Why So Few Americans Live Along The Gulf Coast Of The United States

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The Gulf Coast of the United States is a beautiful area with miles of beaches and weather that most regions of the world would love. Despite this, a large section in the middle of the Gulf Coast has very low population compared to Texas and southern Florida. And there's a reason for that!
Stock footage is acquired from www.storyblocks.com.
Some footage from the Prelinger Archives, all of which is public domain.

[@cynic2201]

It's because it's a swamp

[@miliba]

This is my swamp

[@kathryntreadway6647]

And a hurricane magnet.

[@PandorasFolly]

Was born and raised in southern Mississippi and can confirm. It has 90%plus humidity for sooooo much of the year. That includes the winter One time the weather man said it was too humid to snow. I once saw a summer there break up an engagement. She was from off the coast in Washington/Oregon. The humidity that year was especially bad.

[@choski76]

And a mosquito breeding ground.

[@JPJ432]

Drain the Swamp!

[@willdickinson8135]

I'm from the MS gulf coast and let me tell you. Summer lasts 8 months and from June to August it's painful to walk outside. It's not like arid heat where you can get under some shade and it makes a world of difference. Shade during the summer here basically does nothing it feels like you're being steamed.

[@nickwaters9869]

Not to mention the no-see-ums will eat you alive from March - October if you live anywhere in Jackson, Harrison, Hancock counties.

[@olivia_kinney]

Anything is better than the midwest where it’s -15 in the winter. Also we only get 3 months of “summer”.

[@Godknowsvita]

I have lived in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, In my opinion, the worst part of living in the south, are the mosquitos.

[@eveei]

@@olivia_kinney cold>hot

[@amosculbreth5308]

From Pascagoula

[@rotcoke652]

It's super underrated. The coastline itself does not really get pretty until you hit Alabama. Everything west of Mobile bay is fairly dirty because of the way the Mississippi river breaks up into a delta, but there is a stretch of beautiful beach about 100 miles long from Gulf Shores, AL to Panama City, FL where the sand is brilliant white and baby powder soft. It is fairly developed for the most part, but the properties are considerably cheaper than other parts of the country. There are even a few places where you can still buy land on the ocean and build a dream home. Many people from the south call it the Redneck Riviera.

[@Becca4.2]

I mean ..... you assume everything west of mobile bay even has a beach. As a resident of Louisiana .... *ahem ....* .... yeah, not so much lol Its like people (not you, at least you mentioned the fact ....) forget that the delta even exists lol

[@RD-jc2eu]

@@Becca4.2 Right... there aren't really any beaches on the primary coastline until you get far enough west of not just the Miss. River delta but also the Atchafalaya R. basin (which I suppose most geographers would consider all part of the same system). Although there are beaches on some of the barrier islands off the coast, those are being steadily eroded away. So, there are beach areas along the southwestern coastline, but they don't have nearly the quality of the beaches east of the Miss. River delta region. And, there's no way to develop tourist-type infrastructure to support them (as is done along parts of the Texas coast) because they're backed up mostly by marshlands. Final strike against them is the frequency of tropical storms that tuck into that area -- with at least two major storms in the past 15 to 20 years, not to mention several smaller storms. (I'm originally from southwestern La., about 25 to 30 miles from the coast.)

[@gwcrispi]

Hey I resemble that remark. We love Destin FL and Gulf Shores AL. Vacation there all the time. Don't know if I would live there if I wasn't on the beach...

[@MadSUPANOVA]

The beach is beating, but it's in the region of hurricane formations and path... that's the issue.

[@JK-mp1mg]

Might wanna recheck your property prices. If you're looking for any amount of land, you'll pay through the nose.

[@doug1039]

Lived and worked in the heat and humidity in Pensacola, FL since 60s. Moved away many times and always returned. It's my home and I love it. Doug Curled, age 72

[@CrossingTalkAdmin]

I don't know too many people who "beg" for gulf coast weather. Maybe in the middle of winter North Dakotans want it to be 60° like it is down there, but the summers are downright miserable and they seem to drag on forever.

[@GenghisClaus]

I've lived there for the past 24 years, and you're not wrong.

[@dreadhead5719]

best temperature in america is the DC area

[@iboKirby]

No way. I am from North Dakota and I know for a fact I wouldn’t beg for southern weather in winter. Way too humid. There’s a reason that most North Dakotans who leave the state for somewhere warm go to Arizona.

