https://nativegardendesigns.wildones.org/whats-my-ecoregion/ is an important reference map that will be used for most states. Yes, it’s geography and not culture-based, but geography is quintessential to the history of the South as a cultural region, so it’s useful in many cases. To use the map, you input a specific location and it will tell you which ecoregion it’s a part of. Unless otherwise specified, it is what I’m referencing. As you’ll see, this is not definitive and there are still debatable areas, this is just a general guide.

ALABAMA - the entire state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, Southwestern Appalachians, or Interior Plateau, it is part of the Upland South. If the location is in the Southeastern Plains or Southern Coastal Plain, it is part of the Deep South.

ARKANSAS - the entire state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the South Central Plains, Mississippi Alluvial Plain, or Mississippi Valley Loess Plains, it is part of the Deep South. However, it may be argued Northeast Arkansas is too far north and should instead be considered part of the “Upper Delta”, one of two smaller subregions I’ll be discussing that is distinctly part of the Lowland South, but is not far south enough to be considered the Deep South. If the location is in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas Valley, Boston Mountains, or Ozark Highlands, it is part of the Upland South.

DELAWARE - no part of the state is culturally Southern. It’s the southern Mid-Atlantic, which is culturally closer to the Northeast than to the South.

FLORIDA - reference map not used here, only part of the state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the Panhandle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_panhandle), it is part of the Deep South. The rest of Florida is “just Florida”, which isn’t really culturally Southern, but closer to Southern than any of the other major regions (Northeast, Midwest, and West).

GEORGIA - the entire state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, or Southwestern Appalachians, it is part of the Upland South. If the location is in the Southeastern Plains or Southern Coastal Plain, it is part of the Deep South.

ILLINOIS - only part of the state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the Driftless Area, Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains, Central Corn Belt Plains, Interior Plateau, or Interior River Valleys and Hills, it is part of the Midwest. If the location is in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, it is part of the Upper Delta discussed above. Potentially, this could also include the extreme southern parts of the Interior River Valleys and Hills on par with the Mississippi Alluvial Plain in latitude.

INDIANA - no part of the state is culturally Southern. This is the Midwest. Rural conservatism is not the same as Southern.

KANSAS - same as Indiana.

KENTUCKY - the entire state is culturally Southern (probably). If the location is in the Southwestern Appalachians, Central Appalachians, Western Allegheny Plateau, Interior Plateau, or Interior River Valleys and Hills, it is part of the Upland South. Potentially, Northern Kentucky is more Midwestern, or whatever West Virginia is. If the location is in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain or Mississippi Valley Loess Plains, it is part of the Upper Delta discussed above. Potentially, this could also include the parts of the Purchase area (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Purchase) in the Interior River Valleys and Hills.

LOUISIANA - the entire state is the Deep South.

MARYLAND (including DC) - same as Delaware.

MISSISSIPPI - the entire state is the Deep South.

MISSOURI - only part of the state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the Ozark Highlands, it is part of the Upland South. Potentially, the northern Ozarks are more Midwestern. If the location is in the Central Irregular Plains, Western Corn Belt Plains, Driftless Area, or Interior River Valleys and Hills, it is part of the Midwest. If the location is in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain or Mississippi Valley Loess Plains, it is part of the Upper Delta discussed above. Potentially, this could also include parts of the Interior River Valleys and Hills around the Bootheel, like Cape Girardeau.

NORTH CAROLINA - the entire state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the Piedmont or Blue Ridge, it is part of the Upland South. If the location is in the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain or Southeastern Plains, it is part of the Deep South. However, it may be argued Northeast North Carolina is too far north and should instead be considered part of the Tidewater, the other smaller subregion I’ll be discussing that is distinctly part of the Lowland South, but is not far south enough to be considered the Deep South.

OHIO - same as Indiana and Kansas.

OKLAHOMA - only part of the state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the High Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Central Great Plains, Flint Hills, Cross Timbers, or Central Irregular Plains, it is part of the Southern Great Plains, which isn’t really culturally Southern, but closer to Southern than any of the other major regions (Northeast, Midwest, and West). If the location is in the East Central Texas Plains, it is debatable as to whether or not this is culturally Southern or part of the Southern Great Plains. If the location is in the South Central Plains, it is culturally Southern, but it’s weird to call any part of Oklahoma the Deep South, and way too small to constitute its own subregion. I would group this region in Oklahoma with the Upland South. If the location is in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas Valley, Boston Mountains, or Ozark Highlands, it is part of the Upland South.

