Which Southern states are most "culturally Southern?"

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

"Culturally Southern" being defined as any state which has retained its Southern character. This automatically excludes Maryland, Delaware, and Missouri. Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, and even Tennessee as they have enough transplants and/or cultural influence from other states or countries that they probably aren't "fully Southern" today for the purposes of this poll. Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and probably Oklahoma, Louisiana, and West Virginia make the cut. I'm waffling on Kentucky, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to rank Kentucky as culturally Southern but not Tennessee. Of course, you could argue that Kentucky has enough influence from the Cinci metro area to not be.

Giving us this strange map:

[vitoNova]

As an adopted Virginian, I'm un-reconstructed by the Grace of God.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

As an adopted Virginian, I'm un-reconstructed by the Grace of God.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

As an adopted Virginian, I'm un-reconstructed by the Grace of God.

Yeah, I moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina (therefore making NC my "adopted state"--I don't know if vitoNova meant it in that sense or if he was born in DC or something, adopted by Virginians, and lived there ever since) and I find this very cringe. I'm "unreconstructed" when it comes to fried chicken franchises and a carpetbagger when it comes to just about anything else.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

As an adopted Virginian, I'm un-reconstructed by the Grace of God.

Yeah, I moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina (therefore making NC my "adopted state"--I don't know if vitoNova meant it in that sense or if he was born in DC or something, adopted by Virginians, and lived there ever since) and I find this very cringe. I'm "unreconstructed" when it comes to fried chicken franchises and a carpetbagger when it comes to just about anything else.

Same. And colored greens.

[TDAS04]

1. Mississippi
2. Alabama

3. South Carolina

4. Louisiana
5. Georgia

6. Arkansas
7. Tennessee
8. North Carolina

Ranking the rest is trickier.

[Sol]

Georgia would be perfect except for Atlanta. Alabama is the closest Southern state to the archetype imo.

That said, if you wanted to find a southern state which is "closest to the average southern state," South Carolina is a good candidate, though it's a bit too lowland.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Alabama is the closest Southern state to the archetype imo.

Furnace Fest is part of the Southern archetype?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

IN, IA, OH ARE PART OF RED WALL

[Samof94]

Where does Louisiana falll?

[ꙮ]

Oregon

[Del Tachi]

Mississippi is the canonical answer, followed by AL/SC.  #3 is GA, who is followed closely by AR/LA.  I would then move on to VA/NC before finishing with AR/TN/KY.

Where does Louisiana falll?

Louisiana is very much its own thing, and it defies regionalization due to the heavy influence of French/Cajun ancestries and culture.  New Orleans still yet is something entirely distinct within Louisiana.  Most of the state north of I-10 corridor is like Mississippi, though. 

South Louisiana matters much more in terms of population/economy than North Louisiana, too.  About 40% of Louisiana lives in a restricted definition of "South Louisiana" of only Lake Charles, Lafayette, GNO (Southshore) and points south.

[vitoNova]

As an adopted Virginian, I'm un-reconstructed by the Grace of God.

Yeah, I moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina (therefore making NC my "adopted state"--I don't know if vitoNova meant it in that sense or if he was born in DC or something, adopted by Virginians, and lived there ever since) and I find this very cringe. I'm "unreconstructed" when it comes to fried chicken franchises and a carpetbagger when it comes to just about anything else.

Same. And colored greens.

Collard greens. 🤣

Don’t worry bruh. 

I still think “chicken and waffles” is weird AF when I first moved here, and still think that’s disgusting fat-body food, but I still have to adapt to Southern Soul Culture Atlantic food, just as I had to adopt to Maryland blue crabs and Old Bay seasoning

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

As an adopted Virginian, I'm un-reconstructed by the Grace of God.

Yeah, I moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina (therefore making NC my "adopted state"--I don't know if vitoNova meant it in that sense or if he was born in DC or something, adopted by Virginians, and lived there ever since) and I find this very cringe. I'm "unreconstructed" when it comes to fried chicken franchises and a carpetbagger when it comes to just about anything else.

Same. And colored greens.

Collard greens. 🤣

That doesn't make much sense. You don't call them collard people, that's offensive.

[RINO Tom]

I’ve always thought Mississippi and Alabama are in a category of their own.  Other clearly Southern states have significant cultural inputs beyond “mainstream Southern” such as the French/Catholic aspect in Louisiana, the Appalachian aspect in Tennessee, a generally different coastal vibe in the Carolinas, etc.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

The only absolutely obvious part is that Mississippi and Alabama are #1 and #2 (I'd go MS #1).  Beyond that, different people can arrive at different rankings depending on what they prioritize.