[@TimothyCHenderson]

@@iboKirby Dry heat and dry cold are your two best options. Humidity in the heat is smothering and bone chilling in the cold.

[@tristanduff]

When you start to sweat and your glasses fog up walking to the car at 5 in the morning, you no longer claim to enjoy the climate here

[@robloxvids2233]

"If you don't mind the humidity" is the understatement of the year. I live in Houston. The Gulf coast from here to the tip of Florida get an ungodly amount of rain. And sometimes when it's not raining the sky looks like it will start pouring all day long. And the heat is brutal. Mixing the two plus tossing in "the occasional" tropical storm, like you say, is almost unbearable. At 4am here in August it's over 80 outside. You can't escape the heat and humidity for MONTHS. The only reason I live here is family and good economy.

[@johncalvo1743]

Try living in Las Vegas in July/August. Over here it is 105 at 8pm.

[@robloxvids2233]

@@johncalvo1743 Dude I've been to Vegas many times. The heat here is way worse. I remember it was 108 there once when I was there and the cab driver was asking what we thought of the heat and I said it was like 90 in Houston. Dry heat isn't bad at all. Just wear sunscreen and drink extra water. But walking around isn't bad since the sweat evaporates immediately.

[@dansouthlondon9873]

Sounds like when I visit Brasil but less intense

[@dansouthlondon9873]

@@johncalvo1743 Dry heat is completely different to humid heat tbf

[@marysimmons7502]

I live in Memphis and it can be 80 degrees at night here too. But not week after week, lol. My brother came from CA to visit us. He said, "Oh, I get it now! Living here means just going to one air conditioned place after another." Then we got into the argument re tornadoes vs wildfires.

[@Sc00terNut]

I was just on the Gulf Coast 3 days ago. I absolutely love that region.

[@USAR8888]

I remember doing Army training in the dead of summer late July-late August 2009 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The most brutal humidity I've ever felt in my life. Our barracks had no AC and it was miserable, 90 degrees at 0500 wakeup and sweat already pouring off of you. I deployed to Iraq a year later and the dry desert heat in the 110-125 degree range was actually more tolerable than the 90-100 with humidity in Mississippi. I actually had spent a lot of time in the south during my time in the Army too (Fort Benning, Bragg, and Polk) so I wasn't totally unaccustomed to southern heat, but what I went through in Mississippi that summer was brutal. We actually had a lot of guys who passed out as heat casualties, more than I ever saw in Georgia or North Carolina. All the respect in the world to people who live down there and endure that humidity. I'll take the snow and no humidity in the midwest over that any day haha

[@twistedinnocence8617]

That's dangerous. I'm surprised nobody died.

[@stevepanos2050]

Are you kidding, no air conditioning in an Army barracks? Boo hoo hoo. I was in Ft. Bragg NC in July and August 1966, our barracks were just reopened from WW2.Air conditioning was not to be found, we had other things on our minds.

[@lynncarden]

My eldest son and his Army Reserve unit did their summer e er year at CA p Shelby.. below Hattiesburg ...His unit was in wayne co before Meriden Ms... group of GREEN Beret guys where Ne in a d wS going to show the reserves how to run long distances ....what those guys didn't understand was guys down here train in humidity ,sometime soaking rains and in in winter old and rain ect.. they started out our guys behind them and they got bright ide to speed up.. while reserves just keep same pace instead of speeding up apox mile.. they past these them about collapsed on side of road ...they looked at the.them and kept going without grasping for breathe.... guess .they kinda chuckled at them after how those guys saying locals guys needed to toughen up . Bah bah ..same two weeks Lottle guy Charlie Colley and my son shot expert in Chemical gear with their rifles and their machine gun I believe .They Won the ribbon streamer for their unit....

[@crazydrummer181]

@@stevepanos2050wow, you must be the toughest guy on the planet! Your generation is surely the greatest. I’m sure the generation before you had nothing but the utmost respect. LMAOOOO

[@crazydrummer181]

I live in Biloxi. This summer we had multiple nights of 100+ weather.

