Mark Mather, who works for the Population Reference Bureau, is a part of a group who wrote a series of reports about the demographics and socioeconomic changes in Appalachia, drawing from the decennial census and other data. Although their data is from the 1990 and 2000 censuses (and published in 2004), the themes that he brought forth are still important to think about today when looking at family in Appalachia.

When thinking about stereotypical Appalachians, descriptors such as poor and uneducated are the first that come to mind. One would assume that living in poverty would be a huge point of stress and tension within a family, where there is constant instability and worry. I, personally, would think that families in Appalachia are not as solid compared to the rest of the nation simply due to the stressors that are a part of their everyday life to make ends meet. This is not the case, according to Mather; in Appalachia, the average number of families headed by a married couple is 3% higher than in the rest of the nation (76% in the nation, 79% in Appalachia). Instead of pulling families apart, widespread poverty has joined people together and made them stronger. They have had to use bigger networks of both family and friends to help one another out, a point which Jan Rezek reiterates in her work on Appalachian families. This predominant theme of family importance and having a support system to rely on is something that helps people get by daily in Appalachia, and the stereotypes that are forced upon these people are no reflection of how strong their families are.

“The good news is that despite these hardships, families in the Appalachian region have been remarkably resilient. The proportion of married-couple families in Appalachia exceeds the national average. Rates of homeownership in many counties are among the highest in the nation.” -Mark Mather, 4