Data from 1961, 1971, and 1973 surveys of households and community "knowledgeables" focused on the subjective assesssments of the quality of life (QOL) of residents of Harlan, Perry, Whitley, and Wolfe counties in Eastern Kentucky, and assessed policy implications. Overall, residents assessed their counties favorably. They rated wages and income, public utilities, and opportunities for post-high school education as most improved aspects of life, and rated schools and churches highly. The situation was perceived as improved for blacks and the poor but not for the old or young. There was growing satisfaction with personal and family life, especially among the younger, better educated, and more affluent town residents. Despite this optimism, there was concern about real income, physical environment, local government, law enforcement, and recreational opportunities. Future hopes and fears centered around economic conditions and health, especially for children. In remarkable agreement with the country as a whole residents saw the QOL of the U.S. increasingly favorably. Their perceptions of the QOL were not very different from the objective QOL and highlighted certain important issues. Buying power, medical care, general administration of welfare programs, and regulation of strip mining must be improved to maintain the subjective QOL of Appalachian Kentucky. (SB)