[@bigrich6750]

I’m 67 and have lived on the Northern Gulf Coast (Mobile and Pensacola) my whole life. The summers can be brutal here for non-natives who aren’t used to it. A Yankee friend of mine came down and went fishing with me a few years ago. He said he felt like he was going to die from the heat and humidity. Now, he’ll only visit in spring and fall. Our winters on the Northern Gulf Coast are not necessarily mild like the Southern Gulf Coast of Florida. Last winter we had several days with night time temps in the 20s. But none of that is as detrimental to growth as the insurance problem we have. Due to the regularity of hurricanes, wind insurance can be prohibitively expensive. My wind insurance is $8000 a year. Wind in most Florida communities is a separate policy and the deductible is a percentage of your property value, so your deductible can be exorbitant. My homeowners is another $2500 a year, so over $10,000 a year for wind and homeowners insurance. Now, the further inland one resides the less it can be, but I’m assuming your description of, “Gulf Coast,” means closer to the actual coast. Insurance is a really big deal for this part of the world. I’m currently living without wind insurance because I paid off my mortgage and it was no longer required, but it’s a huge risk on my part. One good hurricane and I could be homeless. That’s a pretty good incentive to live somewhere else.

[@susanvinson2667]

I hear you. We live in Mobile as well. I’m not sure if he means right on the coast. He also mentioned Montgomery. They wish! 😂

[@bigrich6750]

@@susanvinson2667 I grew up in Mobile. That’s my hometown. Still have a sister there, but yeah, I don’t think Montgomery’s on the Gulf Coast. We lived through hurricanes Camille in 69 and Frederick in the ‘70s and everything in between. After Andrew hit South Florida, all the insurance companies pulled out of Florida. The state came up with a plan to write wind insurance subsidized by the state, but the premiums and deductibles went sky high. It’s a real problem in Florida that no one has been able to figure out.

[@susanvinson2667]

@@bigrich6750 as someone who had plenty of insurance issues after Katrina I sympathize. We ended up having to take a loan to pay off the mortgage.

[@ak6188]

Kindly have an insurance it’s safe option even if it’s expensive

[@APerson-fj6yx]

Oh yeah I remember this past Christmas I froze whenever someone opened the door 25 degrees Fahrenheit is so freaking cold, and it’s been getting colder and colder every year in winter

[@fatmanvidz]

I'm from Houma, LA. I think one problem aside from the insane humidity and threat of hurricanes, is government corruption (in Louisiana at least. I can't speak for the rest of the region), and the fact that the only major tourist destination is New Orleans. The oilfield industry is the only real job you can get without a college degree, and nobody truly wants to work out there.

[@needler267]

Lmao. You're from commiefornia and talking about other states being corrupt. You come from one of the most corrupt states and cities.

[@WHYOSHO]

Houston is a tourist destination kinda lol

[@baneverything5580]

When I was about age nine my sister lived in Houma. We went to a mall in New Orleans and saw a brutal murder. A guy had his head stomped flat. His eyes were on the pavement. That was my introduction to New Orleans. I also had a person threaten me with a knife in Houma.

[@bigs1947]

Having lived in New Orleans for 4 years, I can testify that Louisiana has the best politicians money can buy!

[@LANeverSleeps]

Yeah LA is essentially a Petrol State run by the oil industry. That's why all the civilian infrastructure is trash. They keep New Orleans around as a place to entertain their workers but refuse to keep the rest of the state functioning.

[@JohnGarnerIII]

Am moving there this summer. Spent every summer going there and the beaches are amazing. The people friendly and homes affordable. The gulf coast is Amazing

[@xixi1x34]

But sir house insurance is very high.

[@CytoplasmicGoo]

I think you should also include that the weather down there is barely within the spectrum of tolerable during the summer months. I've had the pleasure of visiting the area, and while the people, food, culture, and scenery were amazing, the extreme heat and humidity made me immediately homesick.

[@laceymcgraw6571]

My husband and I are from MS, and we go mad literally every summer. The heat makes us sick. We get depressed and either sweat our asses off or waste away indoors. Sept-May are very lovely

[@safeandeffectivelol]

I used to live in Houston and the summers are unbearable along the coast. The Florida beaches might be a nice vacation spot during the summer, but most people can't handle the humidity.

[@goxyeagle8446]

Same except people were not nice at all, especially Mississippi

[@uncletaylorify]

When you're born and raised in the South you get used to the humidity lol... Like people up North are used to snow lol

[@obfuscateidentity2329]

​@@goxyeagle8446I was impressed with Mississippi when I stopped at the first Mississippi exit to get the free map they gave us free Coca-Cola!!! So friendly!