SOUTH CAROLINA - the entire state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the Piedmont or Blue Ridge, it is part of the Upland South. If the location is in the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain, Southeastern Plains, or Southern Coastal Plain, it is part of the Deep South.

TENNESSEE - the entire state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the Southeastern Plains, Mississippi Alluvial Plain, or Mississippi Valley Loess Plains, it is part of the Deep South. However, it may be argued Northwest Tennessee is too far north and should instead be considered part of the Upper Delta discussed above. If the location is in the Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, Southwestern Appalachians, Central Appalachians, or Interior Plateau, it is part of the Upland South.

TEXAS - only part of the state is culturally Southern. If the location is in the Arizona/New Mexico Mountains or Chihuahuan Deserts, it is part of the Southwest, better grouped with the broader West region than the South. Potentially, the rest of West Texas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Texas) is also part of this. If the location is in the High Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Central Great Plains, Cross Timbers, or Edwards Plateau, it is part of the Southern Great Plains, which isn’t really culturally Southern, but closer to Southern than any of the other major regions (Northeast, Midwest, and West). If the location is in the Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, or East Central Texas Plains, it is debatable as to whether or not this is culturally Southern or part of the Southern Great Plains. Several major cities are listed here as debatable, including Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio, so if you were looking for an answer for one of those, I’m sorry. This distinction may be based less on ecoregion. Generally, I would say East Central Texas Plains are closer to the true South, Texas Blackland Prairies are closer to the Plains, and I’m not sure about Southern Texas Plains. However, this is the most contentious area of them all, and I can’t provide a definitive answer. If the location is in the Western Gulf Coastal Plain or South Central Plains, it is part of the Deep South. Potentially, the areas of Texas in the Western Gulf Coastal Plain could constitute their own subregion of the Lowland South similar to the Upper Delta and Tidewater given their large population and distance from the traditional Deep South, but they’re still Southern, at least in my opinion.

VIRGINIA - only part of the state is culturally Southern. Regardless of ecoregion, NoVA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Virginia) is the same as Delaware and Maryland. For the rest: If the location is in the Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, or Central Appalachians, it is part of the Upland South. If the location is in the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain or Southeastern Plains, it is part of the Tidewater discussed above.

WEST VIRGINIA - no part of the state is culturally Southern. It’s Northern Appalachia. It’s debatable which region it’s closest to, but not truly culturally Southern.

Is there any correlation between the hipster look in the south and democratic politics?

So if someone has a man bun, flannel, cutoffs, tats— does that lean one way politically in the American south or does that person just like climbing gyms?

Where does the movie typical "southern lawyer" come from? Also do y'all say law-yer or Loy-er

I stayed in the (northern) south for a while and had a lot of southern friends and by the time I went back up north I had picked up a few phrases. One of them that I’ve only ever heard in the south is “you scared the mess out of me.” Is this uniquely southern or just not a thing where I live?

I have a character who grew up in small-town Mississippi and I also have family who live in the south. What are some things you just can't say or do in the south? Also, if you would like, what are some common terms and phrases?

For example, I have heard that you can't really say "i swear to god" or anything like that

Or where I live in New England, we ca the loquor store the packie, and I'm wonderjng if there are any similar terms.

I live in Ohio, and my mother in law has bounced around the South for about 10 years. She lived in Charleston for a while, now North Carolina (near Duke), and Virginia for a bit. She claims Southerners don’t like Brats, and she can’t hardly find them in the South. I find this a bit hard to believe. So I come to you and ask, are Brats non-existent in the South?

EDIT- Thanks for all the replies. A quick follow up, if you reply to this, let me know if you're from the south, or a transplant. Thanks!

What do yall do for work to survive? It seems like every southern state does not pay good. For example, places like NC that are growing like crazy, how do you survive? Any answers/insight is appreciated.

