Top 3 Most Significant States for Each Region

[Carmelo Sanantonio]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Southern Illinois. Sometimes called mid-south, perhaps a better term.

Also, why Virginia over Maryland for Mid-Atlantic?

[lordwillin02]

North: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts
Mid-Atlantic: Maryland, Pennsylvania, rest are meh
South: North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia
Midwest: Illinois, Ohio... Michigan?
West: i have no idea haha

[g500]

I'll do 4 for each category

Northeast, South, West, Midwest

NE - New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts
Cities: NYC, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston

S - Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina
Cities: Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta

MW - Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee
Cities: Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Louis

W - California, Arizona, Washington, Colorado
Cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Carmelo Sanantonio

Also, why Virginia over Maryland for Mid-Atlantic?

I think Virginia over Maryland for two important reasons, and one less important reason. The less important is the Virginia coast covers more area than Maryland. The more important reasons are 1) Virginia is a larger State in population and land area and has more large metro areas, excluding the DC suburbs. 2) Virginia is more important to DC than Maryland, with more suburban population, more suburban development, Reagan National Airport, Dulles International Airport, The Pentagon, and a general feel that is it an important part of the Capitol.

[g500]

Whoops, Tennessee is South so switch it with Minnesota.


Also the West should be switched in my list (not the cities but states) to CA, WA, AZ, CO. Didn't realize how massive WA's economy is.

[ABQalex]

I'm going by the official Census Bureau designations for regions of the United States.

Northeast:

States - New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey

Cities - New York City, Boston, Philadelphia


South:

States - Texas, Florida, North Carolina

Cities - Atlanta, Houston, Miami


Midwest:

States - Ohio, Illinois, Michigan

Cities - Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul


West:

States - California, Washington, Colorado

Cities - Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle


I have excluded Washington, DC from this list because it is the nation's capital and not within a state, but I believe it is above Atlanta and the other cities in the South in terms of significance

I weighed how populous a state is, how productive it is in terms of economy, and how balanced it is in terms of the entire state being significant and not just reliant on one city or area to prop it up. That is why I left off states such as Georgia and Massachusetts and put Illinois behind Ohio along with including Colorado but leaving out Arizona.

Colorado and Arizona were somewhat hard to decide, but Arizona just lags too far behind in terms of economy and productivity even though it is bigger in population. I feel both states are about even in terms of significance throughout each state. Arizona relies heavily on Phoenix to prop it up, but it does have Tucson along with places and attractions like Sedona and the Grand Canyon located in other parts of the state to provide some balance. Colorado is the same in that it relies on Denver to prop it up, but it has Colorado Springs along with places like Aspen and the rest of the Rocky Mountain towns to help balance it out.

[Imbetterthanyou]

Originally Posted by ABQalex

I'm going by the official Census Bureau designations for regions of the United States.

Northeast:

States - New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey

Cities - New York City, Boston, Philadelphia


South:

States - Texas, Florida, North Carolina

Cities - Atlanta, Houston, Miami


Midwest:

States - Ohio, Illinois, Michigan

Cities - Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul


West:

States - California, Washington, Colorado

Cities - Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle


I have excluded Washington, DC from this list because it is the nation's capital and not within a state, but I believe it is above Atlanta and the other cities in the South in terms of significance

I weighed how populous a state is, how productive it is in terms of economy, and how balanced it is in terms of the entire state being significant and not just reliant on one city or area to prop it up. That is why I left off states such as Georgia and Massachusetts and put Illinois behind Ohio along with including Colorado but leaving out Arizona.

Colorado and Arizona were somewhat hard to decide, but Arizona just lags too far behind in terms of economy and productivity even though it is bigger in population. I feel both states are about even in terms of significance throughout each state. Arizona relies heavily on Phoenix to prop it up, but it does have Tucson along with places and attractions like Sedona and the Grand Canyon located in other parts of the state to provide some balance. Colorado is the same in that it relies on Denver to prop it up, but it has Colorado Springs along with places like Aspen and the rest of the Rocky Mountain towns to help balance it out.

I'd replace New Jersey with Massachusetts. New Jersey may have a larger population and GDP, but the entire state is basically one big bedroom community. Mass stands on its own far more and has an elite city in Boston that NJ lacks.

[Soonhun]

No way is Atlanta more important than Dallas, either in city limits or in metro. It is small and less productive, economically.