In 1975, 263 low-income Kentucky youths aged 17-19 completed questionnaires about career aspirations according to desired job characteristics and perceived barriers to occupational attainment; the sample (approximately half male, half female) was from an urban inner city area in Fayette County (approximately half black, half white) and the two rural Appalachian counties of Magoffin and Wolfe (all white). Race, sex, and urban/rural differences were analyzed. The three most valued job characteristics were interesting and exciting work (slightly more for girls, blacks, and rural youth), steady employment (no differences), and chance to help other people (more for girls, blacks, and urban respondents). Least important was a chance to become an important person or to be one's own boss; making a lot of money was intermediate. The low-income youth did not seem greatly influenced by barriers to attainment. Lack of good job opportunities was perceived the most serious barrier (higher for girls, rural whites), followed by not enough money to go to college (higher for girls, whites), and leaving family and friends (higher for girls, whites). Other barriers of little perceived importance were lack of job information, race, sex, not smart enough, quality of school attended. Findings should be useful to schools, parents, and youths to suggest gaps in knowledge and perception base of young people. (RS)