I’m talking like oddities shops, taxidermy stores, gun ranges, off the wall food spots. Not stuff like the Peach Water Tower more like the museum of death in Nola

I currently live in northern virginia getting my bachelors in history and after getting my degree and working hee for a few years I want to check out the mississippi part of the memphis metro area, if youve been there or live in that general area how is it?

Greetings everyone. Sorry for the extremely late reveal post, I went hiking in Joshua Tree Natl Prk. Polls will also remain open for the remainder of tonight to compensate. Also tomorrow I will post the updated bracket--sorry for falling behind on that.

Tennessee wins the tiebreaker and Louisiana won last round. Here is today's poll: https://forms.gle/aiPhLrGxx7vCw7NW7

And the winner is...dadgummit there was a tie. So today's poll will be a recount.

Click this link to vote: https://forms.gle/uctc7M4UKRWou1MT9

Hello!

Alabama beat Georgia and it progresses to the next round. However, the polls are open for South Carolina versus Tennessee.

Also, I've been failing to open and close the polls within an hour of the promised open time, but whatever.

Click here to vote in South Carolina v. Tennessee.

Hello!

Mississippi won the last round against Arkansas. Today, Georgia is up against Alabama.

VOTE HERE: https://forms.gle/KUc6wCvjQLGwQopU6

Click this link to vote in the first competition in the Most Southern State. Arkansas or Mississippi?

https://forms.gle/pQp6s5gzT1Tj7KsS7

To the theme of March Madness, I’m going to be hosting a Most Southern State bracket, where y’all will be voting through Google Forms.

Voting will begin 9:00 AM EST, and it will close at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be announced the following day. Once the voting for the brackets is done, the semifinals and the finals will occur.

I will be posting my crappy handwritten bracket as it progresses (it looks a little confusing but you’ll get the hang of it)

Here are the participating states, and their respective Google Form links, and the day they will open.

Arkansas v. Mississippi (March 23)

Alabama v. Georgia (March 24)

South Carolina v. Tennessee (March 25)

Florida v. Louisiana (March 26)

North Carolina v. Virginia (March 27)

Kentucky v. West Virginia (March 28)

Semifinal Round 1 (March 29)

Semifinal Round 2 (March 30)

Semifinal Round 3 (March 31)

Semifinal Round 4 (April 1)

Finals (April 2)

Please note I will be on vacation in Joshua Tree, CA, and the polls may open or close a few minutes late.

Happy voting!

Hey I’m planning a move back home to the south. The south is ever changing and some places I’ve visited since I’ve been gone have changed a lot. Doesn’t feel even southern anymore. I have a list of what I’m looking for in a southern city, and I’m hoping some kind folks here could help me out with where to start looking. Also I’ll make a list of cities I was considering but I’m not sure about anymore. Thanks so much for your input!

Not excessively high cost of living.
I’m not rich, I make between $20-23 per hour in my field.. my SO is a realtor/broker but I’m not sure if he’d continue that when we move. He would probably get a part time job on top of social security. Taxes are considered. They can really make or break a place.

Lower crime rate/safe for kids. I still have kids and I’d like to not have to be overly concerned about their well being. So schools that aren’t too dangerous and a community where I don’t need to worry about them every time they walk out the door. I’d like an area where it’s not out of the question to go for a walk in the evening. I’m more concerned about violent crime than anything, but it’d be nice to be able to put holiday decorations in the yard and they not disappear.

Warmish climate. I don’t mind chilly winters but I prefer that if it’s going to snow, then it’s gone fast. I wouldn’t want it to get much lower than freezing, and I’d hope that in the daytime it would be decently above freezing the vast majority of the winter. I don’t mind rainstorms, hurricanes, monsoons, whatever. Just tired of being cold all the time. I’d like to be where the muscadine can grow and I don’t have to shovel. On the other hand I don’t want to fry my phone on the patio table like I did in AZ. I don’t want my flip flop to melt to a metal grate like in NV.

Midsized to small cities are best, as long as they have things to do, especially for kids and teens. My kids are partial to hockey and arcades.. trampoline parks and skate parks. Planetariums. Nice and safe playgrounds. Things of that nature. Me and SO enjoy breweries and walks in nature.. somewhere to play darts.. golf… a fun sports bar to watch the game. A YMCA to work out. A shooting range. Maybe catch a little live entertainment.