[@Hypersonicmind]

Five years ago, i had to stop over in Houston on flight back to Virginia. There was a storm that night forming in the Gulf, and i was lucky enough to sit on the right side of the plane in a window seat. The spectacle was beyond description. The interplay of cloud to cloud lightning at vast scales was both eerie and humbling. i don't think ppl can appreciate the absolute volume of wet, hot and angry air that can spin up in that hurricane hatchery we call the Gulf.

[@Lance.pigman]

Houston in summertime, those storms seem to form up out of morning almost daily. That’s about the only break we get from the 100% nonstop humidity of summer here.

[@rexx9496]

Yes! I was once on a flight from LA to Ft Lauderdale and saw something similar over the New Orleans area. It looked like bombs were going off all over the place. Surprisingly the ride was smooth.

[@eustatic3832]

If you fly Houston to New Orleans, you can regularly see the angry, hot cauldron that is the Gulf of Mexico, shooting rain clouds to Virginia like God's Artillery

[@eustatic3832]

Poetry

[@PeterSodhi]

Such an eloquent comment - hope you are a writer in break life

[@504ever4]

I'm from the Gulf Coast so I have a lot of opinions of this. Firstly, New Orleans and Gulf Coast MS have prioritized hospitality and service industries jobs in terms of economic growth. They've done this instead of focusing on manufacturing and/or tech hub jobs. And the hospitality industry is so volatile that it can't sustain a city or region, especially when some sort of event, like a hurricane or Covid, takes place. I don't think it's some big coincidence that crime in New Orleans has skyrocketed since Covid. NOBODY had a job in the city. Sure, crime increased everywhere in 2020, but New Orleans is now number 1 in terms of crime.

[@eustatic3832]

New orleans has an enormous amount if industry. It s all just owned by Texans. We lost the oil game in the 1980's, man. Oil stands to lose a lot if they allow another industry to come in, and participate in politics, like medicine. We give away Billions in tax breaks to industry.

[@992ras]

@@eustatic3832 wrong the oil companies left in the 90’s and New Orleans is the number one manufacturer of all oil not even Texas is. One problem is that the Long family still owns all the mineral rights since it’s in the Louisiana constitution. The south has a lot very poor politics as well a lot politics have stolen money like Huey P Long

[@dickmoney2946]

The motels and Hotels are nasty.

[@witchkid66]

it’s depressing bc i love the city, but the crime is just out of hand. i haven’t even gone to some of my favorite restaurants recently because it’s been so bad, shit is depressing 😭

[@notallowedtobehonest2539]

New orleans is 59% bwack. That's legitimately the only reason, and a perfect explanation, for why theres no jobs and high crime.

[@justinaverette7407]

Lousiana and Mississippi are bayou; a lot of Florida is swamp; the "nice" beaches are really limited to Gulf Shores to Panama City, so just a small part of that area.

[@tayzonday]

It’s because the flies are the size of hummingbirds

[@patrickdinwiddie6113]

I’m original from NOLA, but just one note here, Geoff, Mobile is pronounced “Mobeel”. It’s actually yet another town with French roots in this area. Just wanted to share. Thx.

[@davidstout6922]

Caught that too.

[@DieFlabbergast]

I'm British and I don't live in the US, yet I know that and have known it for about 60 years. Don't people learn ANYTHING these days?

[@kalburgy2114]

I can't keep up with how to pronounce all these names. Try Henrico County, Virginia, Bexar County, Texas (or the town of Boerne in that county), or even Pierre, South Dakota.

[@McCdrizzle]

@@DieFlabbergast He's probably not from the area, people pronounce things differently across the US. Plus if you're British you might've picked up the correct pronunciation from your proximity to France.

[@RandomDudeOne]

Another example of locals pronouncing a town name in a counterintuitive way, just to mess with out of towners I guess.

[@caseyflorida]

Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are now getting way more destructive tornadoes than they used to. Look what happened in Mississippi last Friday.

[@SunCoastFilms]

I agree, something is definitely going on. I've lived on the Gulf Coast for many years. I have never seen this many destructive storms.

[@thearachnid7779]

Right. Even the Bible says natural disasters will increase.

