Why So Few Americans Live In Central Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania has emerged as one of the most important states in the country. Not only politically, but also economically and culturally. And this is largely because the state spans two distinct regions that are fairly different from each other. And right in the middle? A large, mostly empty region I've termed Pennsylvania's Empty Belt. So why don't more people live in central PA and and why is its east side so different from its west?
In this video, we'll cover the physical geography of Pennsylvania as one moves from east to west, the history of how the state developed into its two respective halves, and why the population of Pennsylvania largely coalesced in the far east and far west, but not really in its middle.
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This has been a production of Sound Bight Media (soundbight.com)

[@KristianWontroba]

WaWa Pennsylvania Vs. Sheetz Pennsylvania. FIGHT! 🤜🏼🤛🏻

[@REALfish1552]

Sheetz all the way.

[@UserName-ts3sp]

Sheetz ftw

[@ScottRothsroth0616]

What about Rutter’s?

[@BradWhitfield-p4f]

Sheetz all the way

[@BradWhitfield-p4f]

​@@ScottRothsroth0616 Rutter's has no home here

[@velodjk2975]

State College is the home to Penn State and is right in the middle of the empty section. The joke is that is "equally inaccessible to all."

[@wiggetman]

@@velodjk2975 that's so real I had a hockey tournament in state college and the ride up was super boring

[@sonsofliberty3081]

@@wiggetman so.... nature is boring? You'd rather see cities?

[@highlife0586]

The drive to State College and Penn State is very scenic actually. If you go there on football weekends though pack a lot of patience I know I have done it a few times.

[@CraigRohn]

When the Big Ten voted to admit Penn State as a member in the 1990s, there was some consternation due to State College's isolation. Bobby Knight famously said, "I've been to Penn State. It's a camping trip!" One of the conditions Penn State had to meet for Big Ten membership was to get the runway at State College Regional Airport lengthened to accommodate mid-sized jet aircraft.

[@elijahfilmsinc.3180]

Watching from The Hub building right now. State College is its own little oasis in the middle of Pennsyltucky

[@nathanielthrush5581]

This video basically also explains why PA has become the quintessential swing state. Such a massive contrast between the east west and middle, a state with massive cultural differences

[@swgeek4310]

And the middle is MAGA HQ for sure.

[@bowerpower2160]

​@swgeek4310 not really scranton-WB metro area is in that middle and it's pretty heavily contested between democrats and Republicans

[@PhantomJM]

@@swgeek4310 Central PA has a larger Democratic population than people think. We just don't advertise it as much.

[@EU_Red_Fox]

@@PhantomJM Well in 2020 only one county in central PA and then Harrisburg's county went Dem. So really Central PA is heavily MAGA with Trump wining in most areas with 70%+. The pattern is there of most places voting against their own interests in rural areas.

[@jharchery4117]

Maryland is the opposite. Sparsely populated and conservative east and west and liberal in the middle.

[@FXwashere]

I like how their two biggest cities and that state's name all start with a P.

[@virgilflowers9846]

@@FXwashere also the next biggest cities of Perie, Pyork, and Pscranton

[@lorenwood8706]

That’s Phatt

[@pixer415]

Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland all starting with a C is more interesting to me

[@ChiefSupreme6803]

Philadelphia starts with an F, duh.

[@ChiefSupreme6803]

​@@virgilflowers9846and the capital Pharrisburg

[@TheBrawlingBrothers]

The fabled land we native Pennsylvanians call “Pennsyltucky”

[@geraldbroadnax2992]

That would be anything West of the Philly region...lol

[@nobillclinton]

@@geraldbroadnax2992 agreed - -> yinz shud staa OOver on yer own side - ->wit 'em filthy flyers. Let's go PENS 😎👍

[@geraldbroadnax2992]

@nobillclinton Hahaha...I hate the Pens of course..but I actually live in Harrisburg now and they are more Hershey Bears fans that they are Flyers...btw,,it's Yous and not Yins..lol

[@user-id9bn1ic9v]

@@geraldbroadnax2992 I’m not a Pittsburgh native but by no means is all of the East Pennsyltucky, although everywhere outside the city is SUPER pennsyltucky it seems. Kinda sad.

[@geraldbroadnax2992]

@@user-id9bn1ic9v i meant to say West..I had my wires crossed. Lol

[@toddsmith293]

I live in Williamsport, PA. It's sort of the hub for North-Central PA. Population is about 28K. Travel just a short distance in ANY direction and you are surrounded by farms, forests, and mountains. A great area to live if you like the outdoors but not everyone does.

[@greggreggreggreggreggreggreg1]

ive been there. good town

[@warrenoleary2168]

@@greggreggreggreggreggreggreg1 Plus it has a " Wegman's Supermarket " ; can't do better than that food store !

[@REALfish1552]

I went to school there right after it went from WACC to Pen College in 1989. I enjoyed it up there vs my constantly building up South-central PA area west of Harrisburg.

[@Avri]

I live here too and it’s a cute town. It tries to be interesting. The town is beautiful and relatively clean. I’ve lived in big cities and I appreciate the easy commutes for daily living.

[@ozfest8573]

I'm in Philly (originally from NYC), and I love and frequently visit Williamsburg. I definitely see myself retiring there

[@gavinsheridan4680]

This used to be called the T-Zone of Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh & Philly were insulated bubbles and all the rest formed a “T” shape.

[@glennjones6004]

We used to call the T Pennsyltucky. This region has a more conservative point of view than Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

[@revinhatol]

Now Erie got its slice of the T-Zone!

