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Of course, North Carolina has a much higher percentage of transplants than Kentucky, and it just so happens that many transplants in North Carolina are originally from places that I consider to be culturally distant from the South (e.g., California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, etc.).
In addition to having more transplants, North Carolina has more international influence than Kentucky due to North Carolina's significantly higher percentage of immigrants. If your organization maintains an office or operation in North Carolina, you will find that many of the employees are immigrants or transplants, similar to Florida or Virginia.
I imagine that most of the non-Southern transplants in Kentucky hail from nearby states, such as Indiana, Missouri and Ohio, for example, and may even have "Kentucky parentage" due to the Great Migration. This translates to less cultural distance.
On the other hand, Cuban-Americans from Florida and Italian-Americans from Connecticut or New Jersey (i.e., the average transplant in North Carolina) do not have "Kentucky parentage" and are typically Catholic or Jewish by religious affiliation, not Southern Baptist. Therefore, transplants in North Carolina are often "easier to spot" and can be ignorant to Southern cultural norms, which, of course, creates abrasion.
Hard to believe that at one point, Kentucky was on about the same level as Maryland in terms of overall southerness (and technically both are still "border south" states). MD of course got invaded by transplants much earlier than NC did, and obviously today, its southern feel is much lower than Kentucky's. But NC is a decent sized state, and when you get outside of the "hot" spots, its at least, if not more southern than anything you'll see in KY. Speaking of which, on a recent episode of The Price Is Right which offered a trip to Asheville, bluegrass-style background music was used during the trip description. NC of course is the headquarters of NASCAR and has more of a megachurch culture than KY, both of which are much more in tune with the modern south. Plus, a good chunk of NC is in the sunbelt whereas almost none of KY is part of the sunbelt climatically and developmentally. Some of my Gen-X cousins whose father was born/raised in Baltimore grew up in Hudson, NC (about an hour north of Charlotte) and have a noticeably thicker accent than most of the Marylanders in my family.
Keep in mind that the South has considerably outperformed the Midwest in terms of growth over the past 50 years, and Kentucky's growth is more in line with its northern neighbors. Politically, the South as a whole as be trending more purple/blue (like NC) whereas the Midwest has been trending more purple/red (like KY). I'd say Kentucky is closer to a Virginia-level of southerness than NC nowadays despite all of the economic development. Heck, a lot of northern cultural touchstones like the NYC/Boston accent isn't as prominent as it once was.
So many errors in this I don’t know where to begin. Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee are leaning purple and blue now? Interesting lol. In addition, none of the aforementioned States are growing dramatically.
Kentucky’s weather/climate is nearly identical to Tennessee, is Tennessee not Southern?
Kentucky does have Midwestern influences but not to the effect that it changes its solid Southern feel. Many people assume KY is just like Indiana or Ohio and this could not be further from the truth of one actually spends time in KY to see for themselves.
Maryland has not really been considered a Southern State in the same way that Kentucky has. North Carolina is less Southern than KY in 2021.
I understand what you’re saying and agree, and will add that transplants do not make a place less Southern, but due to such a large influx of people into the South Atlantic States, like NC, does make Kentucky feel more Southern. KY has had slow growth and has retained a lot of its original culture.
I don't think the South is monolithic, And I think some people have issue accepting the diversity of the south. To Answer there are different ”Southern” , especially given context of how large the South is geography wise. in reality saying southern is just as broad as going "Northern" which combines the Northeast and Midwest. So it's not more Southern but a different southern.
KY is more central Southern
NC is more South Atlantic Southern
NC gaining transplants don't make it less Southern in the South Atlantic because gaining transplants is a very Southern thing itself to the South Atlantic.
The Midwest is trending red because, as of 2021, most people who live there are now third- or fourth-generation Americans. This phenomenon is particularly true in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. Sociocultural research indicates that, the longer a person's family has resided in the United States, the more conservative and traditional he/she likely is.
The Midwest is trending red because, as of 2021, most people who live there are now third- or fourth-generation Americans. This phenomenon is particularly true in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. Sociocultural research indicates that, the longer a person's family has resided in the United States, the more conservative and traditional he/she likely is.
It has more to do with the fact that none of those states are getting much in-migration from the US and very little immigration. A slow increasing population in percentage terms, and a rapidly aging population with very slow economic growth tends to have more conservative voting patterns. Missouri is another example of this.
It has more to do with the fact that none of those states are getting much in-migration from the US and very little immigration. A slow increasing population in percentage terms, and a rapidly aging population with very slow economic growth tends to have more conservative voting patterns. Missouri is another example of this.
Missouri, especially in the Kansas City area, still feels economically healthier, as well as more endogenous, than your beloved New Hampshire, dear.
Kentucky wins. NC really does feel like a cultural transition zone while (northern) KY is transitional mostly in appearance only. I’m in Kentucky often, and to me it is every bit as southern as Tennessee. If NC is more southern than KY, then by default it has to be more southern than TN as well. Let that sink in for a moment.
Missouri, especially in the Kansas City area, still feels economically healthier, as well as more endogenous, than your beloved New Hampshire, dear.
It really isn't very dynamic at all relative to faster growing areas of the country, KC is very insular for the most part and the majority of residents dislike any change. You really have two areas of the country demographically. The faster growth and dynamic areas of the Sunbelt (population and economic), and mostly static northern areas of the US (with a few notable faster growing exceptions)
Regarding New Hampshire, it is growing in population only through migration as it has more deaths than births, however, 16 states are losing population now.
"While New Hampshire’s gain from 2019 to 2020 was small — about 5,500 people — compared with growth in the South and West, it is somewhat surprising given that 16 states lost population last year and the overall growth rate for the U.S. was the lowest in at least 120 years, said Kenneth Johnson, senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire’s Carsey School of Public Policy.
“It’s impressive in a sense that the state is still experiencing growth at a time when so many other states aren’t,” he said.
Johnson’s past research has shown that recent migration gains were greatest among young adults. That helps offset the mortality rate among older residents at a time when the three northern New England states have the oldest median ages in the country.
“They’re all facing essentially the same problem. New Hampshire’s big advantage is that it continues to get migrants into the state,” Johnson said."
Kentucky wins. NC really does feel like a cultural transition zone while (northern) KY is transitional mostly in appearance only. I’m in Kentucky often, and to me it is every bit as southern as Tennessee. If NC is more southern than KY, then by default it has to be more southern than TN as well. Let that sink in for a moment.
So we're using the Transitive Property of "Southerness" based on how your opinion of what you've seen in Kentucky...and having an "aha moment"?
On the other hand, Cuban-Americans from Florida and Italian-Americans from Connecticut or New Jersey (i.e., the average transplant in North Carolina) do not have "Kentucky parentage" and are typically Catholic or Jewish by religious affiliation, not Southern Baptist. Therefore, transplants in North Carolina are often "easier to spot" and can be ignorant to Southern cultural norms, which, of course, creates abrasion.
Surprisingly, Kentucky and North Carolina have about the same number of Cuban residents. This means they make up a noticeably higher share of Kentucky residents, per capita, given the state's much smaller population. There is a large community in the Louisville area. So there are some exceptions to the general pattern of Kentucky being culturally homogeneous.
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