[@highway2heaven91]

At the same time, Oklahoma and Kansas are getting way less destructive tornadoes than they used to get.

[@cmar7590]

@@thearachnid7779 bible deez nuts

[@soot4355]

It seems like every week for the last six months there's been a devastating storm between Louisiana and Mississippi

[@elisabethkolling6697]

The brutal humidity that many write about extends down to Houston. Strangely, further down towards Corpus Christi and beyond, the humidity is significantly less. In Houston I'd be sweltering outside in early October at 10:00 PM at night , while in mid-August in Corpus, it's often comfortable to sit outside on the porch at 6-7:00 PM. Very warm for sure, but not stifling. The persistent breezes certainly helps too.

[@cherylfields6270]

Air conditioning made it possible to live here in the summer. The summers can be brutal and seem to be getting worse. Then the hurricanes… since 1995 when I moved here, Panama City, we have had several, most recently a category five. So in a blink of an eye you can lose everything. I guess some don’t have the stomach for the risks.

[@miliba]

Number 1 reason: A particular swampdweller shouting "THIS IS MY SWAMP"!!

[@abdlextra7969]

As someone from New Orleans this was a pretty fascinating watch. However, the weather is actually brutal here. The hottest parts of summer are intolerable and temperature changes feel much more extreme here because of the humidity. Not to mention the hurricanes. You're spot on about the infrastructure though. I think New Orleans is legitimately the greatest city in America though. I wish it was possible for all of the economic and systemic problems here to get fixed.

[@MJIZZEL]

The more humidity the less the extreme in temps are. That's why such a wide range in the winter record highs and lows because of less humidity. Humidity stops temps from having extremes.

[@0N0N0]

I live in Lake Charles and I do agree that the summers are way to hot and miserably humid, but after just a little bit of experience with the freezing temperatures and snow of the north, I can safely say that I much rather be uncomfortable here than suffocating in snow up there. Though I wouldn’t mind not having to evacuate twice a year.

[@lenblack1462]

Come to Orlando and tell me about it.

[@MrChinesename]

@@MJIZZELhe said it feels more extreme because it does .. humidity and hot make it feel hotter .. humidity and cold makes it feel colder .. good arguments tho, too bad no one said that

[@korayven9255]

@@MJIZZEL This is wacky misinformation; like saying being on fire helps keep your core body temperature 'stable.' The most common way to get high humidity is through extreme temps so saying humidity stops extreme temps is in itself kinda backwards. High humidity _traps_ heat in human bodies. The biggest danger of high humidity is deadly wet bulb temperature events where humidity gets so high that sweat can't evaporate so heat gets trapped in the body instead.

[@Spudeaux]

I think some people commenting didn't notice that pointed out that south Florida & Houston are growing so much since they seem to be putting most of the blame on the weather. Hurricane Katrina is probably the biggest factor, it's tough to really understand just how much it just obliterated without seeing it first hand. My parents grew up in this region (Mom in Moss Point, MS, not too far from Biloxi, Dad in Grand Bay, Alabam, near Mobile) and my grandparents still lived there is 2005. So many people decided to leave instead of rebuild, and the impact of that has lasted a long time.

[@ntmn8444]

Very true!!

[@whiskyngeets]

In the Summer down here you'll have days where the sky looks like it should be storming, but it's literally too hot to rain. It tries to, but the drops just disintegrate and the heat recirculates the moisture up again, so you're basically just in this humid convection oven of death.

[@ernestsmith3581]

The actual Gulf Coast region is much narrower than your map indicates, extending only 25-50 miles inland in that area. Beyond those few miles, you're back into Eastern Forest, just like the rest of the State. Like most have stated, the frequency of hurricanes is the number one deterrent to human population growth. It's a beautiful retirement area, or would be if Biloxi/Gulfport/Mobile concentrated their effort to improve the quality and reputation of their health care facilities.

[@__taylor__]

I feel like University of South Al is contributing a lot here.

[@markmclaughlin2690]

I’m from Bay St Louis, Ms the Gulf coast part ends when you get north of I-10.

[@loriwyoming835]

Yep... As much as I'm tired of the cold in Wyoming? It's easier to prepare for a blizzard than a hurricane.

[@jameshicks3735]

You nailed it. In all the maps you could see differences between the narrow band you describe and the pine belt north of it. The author should look at just the area of these states between I-10 and I-20 - that would have even worse stats. The area also lacks a very large city (or more accurately the suburbs of a very large city).

