Statistics for the town of Chauncey are indicative of many other places in rural Ohio. Now with a population of 1,067 and a per capita income of $12,052 for the village, thirty-three percent of those under the age of 18 in Chauncey live below the poverty line. The late anthropologist, Oscar Lewis, wrote about the "culture of poverty" and its affect on members of this cultural group.

Historically the coal belt region was economically defined by extractive industries, such as coal, salt, clay, and timber. By 1905, mines were thriving in Chauncey. Due to natural salt resources, Chauncey was hoped to be a major business hub for the Midwest. Since the closing of the salt mines and the shrinking coal industry, the village's job opportunities have dwindled to nothing. Those residents who are employed often drive more than an hour to work and some supplement their income by collecting tin cans or selling drugs.