If anyone could help us to narrow it down, it would be extremely helpful. Some cities we were looking at:

Raleigh Durham Roanoke Pensacola Huntsville Savannah Virginia Beach Jacksonville Mobile Houston (I know Texas is southern but it doesn’t feel like the same southern I’m accustomed to.. also it’s kinda big if I’m not mistaken)

Thanks so much 👍

So I was having a conversation with this guy online and we started talking about how we and our families make sweet tea,and these are the topics we covered, ratios of sugar, whether we eyeball or measure it, the darkness of the tea, the size of the batch, the amount of sugar used, the kinds of tea leaves used, whether or not the tea leaves were dried and how they were dried, and how his family even has held up a tradition for over 450 years of growing their own tea leaves and making their own sweet tea. The best part is this conversation went strong for about 30 minutes with not even a few minutes between messages and we could have kept going if he didn’t need to sleep and I could tell we both actually loved the conversation and that we were both interested in it. So yeah, I held a conversation about sweet tea for 30 minutes with another southern man and we couldve kept it up for longer too.

Hello, reddit. I don't usually use reddit but I was bored on a Sunday night.

Can I be considered a son of Dixie?

1. Born in NY, but only because my mother was there at the time. She's from Columbus, GA, and her mother is from Whigham.
2. Dad's from Atlanta, and his father's from Ellijay and his mother's from Spalding County.
3. Spent most my life living here in GA. Currently reside just inside the Perimeter.
4. I have an Appalachian accent apparently, but I don't hear it.
5. Still have loads of family in Spalding County and Fannin and Gilmer Counties, but most my mom's family has moved to New England for whatever reason.

I’m in my early 20s from northern Appalachia and after my trip last year to Nashville I could tell that was very touristy and I’d like to visit the real south. Guess I’m looking for a small town in the middle of nowhere with a diner and some good swimming holes maybe some Jeep trails and somewhere to drink. Where should I go?

Dido. Pronounced “Dye-dough.” As in “turn right and then dido up in there…” curious as I just used it and my wife is making fun of me

Hi everyone,

​

I'm from the delta area, and was talking to a friend at work today about a highway/interstate- let's just say I-55 and HWY 80. I referred to these as the 55 and the 80. My friend is from the Northeast and was shocked that I stated "the" in front of these. They stated this was boujee, hah. My family's from Texas originally, and I spent my very early years in parts of TX/AZ/NM so perhaps I picked it up there? Was just curious what all y'all thought and how everyone on here says it.

My husband and I are in our early 30’s looking to cash in on our equity from our pricey Oregon area and are thinking about moving to central Kentucky/Bluegrass region. We are planning our first trip for February. We currently live in a rural county, a few miles outside of the nicest, richest city in our county with a population of 25k. We are within 30 minutes to several similar sized cities/towns with shopping or restaurant options. We have a small several acre property and keep small livestock. My husband and I both own own businesses and work from home. We make around $160k combined per year currently, and would like to steer clear from areas known for drugs or crime as we hope to start a family. We like a country, slower paced, less populated way of life but still like to go out to eat and meet at coffee shops with friends, etc. every now and again and don’t mind driving 30ish minutes to do so. We are mostly homebodies, love walking/hiking, country drives, kayaking, ATVs, we are interested in horses, keeping livestock animals, and love our dogs.

Why we’re attracted to Kentucky:

1. Affordability

2. Land with seemingly decent looking/sized houses with shops and barns (you have to pay around $1m for that in our current area)

3. In the Bluegrass region, properties seem close-ish to the two main cities for entertainment, connections, etc. 

4. 4 seasons

5. Even just a tiny bit of snow? We get get zero now, so any at all would be neat

6. People are nice? We read it’s a highly rated area for “nice” folks. Oregon, not so much...

7. Horses

8. Near lots of different states and areas; the midwest, the south, the east coast 

Things we’re worried about:

1. Humid summers; our summers are 0%

2. Tornadoes! More insight/info on living alongside these would be so helpful

3. Snakes; only ever see the occasional garden snake here now

If anyone has opinions on if Kentucky seems like a good fit for us and has any additional info, education, or insights into anything regarding Kentucky, but also about our concern points, that would be so helpful! Thank you!