[@toddsmith293]

@@glennjones6004 Yes. MUCH more conservative. Three R's. Rocks, Rattlesnakes and REPUBLICANS

[@metalmamasue3680]

I live in this part, I call it God's country. 😊 You couldn't pay me to live in a big city.

[@toddsmith293]

@@metalmamasue3680 100% agree

[@akken2112]

I grew up in Philly, Philadelphia has more in common with NYC than it does with Pittsburgh.

[@phillyphilly2095]

Agreed. I think the entire northeast corridor has more in common with itself than with the areas outside it.

[@Wewwers]

Unironically, very incorrect. The Philly and Pittsburgh accents exist on the same dialect continuum, both cities were built on rowhouses/duplexes and homeownership rather than dense apartments/flats, and both were respective manufacturing centers rather than hubs of through-trade.

[@akken2112]

@@Wewwers Have you ever heard someone from Pittsburgh speak? They use terms that I've never heard of. Their accent is also different from a Philly accent.

[@moeluv]

​@@Wewwers You're not from the East coast let alone Pennsylvania. Philly and Pittsburgh are opposites.

[@bonecanoe86]

Sometimes New Yorkers affectionately/condescendingly refer to Philly as "the 6th boro"

[@ddmarsh21]

I go on a 3-day canoe trip every year in the Allegheny region of PA with my college buddies and it’s the highlight of my year. It’s beautiful, you can go on for miles down the river and not see any other humans but instead bald eagles, great blue herons, and unobstructed forest.

[@dwaynesbadchemicals]

Love the Kinzua dam area.

[@jt3055]

I think you just described the plot of "Deliverance", except at no point has any local demanded that any member of your party "squeal like a pig", perhaps contrary to the expectations of some detractors of Central PA.

[@westcoastrenegade8594]

@jt3055 idk buddy Indiana county got some creatures.

[@slgibbs1]

I lived in Western Pa for about 40 years total. I lived in S. Central Pennsylvanna for 25 years. There is a saying "Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in the middle! LOL

[@shanesprecher8290]

The first time I heard that saying was James Carville when he worked for Clinton, he might have been onto something. I live in Central PA and what’s funny is I’ve met quite a few native Alabamians who have relocated here. Maybe Carviile was clairvoyant.

[@FeliceChiapperini]

I don't think Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Poconos should be lumped together with central Pennsylvania. It's its own region.

[@johnh5701]

I think Scranton/Wilkes-Barre identifies more with the Philadelphia region and probably should be included in that region. That area has the largest deposits of anthracite coal. The author also forgot how industrialized the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton area was. While Pittsburgh had more steel mills, Bethlehem should not be forgotten.

[@DPrizm215]

@@johnh5701 without Bethlehem there would be no Manhattan

[@Harry_Ballsonurphace]

For sure disagree. From the western part of the state here, u guys seem like either 1 you don't exist or 2 you're central PA (basically a repeat of #1). I heard it said that pennsylvania is pittsburgh and Philadelphia and everything in between and around is Alabama. And yeah, that's correct

[@rgi9509]

Yes and close to a million people. The central is even more empty when you consider that.

[@bonecanoe86]

North west Pennsylvania, the "Yankee" part of the state.

[@kimhaas7586]

How did you miss the French being the first colonizers of Pittsburgh? We have a ton of French place names here and the confluence of the three rivers was originally called Fort Duquesne. As for central PA, there are more deer than people. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@letitiajeavons6333]

Exactly. The French and Indian War was fought over the Ohio Valley.

[@leoamattnet4822]

Washington slept here

[@scottm6341]

And Frenchville.

[@erico5956]

I've heard outsiders pronounce it "Du-Quezz-Nee" 😂. Zelienople as "Zin-el-oh-pee".

[@RecycleBin26]

And how much of a melting pot Pittsburgh was (and still is). Lawrenceville (Irish), Polish Hill (pretty obvious), sure their diversity has diminished but they're still here. Heck, there used to be a Chinatown on the Strip but now I think it's just one or two remaining buildings. Edit: As in different nationalities/cultures/ethnic backgrounds, not races.

[@benusmaximus3601]

“Pennsylvania is Philadelphia in the east, Pittsburgh in the west, and Alabama in the middle.”

[@JayKarpwick]

From James Carville!

[@nlpnt]

@@JayKarpwick His exact quote was "Between Paoli and Penn Hills, Pennsylvania's Alabama without the blacks." Paoli is a western suburb of Philly -traditionally thought of as the outermost suburb of the "Main Line" - and Penn Hills an eastern suburb of Pittsburgh.

[@bonecanoe86]

Alabama has always been a bad comparison, "Pennsyltucky" is much more accurate.

[@MalevolentBite]

@@benusmaximus3601 not harrisburg

[@sonsofliberty3081]

​@@MalevolentBite because Harrisburg is in Eastern pa, not central.

[@paulwalsh2458]

Driving from Ohio west on Interstate 80 there's a sign shortly before the Pennsylvania border that says it's 410 miles to NYC. I always got a kick out of that.

[@toddt1385]

If you're heading towards Pennsylvania from Ohio on I-80, you're going East, my friend.

[@paulwalsh2458]

@@toddt1385 I'm tarded.

[@psychedelicnarwhal9599]

Yeah, and then as soon as you cross the pa line, they'll sign anything but new york

[@blksn8k]

While living and working in Ohio for thirty years I passed that sign at least twice a month for every one of those thirty years. I was born and raised about 15 miles east of Punxsutawney and that's where I came back to when I retired. Once a Pennsyltuckian always a Pennsyltuckian. Home sweet home.

[@Snarkapotamus]

Yeah, seen it many times. You'll also have to start dodging deer carcasses...

