For a comprehensive analysis of census Appalachian migration data please see The Social Areas of Cincinnati: An Analysis of Social Needs by Michael E. Maloney and Christopher Auffrey.
Hundreds of thousands of Appalachian migrants and their descendants have established themselves in the Greater Cincinnati area and are part of the social and economic life of the community. Although they are making a positive contribution to the area through their work, culture, and community service, there is still a disproportionately high number of Urban Appalachians who are struggling with issues of poverty and discrimination.
Approximately 34% of Greater Cincinnati is of Appalachian descent. Your family may have been among the three million people to leave the Appalachian region following World War II to seek economic security through factory and other work in the industrial midwest. The Appalachian mountain range runs through 13 states from Mississippi to New York. In Cincinnati, most Urban Appalachians have roots in Kentucky, Tennessee, Eastern Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Please see the Appalachian Regional Commission’s web site for a list of the counties included in the region.