The geographic area where ACORN is located
is outlined in black on the above map.
It covers 36 counties,
10 of which are designated as distressed counties,
in 3 states all within the ARC region.

* Tennessee counties include;
Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke,
Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock (distressed), Hawkins,
Jefferson, Johnson (distressed), Knox, Loudon, McMinn, Monroe,
Polk, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, and Washington Counties.
Total population for these 23 Tennessee counties
is 1,471,668
with a per capita income average of 16,260,
and average poverty level of 16.4%.

* Kentucky counties include;
Bell, Clay, Leslie, Perry, Knott, Letcher, and Harlan Counties,
all of which are designated as distressed.
Total population for these 7 Kentucky counties
is 169,546
with a per capita income average of $11,252,
and average poverty level 0f 31.9%. 

* Virginia counties include;
Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson (distressed), Russell, and Washington Counties.
Total population for these 6 Virginia counties
is 184,927
with a per capita income average of $14,834, and the average poverty level of 18.2%.
 
The project is housed in Hancock County, Tennessee;
one of the counties ARC considers economically distressed,
with a per capita income of $11,986 (less than half the U.S. average)
and a poverty rate of 29.4% (237.3% of the U.S. average).
The rugged terrain throughout the project region
makes it difficult to attract and keep industry,
and the nationwide problems of small farms are being compounded by
the rapid decline of tobacco farming
– a 65% cut in tobacco allotments in the last 5 years alone
– a key source of income for the region during the last 50 years.

The dearth of industry has also meant that most local economic activity,
including agriculture and forestry industry,
has focused almost exclusively on primary production
with almost no processing of tobacco or timber to create a value-added product
and provide another source of revenue for poor communities.
Small business development is one promising strategy for economic development,
but faces several obstacles:
First, many local residents, working full time low paid jobs in addition to
growing tobacco or raising cattle or making handcrafts,
are reluctant to take the risks involved in starting a small business.

Second, the rugged terrain and widely dispersed communities
exacerbates the problems that rural small businesses have;
of isolation, sourcing, need for legal information, marketing, lack of credibility,
and difficulty integrating technology in their businesses
(according to a survey conducted by Dr. Beth Duncan,
Small Business Specialist, Mississippi State University Extension and reported in April 2003.)