[@history_leisure]

The Horseshoe Curve near Altoona is a major landmark on Amtrak's Pennsylvanian (currently the only train in Pennsylvania that goes west of Harrisburg using this route)

[@taotaoliu2229]

As someone who lives in South Central Pennsylvania, I have to say the Appalachian Mountains are a massive obstacle in the North Central part of the state for high population. Ideal for your luxurious ski resorts and indoor water parks: not so much for actual cities!

[@coldwar45]

Hello from a fellow South Central Pennsylvanian, York to be specific

[@kellymurphy6642]

Elk mountain is north of Scranton. That’s a decent slope. Montage Mtn is ok

[@orangeyewglad]

Speaking of water parks, it's crazy how many amusement parks are in Pennsylvania. Hershey, Kneobels, Dorney, Dutch Wonderland, and there's probably one or two others.

[@bigefresh2]

⁠@@orangeyewgladway more than one or two. You’re clearly from the eastern part of the state, in the west we’ve also got Kennywood, Idlewild, Sandcastle, Lakemont Park, Erie has an indoor water park too I believe.

[@mournblade1066]

@@orangeyewglad Kennywood in Pittsburgh, Lakemont Park in Altoona, and DelGrosso's Park in Tipton (15 miles north of Altoona).

[@steveb7429]

The answer to all of these questions is simple: the mountains that divide Pennsylvania. The mountains are sparsely populated, and they divide east from west.

[@SilverkongYGO1982]

Plus the fact that the Susquehanna River is too shallow for commercial navigation

[@e815usa]

Right in the geographic center of Central PA is Penn State University! Their football stadium can hold about 106,000 people, and it's in a beautiful part of PA!

[@rabidgoon]

a drinking town with a football problem

[@courtemanche437]

I live in Bellefonte which is a 15 minutes' drive from the campus! :)

[@JayKarpwick]

According to local lore, the site was supposed to be the geographic center of the state. But when surveyors found that the location was in the middle of a river the University had to be built a couple of miles away.

[@LBetsy326]

That's the geographic if the entire state not just central PA

[@NA.NA..]

Right in the geographic center of Central PA is Penn state lockerooms. There lockerooms once held A Defensive coordinator diddling little boys, and the when the Head coach knew he did nothing.

[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

I'm from Tamaqua Pa, largest town in the north of Schuylkill county. My father and uncle mined anthracite and smelted steel at Bethlehem. I know NE Pa very well and lived in York Pa for a decade. Pittsburgh was not the only steel producer and eastern anthracite was better than western bituminous. This is very much a glance, and there is much more to Pa than can be here contained. I know Philly well, and WilkesBarre/Scranton and I've walked the AT on Blue Mountain south to Harper's Ferry and north to Sunfish Pond NJ. Pa was my home, the whole state. It's wrong to say the NE is empty. There are large and small towns dotted throughout the state. It cannot be compared to actual empty areas out west like Nevada and Wyoming. There are people there. It's NOT empty.

[@JayKarpwick]

I lived in the Lehigh Valley for a few years. It was a massive steel-producing area. Bethlehem Steel wasn't quite as famous as Pittsburgh but it was still a major hub. The region was also within easy transport distance for coal mined in Lackawanna County and environs.

[@ChesterArthur-b7t]

Ugh.. how can say you know pennsylvania so much but still cannot put an H at the end of Pittsburgh?

[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

@@ChesterArthur-b7t opps! Typo I guess.

[@samgatiru4223]

Skook Bot

[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

@@samgatiru4223 what is that in English?

[@billm1866]

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh ignore each other. They have nothing on common except being on the same state.

[@RecycleBin26]

Same dialect? No. Same personalities? No. Same drivers? No. Same reason of being founded? No. Same state? Yes.

[@bluestar249]

They both start with “P”

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

We like to shit on each other in a more or less friendly rivalry. There’s also the sports rivalries, especially between the Pens and the Flyers.

[@BlessingsfromBridget]

I used to live in central Pennsylvania. I lived in Elizabethville- which is in the mountains. Not many people lived there because of the mountains. I went to Harrisburg frequently, which was 45 minutes away.

[@shade0762]

I lived in Elizabethville for several years. Cute town!

[@Wewwers]

In PA, Appalachia is pronounced "Ap-uh-LAY-shuh," no need to use the weird KZbinr overcorrected-pronunciation that's gotten popular the last couple years, that's only used south of the Mason-Dixon.

[@maddyhoverter]

I have never heard it pronounced the way it is in the video. The Pa way is the only correct way lol

[@subjekt5577]

Also, while we're at it: Leb'nin Laynk-uster Skook'll E-mayus E-town Beth'lum Effort-uh

[@mournblade1066]

Yeah, lived my whole life in Pennsylvania, and Ap-uh-LAY-shuh is how I've always heard it pronounced. And I've noticed some many pronouncing it ap-ah-LATCH-ee-ah lately. Weird.

[@CC-vf4ey]

South of the Potomac, you mean. Marylanders don't say it the way he did either.

[@RecycleBin26]

I raised an eyebrow at that pronunciation too, lol. Never heard his pronunciation of "Monongahela" before either. Maybe it's the yinzer in me.

[@warrenoleary2168]

Dear Geoff ; You expressed a big geographic mistake ( you are human too ) ! Around the time line of 12 : 35 on this video ; you mentioned the Pocono Mtns. but you were too far West showing it on the map. You over pretty close to extreme Western Pa. region. Later on your video a Pa. map is shown & the Pocono Mtns. location is now correct. I lived in N.J. for 50 years and camped all over the middle Atlantic states & New England, Ontario , Quebec & Nova Scotia. I moved to S.E. Michigan when I was turning age 50. Still have family in N.J , N.Y. and so does my wife. we travel between Michigan & the East coast quite often , most of the time Interstate 80 .