Ranking the SEC states plus NC, VA, and WV (with breaks where there's a clear gap):

Ultra Southern:
#1 Mississippi
#2 Alabama
------------------
Southern:
#3 South Carolina
#4 Georgia
#5 Arkansas
#6 Tennessee
#7 Louisiana
------------------
Peripherally Southern:
#8 Texas
#9 Oklahoma
#10 Kentucky
#11 North Carolina
#12 West Virginia
-------------------
Questionably Southern:
#13 Florida
#14 Virginia
#15 Missouri

The next tier would be Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, and maybe IN/OH/KS, which all have bits of Southern influence in portions of the states, but are far away from even being debatably Southern as a whole.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

I'm surprised to see Oklahoma have so few votes. I excluded Tennessee and South Carolina in mine because they're popular retirement destinations for snowbirds. Tennessee also more than pulls its weight in the entertainment scene, as does Georgia. I agree that Mississippi and Alabama are the two most obvious.

[RINO Tom]

The only absolutely obvious part is that Mississippi and Alabama are #1 and #2 (I'd go MS #1).  Beyond that, different people can arrive at different rankings depending on what they prioritize...

Sometimes an outsider's perspective can be useful, so here it goes.  As a Midwesterner, I always have the perception that Alabama is #1 and Mississippi is #2.  I think a lot of people I know would associate Alabama is the most "quintessentially" Southern - whether that's because of the Tide, Sweet Home Alabama or whatever other reason.  I mean this as a compliment to Mississippi, but it seems to have a bit more unique of a culture than "generically and stereotypically culturally Southern" when compared to Alabama.

OT, but this made me want to look at "the most culturally Midwestern" states in my opinion, too:



MIDWEST: States that I would include, on a statewide basis, to comprise the Midwest.
- 100%: Illinois and Iowa.  Quintessentially Midwestern and nothing else.  Yes, Southern Illinois feels pretty Southern, but 90% of the state population is above Effingham.
- 90%: Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Also VERY clearly Midwestern, but unique enough as the "Upper Midwest" to often be described that way and thought of as different.
- 70%: Indiana.  Clearly Midwestern, but there are weird subtleties.  My sister lived there for years and always said they liked to pick and choose their regional affiliation on a whim - sometimes they like to emphasize that they use Eastern Time, sometimes they like to say they're more Southern than the rest of the Midwest, etc.
- 50%: Ohio and Michigan.  While very clearly the Midwest, they represent our eastern flank and therefore have other influences culturally.
- 40%: The Great Plains.  The eastern parts of these states are culturally identical to Iowa or Minnesota, IMO ... but the west really starts to feel culturally distinct.
- 30%: Missouri.  St. Louis is like a SLIGHTLY Southern take on Illinois.  Northern MO is like a slightly Southern take on Iowa.  Kansas City is like a generically Midwestern take on the Great Plains.  Southern MO is very similar to Arkansas.  Missouri is best categorized as the Midwest as a whole, but man ... it's a unique state and truly a bit of a crossroads, IMO.

SOUTH: States I would say are clearly better categorized as being Southern vs. Midwestern, but they don't fit perfectly there either.
- 30%: Kentucky.  This one is hard because it really shouldn't be thought of as that much different than Missouri (i.e., a Border State that stayed loyal to the Union), but it just feels a bit more Southern.  It could be that it's an SEC school or the decidedly non-Midwestern vibe of the Kentucky Derby, but I would really hesitate to call Kentucky the Midwest.  However, I acknowledge it really barely seems like part of the South, too.
- 40%: Oklahoma.  Oklahoma is maybe even more culturally Southern than even Kentucky, IMO.  I get that (along with Texas) it represents a uniquely "Western" version of the South, but I think if any two regions are to claim it, it's one of those two ... not the Midwest.  When Baptists outnumber all Mainline Protestant groups put together, you have DEFINITELY left the Midwest.
- 60%: West Virginia.  I know it got its start from breaking away from the CSA, but I don't know how anyone could say someone from West Virginia has more in common culturally with someone from Illinois than someone from Tennessee.

NORTHEAST: States that are very clearly Northeastern but have pockets that seem culturally more tied to nearby Midwestern states.  I usually don't like the idea that "Rust Belt" = Midwest and find it to be pretty lazy, but I do appreciate that places like Buffalo really do seem culturally Midwestern.  In fact, I would argue Buffalo is more Midwestern than anywhere in Pennsylvania.

[TDAS04]

I just realized that your map is a bit similar to this map I posted a few years ago:

My map showed the states with the highest per capita rate of corporal punishment in public schools (percentage of school kids hit). It's still legal in every Southern state, save VA & WV, but the concentration of its use in a cluster of states in and around Mississippi is striking.

