‘Eastern KY is very poor, and with the loss of coal employment getting poorer. A whole lot of public assistance.”
This was true when coal was selling well. It takes far, far fewer people to do coal mining per ton than it once did. And out west, even less. With no infrastructure to speak of, there simply is no reason to open a business or live there. Sad, but true.
Some pretty country, and cheap land. Those are reasons to live there. Neither of them help the locals much, though.
You are correct regarding automation. And it will only get worse in the next 20 years. McDonald’s will get rid of $15 per hour cashiers and install kiosks.