[@andrewsmith5618]

I live in a small town called St. Marys PA, called the powdered metal capital of the us. Our area is home to a large manufacturing sector. I disagree with Geoff's characterization of central PA not having any manufacturing. The carbon and powder metal industries are by no means insignificant to the manufacturing sector of PA as a whole. A large portion of small western PA towns were founded by Catholic German immigrants who were persecuted by protestants. Just a little insight to the region for those who did not get any better understanding of the region from this video.

[@mournblade1066]

I was just in St. Mary's back in June for my nephew's wedding. It was in this old Catholic church that was absolutely gorgeous inside.

[@amelialock7]

@@andrewsmith5618 I'm from St Mary's too. Towns changing, more foreign entities moving in but it's still a great area

[@crismcdonough2804]

Do they still make Straub Beer there?

[@jackhaugh]

My mom’s husband is from St Mary’s. My stepbrother who grew up in Emporium PA moved in with me 3 months ago. I personally am from Indiana, PA

[@docpalazola491]

@@crismcdonough2804 They do..and it's good beer

[@steveschlackman4503]

I live in Harrisburg, the state capital, with a current population of 51, 000. Harrisburg, at its peak in the 1960s, had a population of 90,00. There was a United State Steel mill near to Harrisburg. What manufacturing that existed crashed in the 1970s when manufacturing died in Central Pa and Upstate New York . When the steel mill died Central PA died. The beautiful Susquehanna River is non navigable. There were canals in the 19th century. You could have mentioned tourism at Gettysburg. If you drive around the Gettysburg area you will see that the area does not look much different from what it looked like in the 1860s. Central PA is attractive but not very lively. You can see a spur of the Appalachian mountains not far from Harrisburg.

[@billm1866]

South Central PA is pleasant but boring

[@Anatoliys_Adventure]

@@billm1866 seems like a good place to retire in but a tough place to live if you're still mid career. I've lived in West PA all my life, and it seems like if you stray much from I-79 quality work gets much harder to find. It's why Ive stayed around the Pittsburgh area for most of my twenties

[@Chrishelmuth1978]

Great video, but as an eastern Pennsylvanian, 1 correction: The "Walking Purchase" extended from the junction of the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers (in Philadelphia) to near Easton, which is where the junction of the Delaware and the Lehigh is located.

[@lisavatavuk-kinter3888]

Another big reason that Johnstown didn't get to the same level as Pittsburgh was the Johnstown Flood that wiped out the city

[@westcoastrenegade8594]

I live right outside j town. That's like our whole history class.

[@letitiajeavons6333]

You forgot that the South Central part has Adams County and Gettysburg. The battlefield high ground from 1863 has created an industry normally found further south: Civil War tourism.

[@R_A_3000]

I stayed in a old hotel right on battlefield one night and it had a weird vibe. 😆

[@Notimp0rtant523]

“Mountains” the end

[@ppainterco]

I grew up near Punxsutawney, and went to IUP, then moved out west to Colorado. There are a lot of roads connecting the little valleys in PA. There are few open expanses of flat land. It’s not as rugged as West Virginia, but getting close to it. The valleys in PA feel closed in compared to the big skies out west. There are also breaks in culture. The Pittsburgh area has a lot of the “Yinzer” or “Mill Hunky” culture which is blue collar. Pittsburgh has changed quite a bit and has more white collar industry like medical, financial, robotics, etc. Eastern PA has a lot of Pennsylvania Dutch which aren’t just Amish, but Mennonite, as well as old German lineage. The anthracite region has a lot of Polish and other Central European lineage. One culture thing that does seem to unify is deer hunting. The Monday after thanksgiving is the first day of deer hunting and is practically a state holiday with schools, workplaces etc shutdown. A I recall churches making some good bank by hosting hunter breakfasts on that Monday. Another interesting thing about PA is the number of colleges and universities. It gives a lot of good options for higher education. I’m glad that I moved west, but there are some great things about PA. Folks not from PA seem to denigrate the state, but they really understand it, and it’s not as uniform a culture as outsiders might think.

[@danstone8783]

Until they ruined deer season several years ago by starting in on the Saturday after Thanksgiving

[@hp5469]

As some who lives in south central Pennsylvania. Im glad so few people live here and lets keep it that way.

[@BradWhitfield-p4f]

Shout out from Hollidaysburg, yes, keep it that way 👉

[@billm1866]

Boring area

[@hp5469]

@@billm1866 Only boring people are bored.

[@harrys1922]

​@@billm1866ill take our boring Pennsyltucky over any big city any day.

[@reubensandwich9249]

@@billm1866 If you own a house, you're never bored. Always something to fix

[@BradWhitfield-p4f]

I love it here, stay out people 😊 thank you, have a great day from Central PA, Hollidaysburg to be exact 👍

[@Tom-dt4ic]

Now you've given away your location. Rookie error.

[@spongebobsucks12]

@@Tom-dt4ic If they come, they have no idea what theyre messing with. Central PA people are scary.

[@mournblade1066]

Home of the Slinky!

[@patrickgrippo]

Amen on the city rats ,please stay out you pay waaaay to much for a house and land, causing higher property taxes and ruining hunting lands,etc they even break up old tomb stones ,because of no respect for people who came before Often thea are against fracking royalties which help people pay taxes

[@patrickgrippo]

I'mw

[@Alan-lv9rw]

The map should be 80% red, with just two blue dots for Philly & Pittsburgh.

