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If you're talking about just the people, and not the landscape, I'd say the majority of the populated portions of Florida, Arizona, and Nevada fit. Virtually everyone is a transplant from outside of the state, or the child of a transplant. Over 90% of buildings were constructed after 1950. There are of course distinct enclaves in each state which have much more of a "sense of place" but overall the people just feel like generic American suburban dwellers.
Pretty much anywhere in any state in the US feels like "anywhere USA". Just pick a spot!
Santa Fe,NM does not feel like anywhere USA, same goes for Aspen,CO, New Orleans, Wyoming, Maine, Mississippi Delta, Las Vegas, El Paso, Charleston,WV. Im just saying.
IMO, states with lots of transplants and very few natives that primarily developed in the last few decades of the 20th century, such as Florida, Arizona and Nevada to name a few, feel the most like "anywhere USA."
For the most part, those states lack a distinctive subcultural identity to make them unique among other states due in large part to the fact that nearly every person you meet in the urban and oftentimes rural areas of those states is from someplace else originally.
With few natives, those states not only lack a distinctive subculture, they often lack state/local pride as well, which fosters a host of other issues in and of itself (e.g., voter apathy, lack of civic engagement, increased crime, etc.).
Most people you meet in Florida in particular are prouder to be from elsewhere originally or the children of transplants.
This issue was less apparent in Arizona because people out West are a little more subdued, but still present nonetheless. For example, I caught a handful of younger people who were actual Arizona natives (most of whom are under age 25) lying and saying they were born in California.
I can’t speak for Nevada, as I’ve never lived there, but it’s such a rootless and polarizing place, that I can imagine this type of attitude/mindset is not only present, but very pervasive as well.
Real sad, if you ask me.
That, plus those states are nothing but a sea of chain restaurants and other establishments with a perceivably low percentage of locally owned businesses, which only compounds the "anywhere USA" vibe.
I understand these states are relatively "young" compared to most other states, so they're still in the process of developing a culture and identity. I’ve lived in young, old and middle-aged states alike, so I can make that discernment.
Florida, Arizona and Nevada were also some of the hardest hit states when the real estate bubble burst in 2007-2008, too, with the highest rates of foreclosure per capita. Not long after, when these states began to record an outflow of residents, I was under the impression it was the transplants who bought high and were now underwater on their mortgages on their way out.
However, I couldn’t have been more wrong—it was mostly natives and long-time residents of these states that were either cashing-out or underwater and forced out, especially in Florida.
Thing is, most of the transplants in these states had previously sold extremely over-inflated real estate in very expensive areas of the country, and even though they bought high, they still were sitting on enough cash to bail them out, if necessary.
OTOH, the natives and long-term residents who didn’t have the equity weren’t as lucky, for the most part, so many ended up underwater due to the variable interest rates they locked into and the less cash-on-hand. The ones that weren’t underwater, cashed out a few years earlier after seeing their real estate appreciate dramatically over the course of 15-30 years and moved to cheaper areas like Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and elsewhere.
However, with millions of retiring Baby Boomers in colder and/or more expensive areas of the country AND a real estate market on the upswing, I think it's going to be a lot longer than we anticipated back in 2008-2009 as to when the “sediment will begin to settle” in these states, so to speak.
Don’t forget, children, grandchildren, siblings, friends, et al. tend to follow their parents/grandparents/siblings when they retire and move to a warmer, cheaper locale. Not all, but certainly some. Again, only adding “fuel to the fire.”
I've lived in both Florida and Arizona as well as several other states, and that's just my $0.02.
Santa Fe,NM does not feel like anywhere USA, same goes for Aspen,CO, New Orleans, Wyoming, Maine, Mississippi Delta, Las Vegas, El Paso, Charleston,WV. Im just saying.
Lot of different city's there and I'm sure more can be added. That's exactly what makes any of those places just as "anywhere America" as any place else. Let me pick a spot in this country. Anywhere. And I bet I can go there and see some familiarity. The language. The humor. The radio stations being broadcast. I bet I can find a 24 hour gas/food mart and get a big fountain coke! If my car breaks down I can find a familiar service station. If I want, I can trade it in at a familiar dealer. I can go to a bar and get a cheeseburger and fries. Chicken wings! Any assortment of other tasty eats along with a familiar, cold, draft beer or a bottle. I bet I can even go into the local grocery chain and there will be some familiarity to the Food Lions by me. I'll even be able to get the same things for the same general prices I bet!.
I can go on and on and on. I am from MD but have lived in S. FL and eastern NC and even spent some time in NJ and there has been a familiarity to every one of those places. Even going to Miami!
Most suburban towns in Washington and Oregon seem very Anywhere USA, especially the newly developed suburban areas. One of my friends who lives here is from the Midwest and he even thinks some areas of Seattle feel very middle America.
Most suburban towns in Washington and Oregon seem very Anywhere USA, especially the newly developed suburban areas. One of my friends who lives here is from the Midwest and he even thinks some areas of Seattle feel very middle America.
Salem, Oregon could pretty much fill in as "Middletown USA".
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