What state represents Mainstream America to you? (violent crime, new construction)

[FL_Watch]

I think Michigan. Its suburbs are modernized, it's politics are in the middle and chain restaurants are a very common sight.
One could say Nebraska, as the state is dead-smack in the middle of the country (geographically speaking), but I found Nebraska to be a little behind-the-times in many regards. That is not a bad thing IMO.
So what state do you consider to represent mainstream, modern America the most?

[That_One_Guy]

I have an image in mind when I think of a stereotypical American community. I can't really name a specific State, but these are a few things I think of:

• Somewhere in the MidWest/Middle America, or "The Heartland" (ugh, I really hate that term )
• Somewhat mixed politically, but more right-leaning. Maybe even just plain rightwing
• Almost all white christians — not very diverse at all religiously or ethnically
• Some midsize cities but no very large ones. And ones that are struggling economically + have problems with crime & urban decay
• Suburban sprawl and chains everywhere; Not a lot of originality
• Relatively high obesity rate

I don't have a very positive image in my mind to be honest. At least in my opinion. Some people might like this, and that's fine.

[FL_Watch]

Originally Posted by That_One_Guy

I have an image in mind when I think of a stereotypical American community. I can't really name a specific State, but these are a few things I think of:

• Somewhere in the MidWest/Middle America, or "The Heartland" (ugh, I really hate that term )
• Somewhat mixed politically, but more right-leaning. Maybe even just plain rightwing
• Almost all white christians — not very diverse at all religiously or ethnically
• Some midsize cities but no very large ones. And ones that are struggling economically + have problems with crime & urban decay
• Suburban sprawl and chains everywhere; Not a lot of originality
• Relatively high obesity rate

I don't have a very positive image in my mind to be honest. At least in my opinion. Some people might like this, and that's fine.

Sounds an awful lot like Michigan to me.
Nebraska doesn't have much in the way of urban decay/violent crime, and isn't as suburbanized as some adjacent states (at least no more than, say, Pennsylvania). The third point describes Nebraska fairly well, but I'm not so sure of their obesity rate.

[dude1984]

Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin could be used/interchangeable here.

[2nd trick op]

Ohio -- It has an ethnic mix not fare removed from the nation as a whole, plenty of industry producing a wide range of products, a variety of cities without one becoming dominant, and more agriculture than the public generally recognizes. One other usually-overlooked component is the large contingent of transplanted Southerners in Columbus and Dayton.

I'm posting this from Allentown, which I sometimes think of as the first city where "Middle American" influence begins, but the trait really intensifies once you pass Pittsburgh, Youngstown, and Wheeling.

[Chicagoland60426]

Illinois:

- The most American in terms of the state's racial or ethnic make-up: 61.7%(IL)/61.3%(US) white non-latino, 17%(IL)/17.8%(US) latino, 14.7%(IL)-13.3%(US) Black, 5.5%(IL)/5.7%(US) Asian, 1.9%(IL)/2.6%(US) mixed race.
-Median income and poverty rate is also similar to national average.
- A major city that is considered world class(and the perks that comes with it), but still has a visible blue collar and working class base
- Suburbs anchored by a world class big city, and they come in all types- affluent/upper class, middle class, working/poor, urban, sprawling etc.
-Politically liberal in its big city, but can find pockets that leans more towards the right or are in the middle in the surrounding areas
- Two-thirds of the state live in its largest metropolitan, which is a representative of mainstream America(majority are in a major metropolitan or the largest MSA in the state) .
- Rest of the state is small town America, a few mid-size cities, and more suburbs (Metro East).

[pinebud1111]

Average, plain Jane state: Ohio, although it has a lot of larger cities


State that is the actual center of population: Missouri, although a large portion (Ozark Plateau, Southwestern MO, and the Missouri Delta in SE MO of the state could be considered "Rural Southern," so it wouldn't be as true of a representation of the majority of the country in many regards.


Mainstream being Bright, Shiny, New, suburban developments mixed in with occasional new urbanist developments with lots of fancy new construction, new, distant transients, new job growth, new businesses, and franchises: Depends on local area. States like California, Washington, Colorado, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and (To a degree) Florida seem the most like that with their largest metro areas, California with Los Angeles, San Diego, and SF Bay/Silicon Valley areas, Washington with Seattle, Colorado with Denver and the Front Range, North Carolina with Charlotte and Raleigh Durham areas, Texas with Austin and Greater DFW and San Antonio and Houston areas, Virginia with Northern Virginia Washington Suburbs (although a lot of these aren't that new or shiny), and more or less Florida with Greater Orlando.


Mainstream American being the most quintessentially American (or at least the most like the way most people think of America): California, New Jersey, New York, and Southern New England (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island)

OR

Just New York City and urban Southern New England. The Archetypal Big City East Coast (even though, when you get to the rural areas, they're still Americans, and there's not much else you can tell them apart from Midwesterners, or even some people in the west and South)

[Oraculo]

As an outsider, I think Op is right.

Midwestern states is what most people picture the U.S. like.

Michigan and Wisconsin are good options. Nebraska is way too rural.

[kyle19125]

I would also suggest Ohio. Columbus is often used for marketing studies because it's said to best represent the "average American".

[Justin Scott]

I think Texas represents America well.....bigoted. Florida isn't far behind.....racism and bigotry run rampant in the two states.

California is also a Top 5. Sorry, but being "liberal" and "blue" means nothing if your state is built upon gentrifying areas to the max.