A Better Regional Breakdown of the U.S.

Geography, not state borders, is key.

It is a debate as old as time. Is Missouri part of the midwest? What about the Dakotas? Are Florida and Texas part of the south? What’s ‘New England’ anyway? If you ask the U.S. Census, the whole country breaks down into four main regions - West, Midwest, Northeast, and South, with each of these comprised of at least two sub-regions, all following state lines. The problem with this, is it doesn’t recognize the fact that large states such as Pennsylvania have distinct cultural identities in different parts of the state, nor does it even recognize some popularly used regional guidelines such as the Pacific Northwest. Lets take a look at that map to break down some of its shortcomings, and how my proposal aims to solve some of these issues.