Colt Brogan and his co-worker Crystal Snyder. Communities throughout Appalachia struggle with shrinking populations. As a region, Appalachia is losing people in the prime working years (ages 25 to 64) even as the rest of the country is seeing growth in that demographic, according to a 2018 report from the Appalachian Regional Commission. The latest census figures indicate West Virginia alone lost approximately 10,000 people in the last year and has lost nearly 65,000 people in the last seven. Each year, thousands of Appalachians move away from their hometowns to find opportunities elsewhere. Local leaders often talk about a “brain drain” — referring to young people who get their college degrees and move out of the region to a city with more job opportunities.