Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 5.13 Tourism and Development
Presentation #1 Title
The Influence of Data and Methodology Changes on the Economic Designation of West Virginia Counties
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Over the past 40 years much of the Appalachian region has seen improvements in economic conditions; however, Appalachian Regional Commission county designations suggest that economic gains have not been uniform across the region. Identifying counties that have successfully improved their economic classification becomes more complex due to inconsistencies in the ARC’s metrics, methodologies, and classification schemes. For example, in 2005 West Virginia had 19 distressed and 34 transitional counties. Under new methodology in 2006 these numbers declined to 15 distressed and 22 transitional counties. Employing older methodology and current data suggests that the number of distressed counties has declined even more dramatically. This research demonstrates how the timeliness of data and changes to ARC methodology have impacted county economic status classifications. We present results for West Virginia counties using the most current data and a uniform methodology to demonstrate how county economic classification has changed over time. Metrics most often contributing to improvement in counties’ economic designations and the implications for ARC programs and policies going forward will be discussed.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Daniel Eades is an Extension specialist in rural economics at West Virginia University (WVU). His uses his skills in community data analysis and economic impact analysis to provide rural community leaders with data for informed development decisions.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Kelly is an Assistant Professor and Community Leadership Development Specialist at West Virginia University Extension Service. Specific areas of interest and expertise include working with community groups to develop teams and leadership through board development, visioning exercises, strategic planning, team building, and project planning.
The Influence of Data and Methodology Changes on the Economic Designation of West Virginia Counties
Corbly Hall 117
Over the past 40 years much of the Appalachian region has seen improvements in economic conditions; however, Appalachian Regional Commission county designations suggest that economic gains have not been uniform across the region. Identifying counties that have successfully improved their economic classification becomes more complex due to inconsistencies in the ARC’s metrics, methodologies, and classification schemes. For example, in 2005 West Virginia had 19 distressed and 34 transitional counties. Under new methodology in 2006 these numbers declined to 15 distressed and 22 transitional counties. Employing older methodology and current data suggests that the number of distressed counties has declined even more dramatically. This research demonstrates how the timeliness of data and changes to ARC methodology have impacted county economic status classifications. We present results for West Virginia counties using the most current data and a uniform methodology to demonstrate how county economic classification has changed over time. Metrics most often contributing to improvement in counties’ economic designations and the implications for ARC programs and policies going forward will be discussed.