[@Anatoliys_Adventure]

Those two "dots" contain almost 2/3 of out residents. And I don't think rural PA is as hard red as most people seem to think. I think over all most people are pretty middle of the road. We have good education systems, pretty good job opportunities in blue & white collar work, below average cost of living, and good access to healthcare. Outdoorsy folks have tons of publicly accessable nature to enjoy. Pittsburgh and Philly have arts, dining, and basically everything you'd want from bigger cities. Right or left people here don't seem to be too radical IMO because decades of relatively sane decisions have paid off pretty well for us as a state. No need to fuck it up

[@crismcdonough2804]

Rural doesn't automatically mean Republican. We know the value of labor unions that Republicans seem to hate.

[@woods840]

Vote red, or this country is dead.

[@halo45600]

@@Anatoliys_Adventure Pittsburgh + Philadelphia is only 1.8 million people or 2.75 million if you're generous enough to include the rest of Allegheny county. Pennsylvania has a population of 12.97 million. Your math doesn't math. If we're talking metro areas, then you'd be including the predominantly red Pittsburgh metro area.

[@TheKliz1117]

I'm a Pittsburgher, we're predominantly blue.

[@bbybby91]

I live on the Cumberland/franklin county line and I prefer how sparsely populated it is here.

[@coldwar45]

I love that part. I’m in York County. It leaves stuff to be desired LOL

[@metalmamasue3680]

I live in the north part of Dauphin Co. I call it God's country. 😊 It's beautiful in rural PA.

[@harrys1922]

I live in Adam's county, our property borders Michuax State Forest and it's a beautiful peaceful place to live. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[@johnledingham852]

Extremely interesting Geoffrey. In a nutshell you educated this 77 year old Australian lad who has always been interested in geography and an interest in Pennsylvania. I look forward to more of your well researched documentaries.

[@history_leisure]

Pennsylvania is actually still a higher oil producer than one would think compared to Texas/Oklahoma, Alaska, and the Dakotas

[@chrislatsko3274]

Would have been cool if he mentioned that at the height of the industrial revolution The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was the largest corporation in the world.

[@sunbrookheath]

@@chrislatsko3274 and The PRR set many industrial standards & processes still in use today.

[@maureensiwik8647]

I am fr Philadelphia and on a recent family trip to Pagosa Springs, CO, we heard about a great bar/music garden owned by a guy from PA. Decided to visit and it was “Steelers Country” signs everywhere. Met the Pittsburgh couple who owned the place….and we promptly had zero to talk about😂😂Go Birds haha

[@crismcdonough2804]

Steelers bars are everywhere.

[@R_A_3000]

In south central PA you see a lot of Baltimore Ravens signs because of the border with Maryland.

[@behindthewolfseyes]

Why don't I live in central PA instead of the Burgh? Money. It's difficult to find jobs at the blurst of times.

[@kimhaas7586]

Also parts of central PA are unfriendly to furriners from the Burgh.

[@steveruckman5401]

I saw what you did there. 🐒

[@UserName-ts3sp]

I have family from central PA. They all left in the 90s because of the lack of jobs

[@BradWhitfield-p4f]

Very true, i reside in Hollidaysburg in Blair County and wages are not livable.

[@BradWhitfield-p4f]

​@@kimhaas7586stay there

[@phillyphilly2095]

It's because the Susquehanna is not navigable. The small cities along the river would have been bigger if it was. Anyway, the state government accounts for a lot of the people in the region because the state decided to locate its capital and university there.

[@69Buddha]

It's not just not-navigable -- it's an angry bitchgoddess of a river that wants to actively drown you. Love from Bainbridge...

[@Konusu]

let me save you 10 minutes: There's mountains which make development difficult.

[@Helpline5815]

You forgot Altoona, it's another, along with its neighbor Holidaysburg, which was big towns due to the railroad and canal system, plus there's tons of farms up here too. And Johnstown still has a steel mill going, and Altoona has the railroad still. But they're not as big and populated as they used to be, but Pittsburgh is also on the decline as is Philadelphia.

[@orangeyewglad]

lol no he mentioned Altoona.

[@BradWhitfield-p4f]

So glad you mentioned this, i was born n raised here in Altoona and currently live in Hollidaysburg 😊 rich, rich railroad history and Indian as well as Revolutionary and Civil War history in Blair County! 🎉 Multiple German spies during WWII were sent to Altoona to spy on and ultimately destroy the railroad pass through the mountains to the west and east known as Horseshoe Curve... they were all caught and executed. Aldo theres a memoriam to the canals here in Hollidaysburgh known as Canal Basin Park. Mules and horses would pull them from the banks 👍 btw Johnstown is a dive.

[@getreal2977]

I remember how Pittsburgh became during WW2 the main hub for submarine production as they were that way safest distance away from the ocean coast to avoid sabotage and once the subs were finished going all the way down through the Mississippi into the gulf of Mexico.

[@RecycleBin26]

As a yinzer and WW2 fanatic, this is news to me. Cool!

[@sugambera9208]

Got to learn something new. I love reading about the geography of a country or a state or a city or of a region and learning something unique or peculiar about that particular region. Great and informative video!

[@johnhupp8444]

New York City and Long Island are a vastly different place than the rest of New York State.

[@imreallyagoat]

Absolutely. It starts when you get to Nassau County

[@BobbyT.]

As a lifelong Pittsburgher it has always fascinated me the stark difference from one side of the state to the other. It’s also wild to me that some of the more northern rural regions I’ve never even been too and I travel around a fair bit. Love it here though lots to do and see beautiful state all around.

[@revinhatol]

FYI: Scranton/WIlkes-Barre is on a slow and steady rebound, but the Poconos is making people migrating from the east difficult to move there!

