[Explorer]

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you. My son was enrolled in a Johnson Central feeder and we moved out of Eastern Kentucky to Berea due to lack of jobs. There is nothing in the 15th or 14th regions for long term employment besides coal. The city of Pikeville is the only place in true Eastern Kentucky that is trying to get away from coal dependency.

Johnson County is just different.
Here is demographic data for Johnson County.

1980 24,432 39.3%
1990 23,248 −4.8%
2000 23,445 0.8%
2010 23,356 −0.4%

I have no idea what makes this county different than those surrounding it. Proximity to Ashland/Huntington? I dunno. But you can live in that county and work from Ashland to Pikeville essentially. Only job I even knew people moved there for was the prison and that can’t be very many.

Maybe there is better housing in Johnson County than neighboring counties. Certainly better water than neighboring Martin. Either way the population has virtually went unchanged for 40 years. Current population projections show 22,978. Pikeville has the university and hositpal for jobs. I’d expect Pikeville Ind. to jump to 2a in 2023 alignment.