[nmnita]

Originally Posted by northbound74

Arkansas' ruralness comes from it's mindset, not it's population per square mile. Even Little Rock and especially its suburbs are full of country folks. Never struck me as the most rural, bet certainly in the top 10 or so in terms of culture. None of this is a put down, just an observation.

Yes, if you look at it from the cultural standpoint you have something. I would add, I lived in Albuquerque 7 years so I have a feeling for both states: they are similar in someways. More small towns and rural living than city living. The educational level is lower than most areas of our country (in fact a few years ago ABQ was number in high school drop outs) and there is a lot of poverty. As well as the negatives both states have a lot of positives. They are both beautiful, have decent weather (NM is better) a relatively low cost of living and people practicing their religion (regardless as to what one it is) more than many states.

Nita

Nita

[hotair2]

Originally Posted by northbound74

Arkansas' ruralness comes from it's mindset, not it's population per square mile. Even Little Rock and especially its suburbs are full of country folks. Never struck me as the most rural, bet certainly in the top 10 or so in terms of culture. None of this is a put down, just an observation.

Rural mindset? I have not idea what that means.

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Yes, if you look at it from the cultural standpoint you have something. I would add, I lived in Albuquerque 7 years so I have a feeling for both states: they are similar in someways. More small towns and rural living than city living. The educational level is lower than most areas of our country (in fact a few years ago ABQ was number in high school drop outs) and there is a lot of poverty. As well as the negatives both states have a lot of positives. They are both beautiful, have decent weather (NM is better) a relatively low cost of living and people practicing their religion (regardless as to what one it is) more than many states.

Nita

Nita

I lived in NM briefly and do recall there being some similarities.

Originally Posted by hotair2

Rural mindset? I have not idea what that means.

When people live in the city, yet spend as much time as possible in the country. They usually have pickup trucks, hunt and fish a lot, avoid crowds, and at least have an appreciation for agriculture, rather than visit museums, take public transit, participate in nightlife, etc. Things like that. A lot of people do both, and not everyone in a town like Little Rock is 'country'. Just a large percentage of them are. Again, not an insult.
A lot of people live in LR because that is where you can find a job in Arkansas. In many of the small towns, you might be in your 30's before you break the $10 an hour barrier.

[barney_rubble]

Population density is not the same thing as rural/urban classification. If a state has 500k people and 490k of those live in one city, I wouldn't characterize the state's population or culture as rural - though its land area might be. On the other hand, a 600k state of the same land area with no cities > 20k population would be much less urban in culture and population despite having greater population density.

Look at Alaska. Half our population lives in cities with over 30k residents despite having such a low population density. Why? Most of that land is empty wilderness. My calculations are pretty sketchy, but it looks to me like the percentage living in cities above 30k is a good deal lower in Arkansas.

[hotair2]

Originally Posted by barney_rubble

Population density is not the same thing as rural/urban classification. If a state has 500k people and 490k of those live in one city, I wouldn't characterize the state's population or culture as rural - though its land area might be. On the other hand, a 600k state of the same land area with no cities > 20k population would be much less urban in culture and population despite having greater population density.

Look at Alaska. Half our population lives in cities with over 30k residents despite having such a low population density. Why? Most of that land is empty wilderness. My calculations are pretty sketchy, but it looks to me like the percentage living in cities above 30k is a good deal lower in Arkansas.

I think you bring up a pretty valid points.

Although I disagree with the other poster, that said that most people that lived in Little Rock have a rural mindset. Not based on my experience.

[barney_rubble]

I think you bring up a pretty valid points.

Although I disagree with the other poster, that said that most people that lived in Little Rock have a rural mindset. Not based on my experience.

A lot of this discussion comes down to how you define "rural". If you are looking for true wilderness, Alaska is the place to be. If you are looking to buy a big plot of farmland without many neighbors, the Dakotas would be worth a look. But if you are trying to decide whether the culture of a given state is dominated by urban or small-town life, population density isn't a very useful guide.

Of course, even if the population of Arkansas as a whole tends to be spread out in small towns that doesn't make Little Rock any less of an urban area.

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by hotair2

I think you bring up a pretty valid points.

Although I disagree with the other poster, that said that most people that lived in Little Rock have a rural mindset. Not based on my experience.

I didn't say most, just a very large percentage of. It could be a majority, but there are many levels of ruralness among those who I think would be considered rural-minded. It's really hard to say exactly how much.

Everyone has different experiences and takes on the issue. I'm just going on the 4 years I lived there as well as other large-ish cities I've lived in, and Little Rock has something of a small-town, rural mindset to it. Not completely and totally, but it is very much prevalent.

Arkansas as a state is very rural. People aren't far removed from agricultural roots. They like their space and prefer to be left alone to a large extent. There are more privacy fences there than in other places I've lived, but of course somebody will come back and say they're everywhere so there's that. I just call it as I see it.
Many of the small towns don't have as strong of a sense of community as you find in other places.
As someone else mentioned, as you drive through the countryside, it's often house after house and business after business out in the middle of 'nowhere' because that's where everybody seems to want to live.

[MORebelWoman]

Originally Posted by northbound74

There are more privacy fences there than in other places I've lived, but of course somebody will come back and say they're everywhere so there's that. I just call it as I see it.

You got that right. You should travel around California, Arizona or New Mexico if you want to see privacy type fences. Actually, what they have are walls everywhere.

On top of that, there is nothing wrong at all at wanting to be left alone and not be bothered by busy body outsiders. Most of the small towns in the Ozarks, includes both AR and MO, have much community about them. You really don't know that much of what you are posting about when it comes to the Ozarks and rural people in AR, or Mo for that matter.

[northbound74]

Originally Posted by MORebelWoman

You got that right. You should travel around California, Arizona or New Mexico if you want to see privacy type fences. Actually, what they have are walls everywhere.

On top of that, there is nothing wrong at all at wanting to be left along and not be bothered by busy body outsiders. Most of the small towns in the Ozarks, includes both AR and MO, have much community about them. You really don't know that much of what you are posting about when it comes to the Ozarks and rural people in AR, or Mo for that matter.

I just call it as I see it. Born and raised in rural/small town Arkansas. Have many relatives in the Ozarks in both AR and MO. Spent lots of time there. Lived in Akansas, Missouri and other parts of the south for 35 years.
Everyone has a different view of it. Also, I meant no insult to those who want to be left alone. I'm that way to an extent, but I also enjoy a more close-knit involved community as well... as long as boundaries are respected.

[hotair2]

Arkansas as a state is very rural. People aren't far removed from agricultural roots. They like their space and prefer to be left alone to a large extent. There are more privacy fences there than in other places I've lived, but of course somebody will come back and say they're everywhere so there's that. I just call it as I see it.
Many of the small towns don't have as strong of a sense of community as you find in other places.
As someone else mentioned, as you drive through the countryside, it's often house after house and business after business out in the middle of 'nowhere' because that's where everybody seems to want to live.[/quote]


I would have to agree with you here. I was raised in the city and always thought moving to a small town would be like it is in the movies. You know walnut festival, corn queen festival etc. etc. Where it was a small tight nit community of people.

That is not the way it is here at all. I can't speak for other small towns, only the ones I am familiar with in Arkansas. They do like their privacy and are not interested as much in community events or the community as a whole.

Contrast that with some of the small towns in Colorado where people got out on the weekends went to the park walked on the sidewalks, closed streets and had market days where you could only walk or ride bikes in whole sections of the city.

Here, it seems that people are either in their house, in the woods, in a chain resturaunt, or in their cars.