[@tallman369]

NY NJ infested.

[@patrickgrippo]

Good.

[@darkguild69]

I live in central PA and I love it here. Plenty of stuff to do and see and as the video said its not too crowded. I was born and raised here and I cannot ever see myself leaving. The weather is pretty much perfect most of the year as in never really too hot or too cold and anytime I ever leave this area for more than a few days I always start to miss it right away wishing to go back. Also something not really touched on in this video as far as major events like natural disasters this area is fairly safe with because the mountain ranges protect the land from the worst of it. Even though its not as crowded there are still plenty of urban amenities available and if you ever do need to get anywhere such as a major city there are 4-5 within a 2-3 hour drive.

[@letitiajeavons6333]

Plus chaperoning your kids field trip to Gettysburg.

[@shanesprecher8290]

I’m starting to hear more Y’all and Youse in an area that was always Youins. Wonder what’s going on?

[@danstone8783]

@@shanesprecher8290 Flatlanders taking over

[@scottweisel3640]

There are lots of lands in this region that could be settled but after they were logged off, the lands were taken by the state for unpaid taxes by the lumber barons. This effectively took these “State Forest Lands” off the market for any development. They can be logged and drilled, hunted on and fished, but no resident can buy this land.

[@niisii23]

Interesting video. I happen to live in the pennsyltucky gap in a little town of lock haven 😂 and I will say I love it here with all the nature and trails to explore away from the hustle and grind of the cities. Oh and I also prefer western PA (Pittsburgh) over eastern PA (philly) bc Pittsburgh definitely feels more like home, just a bigger and busier version of North central PA.

[@893263007]

The "empty" area would be one of the most dense areas in Canada - with more people than all but 4 provinces.

[@RSeaker]

More people would live there if they could be employed there. Other than that, its about 10,000 square miles of low mountains with plenty of deer, bear, trout, trails, canoeing/kayaking, state forests and recreational areas. Great fall foliage. A lot of rail, mining, and logging history. Many quaint small towns with affordable homes. NYC is about a four hour drive, Philly and Pittsburgh about three.

[@Jack_Stacks]

Mountains, difficult infrastructure, lack or river transport, no established cities, farm culture.

[@saxybeast08]

0:43 Virginia and West Virginia "Am I a joke to you?"

[@Wolf-rk6jq]

never been to the populated areas of Pennsylvania and I LOVE IT THERE mountains and beautifulness all i have to describe

[@shade0762]

PA is such a lovely state. So happy to live in the Southeast section. So much access by Amtrak to Philadelphia, Washington, New York

[@bubblegum9982]

You know your no longer in Eastern PA when you stop seeing Wawas.

[@47AndyT]

As a native born and raised in Pittsburgh, then going to the University of Dayton for 3 semesters, I always believed that Pittsburgh was more like the Midwest than the East coast

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

I’d say it’s more Appalachia than anything else. It’s way bigger and more developed than the rest of the region, but the geography would be right at home in somewhere like WV.

[@Richard-lh8jq]

Geoff: You did not mention HARRISBURG. What influenced its becoming the Capital of Penna?😕

[@RecycleBin26]

The most obvious reason is geography. Philadelphia was always the first choice but Harrisburg was more central. There's more to it but location is a big factor, same with where D.C. is---being somewhat central in relation to the 13 Colonies.

[@NinaHypeGaming]

As a Pennsylvanian, someone once said that Pennsylvania was pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Alabama in between. I have never been able to unsee that view.

[@mrXOwarrior]

I lived there for 20 years and never heard that until semi-recently and only because of the internet.

[@dr4782]

Spend some time in Alabama, and then you'll be able to unsee it.

[@Velodan1]

If you’re looking for information about Central Pennsylvania, you won’t find it here. There is none. Expected Geoffrey to talk about Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, maybe the incredible Jim Thorpe, or Bloomsburg and their 170 year old regional fair, no, not here, not today.

[@zackamig4446]

For real! I live in Mechanicsburg and grew up in enola.... Always said I was from central pa but according to his map I'm basically from outside of Philly lol

[@williamford9564]

4:40: Lake Eric giveth and Lake Erie taketh it away. The lake also causes what can be sometimes crippling lake effect snowstorms.

[@sparkynewman6692]

Most Pennsylvania's never even see the middle part of the state, just whiz past it on the Turnpike or I-80

[@crismcdonough2804]

Trees, mountains, dead deer and state cops. That's what you see..

[@RecycleBin26]

What more people don't even realize about central PA is up north, the Pennsylvania Wilds.

[@halo45600]

Those aren't real Pennsylvanians then lol.

[@wayneott5990]

I live in south central Pennsylvania in what many years ago would have been part of Cumberland County. You are very correct in the economics related to the states development. In the central part of the state early on resources were removed and sent to either the east early on or the western part of the state as the United States grew. In this area there are even more defined differences as lands south and or east of the Juniata River in general are more populated and have a growing season and lands more productive for agriculture. The ridges and valley section made travel difficult early on. I can only imagine the difficulty walking through South Mountain from Chambersburg to Gettysburg in the 1800's. I do like the comment someone else made about central Pa being like Alabama; to some extent it really is!

[@BlessingsfromBridget]

I’ve driven through Pennsylvania several times. It is such a wide state and takes a long time to drive through - while there is a lot to see in the west and in the east, there is hardly anything in the central area

[@virgilflowers9846]

This may be true strictly from the turnpike, but the proper Appalachian mountains run right through central PA.

[@orangeyewglad]

@@virgilflowers9846 Yeah driving on i80 or 322 is a much better drive through the state than the turnpike.

