What is the most culturally unique of the lower 48 states?

[TDAS04]

Among all the 50 states, Hawaii is clearly #1, and Alaska #2.  What is the most unique among the rest of the states?

[I’m not Stu]

Louisiana.

[Catalyst138]

The state with a unique religion that’s more or less exclusive to them.

[gerritcole]

WV

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

Louisiana has a large dialect/langauge of its own and its own judicial system. Not to mention one of a few states (New Mexico included) to have a significant settlement by another nation. The Mormon church is a strong influence on Utah, but it’s more an exaggeration of trends already present in America, not oje with an entirely unique heritage

[Tartarus Sauce]

Definitely Utah.

[VPH]

Of the ones listed, Utah followed by Louisiana. Vermont in third, because it's such an interesting mix. Rural, very white, pro-gun, but more educated and secular than most of rural America. In politics, it has a deep commitment to local democracy (town meeting structure) and a penchant for ticket splitting.

[Skill and Chance]

New Mexico because the cultural uniqueness extends to the population centers.  While the ancestrally French speaking rural areas of LA really stand out, modern New Orleans fits pretty well into the generic warm artsy party city category with Las Vegas, Miami, parts of Los Angeles, etc.   

[Sol]

Utah is culturally distinct but in a way which is very 'American' -- a lot of Mormonism is the embrace of traditional white American Anglo culture. Plus there are very similar areas to Utah in Idaho and to a lesser extent Nevada and Arizona.

Louisiana is probably the most distinctive historically, but there has been a strong degree of assimilation which makes it a good bit closer to the American 'average.'

With that in mind, it has to be NM IMO.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Unique doesn't mean interesting.
Utah

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

Louisiana is probably the most distinctive historically, but there has been a strong degree of assimilation which makes it a good bit closer to the American 'average.'

And north Louisiana is actually more like a traditional Deep South state...it’s mostly the southern part of the state that makes it distinct.

[TDAS04]

I think people are underestimating New Mexico’s uniqueness.  Or did they just think it wasn’t a state?

New Mexico has a unique dialect of Spanish, with remnants of 16th century Spain.  Unlike other states in the region, the large Hispanic population is nothing new—Arizona rejected joint statehood with New Mexico because NM had so many Spanish people.  In addition to being the most Hispanic state, NM has the second heighest percentage of indigenous people (behind only Alaska), and the Spanish and Native American cultures intermingled for centuries, before Anglo-Americans added to the mix.  During the 1970s, New Mexico attracted quite a few counterculture-type settlers, making the state somewhat like a more exotic Vermont or Oregon.

[jimrtex]

I think people are underestimating New Mexico’s uniqueness.  Or did they just think it wasn’t a state?

New Mexico has a unique dialect of Spanish, with remnants of 16th century Spain.  Unlike other states in the region, the large Hispanic population is nothing new—Arizona rejected joint statehood with New Mexico because NM had so many Spanish people.  In addition to being the most Hispanic state, NM has the second heighest percentage of indigenous people (behind only Alaska), and the Spanish and Native American cultures intermingled for centuries, before Anglo-Americans added to the mix.  During the 1970s, New Mexico attracted quite a few counterculture-type settlers, making the state somewhat like a more exotic Vermont or Oregon.

Plus Little Texas.

[Brittain33]

How unique can Utah be with Idaho having a large Mormon minority and its own branch of BYU?

I suppose Idaho electing LDS senators is like Colorado electing Other Spanish senators next to New Mexico.

[If my soul was made of stone]

How unique can Utah be with Idaho having a large Mormon minority and its own branch of BYU?

Utah doesn't have the same backwoods skinhead country as Idaho, or any of the other cultural regions that the other states with significant Mormon populations do that make them more aligned with their neighbors.

[Non Swing Voter]

Louisiana was going to be my response before seeing it listed on the poll.

It has retained so much French culture that it's clearly unique to the South, which is a region that's fairly unique to the rest of the country to begin with, though less so now that it's growing. 

Louisiana's legal system is also the most unique in the country: https://www.bloomlegal.com/blog/what-is-unique-about-louisiana-law/

[WMS]

I think people are underestimating New Mexico’s uniqueness.  Or did they just think it wasn’t a state?

New Mexico has a unique dialect of Spanish, with remnants of 16th century Spain.  Unlike other states in the region, the large Hispanic population is nothing new—Arizona rejected joint statehood with New Mexico because NM had so many Spanish people.  In addition to being the most Hispanic state, NM has the second heighest percentage of indigenous people (behind only Alaska), and the Spanish and Native American cultures intermingled for centuries, before Anglo-Americans added to the mix.  During the 1970s, New Mexico attracted quite a few counterculture-type settlers, making the state somewhat like a more exotic Vermont or Oregon.

The part in bold is the key to the most unique ranking NM rightfully should have. There is nothing quite like the Spanish Hispanics, the Pueblo Natives, or the mix of the two. And that is before you add in everybody else mentioned as well. Plus, NM does Third World Poverty with style!

[Kevin]

Cop out would be they are all unique in their own way. More detailed imo would be any of the southern states, hence the quip “America’s attic.”

However narrow it down I’d have to say Louisiana for obvious reasons.

Followed by North Carolina which has not only traditional white Protestant and black populations but one of the largest Native American numbers of any state in the country. While the more urban areas like the research triangle etc have more recent immigrant groups like Indians, Arabs, Africans etc. NC also has fast growing and very diverse Hispanic populations. Along with what I read (somewhere) the largest mixed race/cultural groups in the country.

In some isolated communities along the state’s coastal area it’s still certainly possible to find people who speak in an English accent in the old Elizabethan form. Or the descendants of former slaves who still somehow have retained a West African influenced form of English.

[Sol]

Followed by North Carolina which has not only traditional white Protestant and black populations but one of the largest Native American numbers of any state in the country. While the more urban areas like the research triangle etc have more recent immigrant groups like Indians, Arabs, Africans etc. NC also has fast growing and very diverse Hispanic populations. Along with what I read (somewhere) the largest mixed race/cultural groups in the country.

Aside from the Lumbee community, this is true of any fast-growing southern state.

In some isolated communities along the state’s coastal area it’s still certainly possible to find people who speak in an English accent in the old Elizabethan form. Or the descendants of former slaves who still somehow have retained a West African influenced form of English.

Neither of these are accurate--the "Hoi Toider" accent is distinct but not Elizabethan, while Gullah is not traditionally spoken in North Carolina except very marginally in the far Southeast---it's much more of a Lowcountry SC thing.

[If my soul was made of stone]

In some isolated communities along the state’s coastal area it’s still certainly possible to find people who speak in an English accent in the old Elizabethan form. Or the descendants of former slaves who still somehow have retained a West African influenced form of English.

Neither of these are accurate--the "Hoi Toider" accent is distinct but not Elizabethan, while Gullah is not traditionally spoken in North Carolina except very marginally in the far Southeast---it's much more of a Lowcountry SC thing.

The Hoi Toider accent also exists in pockets of Virginia and Maryland, famously Tangier Island in the former and Smith Island in the latter.

[Burke Bro]

Although Louisiana and Utah are respectable contenders, I have to agree with the majority on this one. Anyone who’s been to Santa Fe will tell you that the architectural style, food, culture, ethnic diversity, etc. is really beautiful and unlike anything else you’ll find in the other lower 48 states. 

[beesley]

I think New Mexico, but they've all got a unique charm for me.