[Mr. Illini]

Dark green - the Deep South
Mid green - also the South
Light green - disputed, maybe the South

[Gass3268]

The only absolutely obvious part is that Mississippi and Alabama are #1 and #2 (I'd go MS #1).  Beyond that, different people can arrive at different rankings depending on what they prioritize...

Sometimes an outsider's perspective can be useful, so here it goes.  As a Midwesterner, I always have the perception that Alabama is #1 and Mississippi is #2.  I think a lot of people I know would associate Alabama is the most "quintessentially" Southern - whether that's because of the Tide, Sweet Home Alabama or whatever other reason.  I mean this as a compliment to Mississippi, but it seems to have a bit more unique of a culture than "generically and stereotypically culturally Southern" when compared to Alabama.

OT, but this made me want to look at "the most culturally Midwestern" states in my opinion, too:



MIDWEST: States that I would include, on a statewide basis, to comprise the Midwest.
- 100%: Illinois and Iowa.  Quintessentially Midwestern and nothing else.  Yes, Southern Illinois feels pretty Southern, but 90% of the state population is above Effingham.
- 90%: Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Also VERY clearly Midwestern, but unique enough as the "Upper Midwest" to often be described that way and thought of as different.
- 70%: Indiana.  Clearly Midwestern, but there are weird subtleties.  My sister lived there for years and always said they liked to pick and choose their regional affiliation on a whim - sometimes they like to emphasize that they use Eastern Time, sometimes they like to say they're more Southern than the rest of the Midwest, etc.
- 50%: Ohio and Michigan.  While very clearly the Midwest, they represent our eastern flank and therefore have other influences culturally.
- 40%: The Great Plains.  The eastern parts of these states are culturally identical to Iowa or Minnesota, IMO ... but the west really starts to feel culturally distinct.
- 30%: Missouri.  St. Louis is like a SLIGHTLY Southern take on Illinois.  Northern MO is like a slightly Southern take on Iowa.  Kansas City is like a generically Midwestern take on the Great Plains.  Southern MO is very similar to Arkansas.  Missouri is best categorized as the Midwest as a whole, but man ... it's a unique state and truly a bit of a crossroads, IMO.

SOUTH: States I would say are clearly better categorized as being Southern vs. Midwestern, but they don't fit perfectly there either.
- 30%: Kentucky.  This one is hard because it really shouldn't be thought of as that much different than Missouri (i.e., a Border State that stayed loyal to the Union), but it just feels a bit more Southern.  It could be that it's an SEC school or the decidedly non-Midwestern vibe of the Kentucky Derby, but I would really hesitate to call Kentucky the Midwest.  However, I acknowledge it really barely seems like part of the South, too.
- 40%: Oklahoma.  Oklahoma is maybe even more culturally Southern than even Kentucky, IMO.  I get that (along with Texas) it represents a uniquely "Western" version of the South, but I think if any two regions are to claim it, it's one of those two ... not the Midwest.  When Baptists outnumber all Mainline Protestant groups put together, you have DEFINITELY left the Midwest.
- 60%: West Virginia.  I know it got its start from breaking away from the CSA, but I don't know how anyone could say someone from West Virginia has more in common culturally with someone from Illinois than someone from Tennessee.

NORTHEAST: States that are very clearly Northeastern but have pockets that seem culturally more tied to nearby Midwestern states.  I usually don't like the idea that "Rust Belt" = Midwest and find it to be pretty lazy, but I do appreciate that places like Buffalo really do seem culturally Midwestern.  In fact, I would argue Buffalo is more Midwestern than anywhere in Pennsylvania.

West Virginia is more Northeastern (in an Appalachian/Western PA sense) than Midwestern.

[pikachu]

...

From an outside perspective (though I did live in Ohio for one year!), Sol's comment about Georgia tracks with how I feel about Illinois when it comes to this. By virtue of being the de facto capital region, Chicago feels deeply Midwestern, but being the capital also ends up making it so different that it doesn't feel like the quintessential Midwestern city. And by virtue of Chicagoland dominating Illinois so much, it makes it hard for me to consider Illinois to be the quintessential Midwestern state.

I lean towards Wisconsin because it feels like it has everything - it has the lake, it has a lot of agriculture, it has the postindustrial city, it has the classic Big Ten school, the progressive and consevative traditions seem equally matched, etc.

I don't think there's a strong enough Northeastern regional identity for there to be one quintessential state - all the NE corridor metro areas feel way too antagonistic towards each other. New York comes closest to fitting the bill because it has a bit of everything, but it also falls into the Georgia/Illinois problem of being too dominated by the 'capital' but even more so since NYC is NYC.

[Alben Barkley]

Voted Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

Those states, to me, have throughout time been the most consistently and staunchly "Southern" in every sense of the word.