Where are the Hardest Places to Live in the U.S.?

 

Annie Lowrey writes in the Times Magazine this week about the troubles of Clay County, Ky., which by several measures is the hardest place in America to live.

 

The Upshot came to this conclusion by looking at six data points for each county in the United States: education (percentage of residents with at least a bachelor’s degree), median household income, unemployment rate, disability rate, life expectancy and obesity. We then averaged each county’s relative rank in these categories to create an overall ranking.

 

(We tried to include other factors, including income mobility and measures of environmental quality, but we were not able to find data sets covering all counties in the United States.)

 

The 10 lowest counties in the country, by this ranking, include a cluster of six in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky (Breathitt, Clay, Jackson, Lee, Leslie and Magoffin), along with four others in various parts of the rural South: Humphreys County, Miss.; East Carroll Parish, La.; Jefferson County, Ga.; and Lee County, Ark.

Four counties in EKY have over 10% of the population on disability?

 

Is this reasonable?

Four counties in EKY have over 10% of the population on disability?

 

Is this reasonable?

 

Eric C. Conn believes it to be rather low.

Last I heard, 16 of the United States' poorest counties were located in Kentucky.

 

(That may well be a little distorted due to the fact Kentucky is #4 on the list of US states with the most counties with 120, yet is only the 37th largest state in the Union.)

Last I heard, 16 of the United States' poorest counties were located in Kentucky.

 

(That may well be a little distorted due to the fact Kentucky is #4 on the list of US states with the most counties with 120, yet is only the 37th largest state in the Union.)

 

Thought we were third behind Texas and Georgia.

Thought we were third behind Texas and Georgia.

 

Actually, you're essentially right. Virginia has 95 counties, but then they have 38 "independent cities" that are given county-equivalency by the Census Bureau. It's essentially as if "Louisville Metro" would turn around and separate from Jefferson County. But yeah:

 

1) Texas - 254

2) Georgia - 159

3) Kentucky - 120

4) Missouri - 115

5) Kansas - 105

6) Illinois - 102

7) North Carolina - 100

8) Iowa - 99

T9) Tennessee - 95

T9) Virginia - 95 (134)

10) Indiana - 92

And I thought I had it tough having to memorize Maryland's 23 counties as a kid.

And I thought I had it tough having to memorize Maryland's 23 counties as a kid.

 

We had to memorize all 120 for my 4th grade social studies class, and had to be able to label any 25 counties out of the 120 on a map. I remember thinking it was the hardest think I'd ever done. As 11 years later in my Calc 3 class in college...what I wouldn't have given to be memorizing county names again.

I remember listening to professors talking about how KY had too many counties for 'modern' times and we needed to consolidate. Not sure that combining three 'poor' counties into 1 helps us in any of these national polls though.

 

The solve, IMO, is recreation. We need to build some massive lakes, ATV parks, etc and draw some tourism to help create jobs.

I remember listening to professors talking about how KY had too many counties for 'modern' times and we needed to consolidate. Not sure that combining three 'poor' counties into 1 helps us in any of these national polls though.

 

I honestly have no idea what real effect it would have on things...but there may or may not be some savings to be made through consolidating government within multiple counties. I know a lot of the counties in Kentucky that don't find themselves anywhere near the bottom of the list for $$ are still running on shoestring budgets. I can only imagine what the county budgets look like in the bottom 10 or so counties. Just thinking about the proposition for consolidation, that would take three county sheriff's departments and combine them into one, three county jails to be run and combine them into one, three county courthouses (with the salaries and staff of somewhere between 4 and 8 judges for each county) and combine them into one, three clerk of courts' offices, three county clerks' offices, three public works offices, three county prosecutors, three PVA offices....

 

Seems like that could make some financial sense.

I honestly have no idea what real effect it would have on things...but there may or may not be some savings to be made through consolidating government within multiple counties. I know a lot of the counties in Kentucky that don't find themselves anywhere near the bottom of the list for $$ are still running on shoestring budgets. I can only imagine what the county budgets look like in the bottom 10 or so counties. Just thinking about the proposition for consolidation, that would take three county sheriff's departments and combine them into one, three county jails to be run and combine them into one, three county courthouses (with the salaries and staff of somewhere between 4 and 8 judges for each county) and combine them into one, three clerk of courts' offices, three county clerks' offices, three public works offices, three county prosecutors, three PVA offices....

 

Seems like that could make some financial sense.

 

Makes perfect sense IF you close the other offices to combine services. My guess is that each would stay open as satellites in the early stages before a change could be made. Could you imagine the debate on which county seat would be the new county seat of a consolidated county government? How would you name them? Combine Bracken, Pendleton and Mason- is Falmouth the county seat because it's central? BracPenMas County?

Growing up in Clay County, I never really knew things were as bad as they were/are portrayed to be. Not saying it was great, not saying it was awful, just saying that growing up there, especially as a kid, I really had no clue. I had an idea that things were different, but not different (if that makes sense).

 

If there's something anyone wants to know my opinion on about it, etc., then feel free to fire away (not that my opinion even matters). If you don't want to ask on here, you can PM me.

My guess is that many of us could share the same thought JW. I do think the internet (thanks to Al Gore, BTW) has made a significant change for those east of the Wall. When we were young, we didn't know what we didn't know. Now every kid has 24x7 access to the world via a laptop, tablet or phone and is much more familiar with the situation they are in compared to others.

Makes perfect sense IF you close the other offices to combine services. My guess is that each would stay open as satellites in the early stages before a change could be made. Could you imagine the debate on which county seat would be the new county seat of a consolidated county government? How would you name them? Combine Bracken, Pendleton and Mason- is Falmouth the county seat because it's central? BracPenMas County?

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I think consolidating counties would be a nightmare to accomplish - particularly because of everything you listed. But yeah, once things were put together and combined, then I think it could very possibly make some good sense.

Didn't realize KY HS football coaches were in charge of assigning counties in the state of KY.