[@alexanderackerman3807]

There may not be much here but to me it’s home.

[@halo45600]

That's a statement of ignorance rather than an observation. The most beautiful areas of the state are in central Pennsylvania.

[@caseclosed9342]

I grew up in Pennsylvania and went college in central Pennsylvania for awhile. Rural central Pennsylvania is a completely different state compared to the Philadelphia area where I grew up. They always say “you’ve got Pittsburgh in the west and Philadelphia in the east and Alabama in between” it’s only a half-joke.

[@princephillip14]

Philadelphia is basically its own city and state

[@johnwiesner9590]

I remember a few years ago Keith Olbermann saying that on one side of the state there's Philadelphia, Pittsburgh on the other, and Alabama in the middle.

[@PennsylvanianCody]

I live in central PA...

[@mikehimes4833]

@@PennsylvanianCody good for u

[@tlawler88]

My Dad was from Central PA (Mifflin County), and I would spend every summer there with my grandparents. Despite the over the road transportation challenges, Lewistown and the surrounding communities did OK with the American Viscose plant and the Standard Steel plant in Burnham, especially post WW2. But Hurricane Agnes hit in 72, and the American Viscose plant closed down shortly after. The Standard Steel plant is still there, but after cutbacks and a bankruptcy, not quite the economic engine that it was. Improvements in Rt 22/322 (especially with "The Narrows" being eliminated) have helped make things more accessible, but it's still not easy to get to. Culturally it reminds me of Pittsburgh - lots of phrases I hear in The Burgh, and the accent, remind me of Central PA..."gumbands", "Redd up", "run the sweeper", "warsh". Beautiful scenery, quite outside of town, but hard to get anywhere except State College (better now that 22/322 is a four lane). But yeah, the short answer is "mountains." I made the drive for years from Western PA to Lewistown to take care of my Gram, and Rt22 is a slog of a drive at times. Very pretty, but I can see why I-78 stopped where it did and wasn't extended west.

[@alankent]

We have Philadelphia in the east, Pittsburgh in the west, and Alabama in between.

[@MalevolentBite]

What about York and Harrisburg?

[@boogiedownforever]

kinda interesting how you barely touched based about the allegheny. 15:08 was a major oil boom. Towns like Franklin were booming and affluent. The churches commissioned Tiffany to do the glass

[@virgilflowers9846]

Honestly Dauphin and Cumberland Counties are usually considered central or south central. I’ve lived there many years and never heard of these areas being categorized as southeast PA

[@metalmamasue3680]

Exactly, it's hours to drive from here to Philly, we are not part of that. And don't want to be 😂

[@virgilflowers9846]

@@metalmamasue3680 agree. Even Lancaster is kind of in a nether-region, I’ve seen it grouped with both south central and southeast. Culturally it’s kind of its own thing with the Amish and rolling hills. When I think of Southeast PA, I think of mostly Philly and the Philly burbs, counties like Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, Berks and Chester

[@coldwar45]

@@virgilflowers9846 Same, as a York Countian. Also there’s a political divide. Lancaster County and west is red all the way to Western PA, whereas the Philly burbs east of Lancaster are blue.

[@emac909]

Well the entirety of Eastern pa and south eastern pa is culturally and economically become more aligned with the northeast megalopolis. The more rural areas of that region may ot realize this but it is happening. This will become more and more pronounced in the coming decades.

[@tallman369]

@virgilflowers9846 They are not. From a Philly guy transplanted in Dauphin over 20 years. It would be a dishonor on both ends.

[@InspiredJJ]

In college (98-01), I came to find out many people refer to the center as the “Republican T”. I thought that was interesting.

[@herschelwright4663]

Do a similar video on the state of Missouri.

[@7007matthew]

James Carville famously said Pennsylvania is Philly in the east, Pittsburgh in the west, and Alabama in between.

[@lovemykids570mommyvlogger]

Don't lump in Northeast PA with the rest of central PA...Scranton and Wilkes-Barre as well as the northeast Poconos have strong ties to NYC, NJ, and Philly and are more similar to them culturally

[@spongebobsucks12]

Everybody in Scranton wants to be a New Yorker so bad. Just move to NYC lol

[@bchooper5603]

In other words, cultureless.

[@lovemykids570mommyvlogger]

@@bchooper5603 b8

[@natestains9287]

​@@bchooper5603 relative to what?

[@trent3792]

As a native and current resident of central pa it gets even stranger because south Central pa where i am from its not exactly densely populated but it may as well be a bustling metroplis compared to north central pa amd everything jorth of state college is effectively empty like wyoming

[@k.b.tidwell]

Geoff, is it weird that your videos are extremely comfortable to my brain to watch, almost ASMR? Their tone triggers something from my youth.

[@kellymurphy6642]

He doesn’t take a breather between thoughts and sentences though. It’s a little too much for my OCD brain. He needs to slow it down a little bit. Not knocking him just saying.

[@k.b.tidwell]

@@kellymurphy6642 use your speed control to slow him down a little. 👍

[@jackhaugh]

So I guess this would be more sociological than geographical, but about half of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, its suburbs, and surrounding small towns had a great diaspora of people moving out of the area when the steel industry collapsed, and half of the people that moved away ended up in the DC corridor that basically goes from Baltimore across DC and into northern Virginia. I happen to be a PA ex-Pat, and work in a facility in Fairfax, VA where probably 20% of our colleagues are from western Pennsylvania. What’s really odd is that 4 different employees have kids going to Pitt, and none of them are from Pennsylvania. 3 of the 4 are going on athletic scholarships.

