Since the Delta was used as a reference I looked for some data. I believe this is a bit outdated so the poverty levels have probably increased given the national rate is now over 14%.
http://www.deltadirections.org/delta_re ... index.htmlIn the Mississippi Delta poverty levels are significantly higher than national averages (18.5% in the Delta vs. 13.2% nationwide).
Mississippi ranked 50th among all US states with regard to income in 2001; Coahoma County per capita personal income was $19,041 in 2000.
Failure of the educational system (de facto segregation: private white schools and black public schools) with African American children receiving poor or virtually no education; low level of literacy (69% of the population are between 0 and 44 years of age, with approximately 40% of school age).
Lack of job skills beyond those required for basic manual labor.
Decreasing agricultural jobs with farm mechanization; loss of small farms.
Decreasing manufacturing jobs with factories moving to other countries such as Mexico or work moving to China with NAFTA or globalization of trade.
In 2005, the RN shortage in the Delta community was 23.4%, whereas the average shortage in the US was approximately 13%.