Year of Publication

2023

College

Health Sciences

Department/School/Program

Public Health

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Angela Carman

Abstract

Perry County is an Appalachian county located in southeastern Kentucky. The population is 28,473 people (United States Census Bureau, 2020). It is a predominately white community, with 95.9% of people falling in this category, which is higher than the national percentage of 75.8% (United States Census Bureau, 2020). Being a rural county, this community uses few news sources, with the primary outlet being WYMT Eastern Kentucky News. This news outlet is a subset of CBS (WYMT, 2023). When comparing statewide and nationwide data, Perry County does consistently worse. They have a high school graduation rate that is lower than the state and national average. Perry County’s rate is 77.8%, in comparison to 87.7% in Kentucky and 88.9% in the United States (American Community Survey, 2017-2021). The unemployment rate is also higher, which could indicate a lack of employment opportunities. Perry County is 5.1%, the United States is 3.5%, and the state’s is 3.7% (Federal Reserve Economic Data, 2022). Citizens of Perry County face financial hardship, as many of them are living in poverty. 29.9% of people living in Perry County are living in poverty, in comparison to 16.5% in Kentucky and 11.6% at the national level (United States Census Bureau, 2020). Poverty rates directly connect to household income. The median household income in Perry County is $40,577, which is almost $20,000 lower than the national average (United States Census Bureau, 2020)

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