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I grew up in MA and MD and viewed MD and CT that way. Not New Jersey as it's fairly mixed and some of the most well known places are spots like Camden, Newark and the industrial areas along the Pike in the Northern part of the state. There's obviously a lot more to NJ, including some exceptionally affluent areas (I have extended family in Princeton who live an extremely exclusive neighborhood), but the stereotype I grew up with was dirty and industrial.
I went to college in Maine and everyone seemed to think people in MA were really wealthy which was news to me coming from MA.
California had an air about it too. Probably a lot to do with pop culture, but as a kid I always assumed all of California was a mix of Full House, Clueless, The Brady Bunch, Baywatch, and 90210.
Compared to the average Tennessean the average Massachusetts resident is wealthy.
Compared to the average Tennessean the average Massachusetts resident is wealthy.
MA does rank near the top for income (5 for average household income, 4 for per capita), but I think the fact that so many places close by are either higher (i.e. CT) or close enough (NH, RI, Long Island, NYC, NJ, etc) to not be drastically different makes MA stand out a little less in the Northeast vs compared to states outside of that area.
Yes, though I think some of this "prestige" is misplaced to be honest. If you're wealthy in any state, you'll live the life. But being poor in one state vs. another can be worse at first glance. Still, even here things aren't so simple. Indeed, while MS is a poorer state with fewer resources/lower per capita income than, say, NY, MS also has a significantly lower cost of living than NY has. And, while NY has a higher percentage of wealthy people than MS, I argue that this makes the divide (especially in NYC) be felt all the more in every day life. Indeed, if you're poor in NYC, you have to witness numerous well-to-do people and all of their luxuries everyday, yet have to return to the projects/elsewhere at night where you can only dream of that. On the other hand, things in MS are more spread out (geographically/by income), so the poor can create their own reality without having the same amount wealth in their face but out of reach.
I think most people look at New Mexico as a state that has wide open views and beautiful scenery but I don't think most realize it has a terrible economy and top 5 in almost every negative category ranging from crime, poverty,teen pregnancy, education, and a culture of drug and alcohol abuse.
I think most people look at New Mexico as a state that has wide open views and beautiful scenery but I don't think most realize it has a terrible economy and top 5 in almost every negative category ranging from crime, poverty,teen pregnancy, education, and a culture of drug and alcohol abuse.
Certainly. My state of Colorado is a close cousin of UT (LDS), NM (too Hispanic) and WY (just Cowboys). However, it's always perceived as have much more cache than any of its neighbors. A lot of that is attributable to great branding and high expectations that folks are looking for.
I totally agree on CO. It's a hot brand, and always exacts a premium. Not that it's overrated, but the beauty doesn't stop at the border by any stretch of the imagination. Still, when I lived there, it was always a conversation starter to tell people I was from the state.
And I've got to say, it can be a little insulated. When my wife and I moved to WA, the big question many of our friends from CO asked was, "Why would you leave the mountains?"
Colorado definitely has prestige, but as someone else posted, no state as a "whole", deserves the same amount of prestige. Coming into Colorado from Kansas, looks just like you're still driving in Kansas. I love the mountains, and visited frequently, as my grandparents lived in Colorado Springs...Pikes Peak was right out their living room window. There are a fair number of areas (LaJunta, for example), that aren't at all in the mountains. Unless you've visited Colorado, you think only of the mountains. If you have visited, you know differently.
Certainly. My state of Colorado is a close cousin of UT (LDS), NM (too Hispanic) and WY (just Cowboys). However, it's always perceived as have much more cache than any of its neighbors. A lot of that is attributable to great branding and high expectations that folks are looking for.
Oh yeah. Compared to Wisconsin we are the bees knees.
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