[@ericbarkman4478]

Eastern Tennessee is totally different from Western Tennessee

[@iamsandrewsmith]

State College native here. You do a pretty good analysis, but there are a few more things that could be said. The really empty section is the belt of forests in the northern half of the region. The primary activity there was logging, which fizzled around the turn of the 20th century when they had literally cut down all the trees. Centered in Williamsport, it had a boomtown economy, which has all but disappeared, leaving a very sparse population. Mining, mostly west of the Allegheny Front, had a similar pattern, but not as severe. The denser southern half of the region had steel (Johnstown), railroads (Altoona), and sportsball (State College). Also, northeastern PA -- Scranton, Wilkes-Barre -- is usually considered separate, though its economy, history, and population are very similar to central PA. Incidentally, Harrisburg, Lancaster, and York are often described as being part of central PA, but I have a hard time seeing them that way.

[@DanH-u3f]

It's full of mountainous terrain.

[@jimmelka8132]

Thank You for mentioning the need to check your Voters Registration. Seriously, it's very important this year. However, (on the Far Side) I'm from Chicago, where we "Vote Early, and Vote Often"! (

[@getawaybros]

Butler county doesn’t have anyone in it I think it should be considered part of the middle of PA

[@UserName-ts3sp]

Butler County is urban compared to most of central PA

[@natekurtz3955]

Native from Central PA here (Sunbury)! I'm living in Southwest Virginia currently for school and there are definitely things i miss about our eclectic region of Central PA.

[@tylerensminger]

From what I've heard the Poconos region of PA is more like NY than Philadelphia but i haven't lived there in over 10 years

[@tallman369]

@@tylerensminger unfortunately, yes

[@LucasDimoveo]

I made the mistake of moving to Pittsburgh a few years ago. Back then I took the Megabus back home to NYC or DC to visit friends. Going east from Pittsburgh is heavily forested hills and a whole lot of nothing

[@davidhumphrey2593]

Just to note, but isn't Punxatawney, PA (see Groundhog Day) up there to be up there to it soon?? 🤔

[@BradWhitfield-p4f]

Punxy is north of Altoona about an hour via State Rte. 36 ✔️ middle of well PA and nowhere. I'm not far.

[@davidhumphrey2593]

@@BradWhitfield-p4f So somewhere between the two I’m getting it… 😲

[@philrogers8160]

My former in-laws were from Ulster PA area and from what I had visited this was very rural, hilly and mostly forest land. The biggest asset and determent was the Susquehanna River. It has flooded many times sometimes at historic levels. With the devastation after A flood that area isn't an area for much potential growth.

[@MrHav1k]

Nobody lives there, but it sure is pretty....

[@marvwatkins7029]

Central Pennsylvania does look beautiful and might make a good area for a weekend or summer home. I am surprised that business hasn't been exploited nor has snow skiing much or recreation in general.

[@DiemGiang-e3t]

I'm interested in investing, but I'm not sure where to start from. Do you have any advice or contacts who can help me out?

[@moon000shine]

It is wise that you seek professional guidance when building a strong financial portfolio die to it's complexity

[@TrangMinh-m1c]

Talking to an expert like Liza Georgia to reshape your portfolio is a very smart move

[@JoehCinder]

The very first time we tried, we invested $1000 and after a week, we received $7500. That really helped us a lot to pay up our bills.

[@FedorekWojtanik]

After I raised up to 325k trading with her I bought a new House and a car here in the states also paid for my son's surgery. Glory to God.shalom..

[@TriBlurr]

My invested account is at $29k from initial start up capital of 7k

[@randallboerlin1403]

One word : jobs. I have lived in and have relatives in several parts of PA. In the Philadelphia/Southeast Region, we have jobs, but housing is very expensive, we live on top of each other and there us no place to park or drive. In the big central region it is the total opposite in every way.

[@nobillclinton]

would be great if you would mention Erie's role in battles on the lake - also the era of the tankers etc.

[@Nico_flies]

Great video. I grew up in Scranton, went to college in Bethleham, and medical school in Philadelphia! Love Pennsylvania, if only it didnt get so cold!

[@TheOnlyJay_S]

Might move here once I’m on my own, I actually like places where there’s not a lot of people, a lot less crime.

[@coldwar45]

@@TheOnlyJay_S Stay clear of South Central PA then that’s the most populated part of Central PA and it’s growing more and more.

[@metalmamasue3680]

It's lovely north of Harrisburg in the boonies and you can still commute to the Harrisburg area for work or carpool. Best of both worlds. It's safe and peaceful up here for the most part and people are great. 😊 My neighbor's name is Jay lol here in rural PA north of Harrisburg.

[@johnmcnulty4425]

May I suggest a ride from Huntington on rt. 22 up to State College along some of the back roads through the mountains which never get that high in Pennsylvania but are very relaxing and just rugged enough. Cooks Forest, Black Moshannon, and the Allegheny National forest are highly recommended as well. ALSO: The once a day train ride on Amtrak between Pittsburgh (leaves at 7:30am and Philadelphia (leaves for Pittsburgh every day at noon.) is truly awesome! Crossing multiple times over the Juniata River, the famous horseshoe curve above Altoona and the reasonably short distance between the two metros makes for a really fun day in my opinion. 😊

[@dakidfromdalanez]

As a Philadelphian. Without watching the video, I can tell you the red middle there, we call that part of Penn Alabama.

[@paulreadly8161]

You just parrot James Carville's quote

[@bobbyesser8940]

Good video bro. I should have added the Wyoming valley into the populated east though. Other than that pretty spot on. I’m from PA.

[@lovemykids570mommyvlogger]

Yeah Scranton and Wilkes Barre are not central PA by any means and more similar to the east coast