't actually all that bad
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But it's markedly less populated than it ought to be given its geographic location in the heart of the bustling eastern half of the United States
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All that said, Appalachia does have a few prominent metropolitan areas. Birmingham, Alabama is home to about 1.1 million people
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followed by Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee with 900,000 and 574,000 respectively, and Asheville, North Carolina with 417,000 people
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And in West Virginia, the largest city would be Charleston with about 255,000 people
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and that's about it. Though it's worth pointing out that nearly 200,000 West Virginians
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live in the Huntington-Ashland metro region in the western part of the state
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Appalachia is not empty, of course, but it does stand as a region of the United States
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that punches way above its population weight in terms of cultural prominence in the country at large
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And maybe that's good enough for the people who call it home today
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Are you absolutely in love with Appalachia? Well, check out some of these amazing maps
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that I have dedicated to the region. Every map you buy helps support this channel
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This was a fun exploration of a unique region of the country
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and I haven't done one of my empty region videos in a while. So I hope you enjoyed it
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If you did, please subscribe to my channel. And if you want to watch more videos, you can
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Thanks for watching. See you all next week
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