State where rural folk are kind of sophisticated and not redneck (crime, college)

[Refugee56]

When I travel cross country I get a kick out of how redneck and hick looking most people are in about every small town in America. I see alot of tattoos, beer bellies, bad skin, red neck hats and people that look like Larry the Cable Guy.

Maybe I missed the place or state where small town and rural people are a bit more sophisticated and look more like folks from a middle class suburban area. Where is it?

[Bydand]

I think you missed a lot of places. Although you will see what you expect to see anyplace, so I suspect that you personally will find nothing but hicks and rednecks anyplace that isn't "home."

[Granny Sue]

I think this is just another thread created in insult those who live in rural areas.

[John Shaft]

Didn't you guys know that anyone who doesn't live in a hyper-urban area is a buck-toothed, tabaccy-spittin, in-bred hillbilly who cain't figger out how to speak and dress right?

[Pilot1]

Guess we all just live in "flyover" country.

[JakeDog]

College towns. Resort towns. And other towns, but predominately the first two.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Refugee56

When I travel cross country I get a kick out of how redneck and hick looking most people are in about every small town in America. I see alot of tattoos, beer bellies, bad skin, red neck hats and people that look like Larry the Cable Guy.

Maybe I missed the place or state where small town and rural people are a bit more sophisticated and look more like folks from a middle class suburban area. Where is it?

There are many places like this ALL over the country. I would say its more of a town by town thing. But MANY small country towns have a "sophisticated" feel. Any place that has a college or a tourist draw, art colony, etc. is certainly going to have this. Often these places may have a certain natural feature draw to it to. In the midwest many places like Door County, WI, many other Wisconsin tourist towns, West Michigan beach towns, Galena, IL, Brown County, IN. These are a handful places.

There are lots of places like this in the south I'm sure but less familiar with them.

Also New England and California have a lot of "sophistication" in the rural areas too.

[Chicago60614]

New Hampshire and Vermont come to mind.

Even where I'm from in Iowa the rural factor is a far cry from making everyone redneck or hillbilly. I think Iowa actually has a very educated and "aware" rural population compared to how its sterotype makes the state out to be...

It's towards the top of the list of Americas most educated states, has fairly low levels of crime and outward poverty, and the first in the nation Primary is something that throws Iowans into politics and prompts them to keep up to date on current events, politicians and issues affecting the country at large.

[blueva]

Originally Posted by Refugee56

When I travel cross country I get a kick out of how redneck and hick looking most people are in about every small town in America. I see alot of tattoos, beer bellies, bad skin, red neck hats and people that look like Larry the Cable Guy.

Maybe I missed the place or state where small town and rural people are a bit more sophisticated and look more like folks from a middle class suburban area. Where is it?

Im really tired of this "redneck" stuff. Why do people care? IMO, the word is highly offensive. The same as the "n" word for blacks.

[carolinablue]

i agree, this thread is just about as redneck as the people the poster describes in the original post.