[@toritolito]

@@markmclaughlin2690 I am also from Bay Saint Louis, MS and I agree. If you go north of I10 it is either forest or country.

[@thenabinator]

I grew up in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It was a small town and a wonderful place to grow up. My dad had a great job as an architect, but most everybody worked for either the ship yard or the Chevron refinery. I couldn’t continue my current career if I lived there, so there’s no reason for me to move back. Like a coal or steel town, there’s little to do outside of the main employer.

[@deejaye2647]

My in-laws worked for Ingalls Shipyard and lived in Pascagoula. It was always fun to visit them.

[@brianrich7828]

It’s either Ingalls or hospitality/Min wage jobs. Very stagnant place unfortunately,tons of potential.

[@pilothouseking]

Was that like 50 years ago?

[@Naoki09]

I lived in Pensacola 5 years because I was in the Navy. Honestly extremely underrated town. I'm kinda happy the Florida growth hasn't totally hit there yet, might move back some day.

[@tmgha6876]

I live in MS. The water on our southern end is not pretty ocean water. It’s greenish brown. The small beaches are full of seaweed and just not the best. In LA, the southern border is really swamp. We usually drive to AL or FL coast area for beach vacations. And, yes, the humidity is so bad it feels like you’re being hugged by water all summer (which is May to Dec) but it makes for nice soft skin 😂.

[@arrynnova3812]

as someone who’s spent countless summers there let me give you an unabridged list. HEAT, TORNADOES, HURRICANES, humidity that would choke a horse, lack of equal education, and the bugs are effing massive!

[@vernonfrance2974]

You are over-generalizing about the bugs. Fire ants, flies, mosquitoes and roaches are NOT that big.

[@raymondkidwell7135]

And south Florida is heavily populated because it's all old people and drug smugglers and some Hispanic workers. In other words most people in south Florida don't work there and a large percentage leave during the sweltering summer heat. And the cost of hurricane damage is subsidized by FEMA but also the state of Florida pays to keep insurance affordable but it's still the highest insurance in the nation.

[@Jermzzzzz]

@@vernonfrance2974 I dont know about that one man. I live in new orleans and we do air bnb at my house. Had a guest last month from NY that saw a roach in our backyard and freaked out asking me "Are they all this huge?". Wasn't even one of the big ones. Never been anywhere else long enough to notice their bugs much, but it seems to be surprising to people who aren't from here. For context, the biggest ones I've seen are just barely smaller than a smartphone

[@vernonfrance2974]

@@Jermzzzzz I stand corrected. I am used to the small German roaches from when I lived in California and Boston. I don't have any here in Northern Nevada. The fire ants may be small but they can do a lot of damage through force of numbers and painful bites.

[@laceymcgraw6571]

​@@vernonfrance2974 Growing up, the small german ones were considered "nasty" b/c it meant they were infested in the walls and breeding. The giant tree roaches, although disgustingly huge, were not "nasty" b/c they lived and reproduced outside in the pine needles and did not in fact infest your home. Just some MS folklore for ya ;)

[@jamesmcelwain342]

As someone who grew up in this region and moved out as an adult, I really thought I would be dealing with afternoon thunderstorms all my life.

[@willie417]

we had the 1:30 pm - 2 pm thunderstorm just enough rain for the afternoon humidity, what's Florida without the humidity?😬

[@bruhman5716]

I agree, they are annoying

[@Olivia-pj6fw]

I grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida! I used to love the daily thunderstorms. I live in New Hampshire now and we have legit 6 months of Winter 😢 We do get a few thunderstorms in the summer and I get excited every time lol

[@gracefuller2552]

I grew up on the coast and miss the thunderstorms to much 😭

[@denniscliff2071]

Yes, those hurricanes are very "comfortable". I have always thought it surprising that anyone lived in the path of hurricanes.

[@ali_g79]

I live on the gulf coast and it’s packed with people. Traffic gridlocked, schools overcrowded, gas stations packed.

[@RickS.C.137]

Cool video idea: Why most of central and northern Maine is underpopulated compared to its New England neighbors to the west?

[@dougmartin7129]

Winter

[@outlaw1179]

@@dougmartin7129 but canada?

[@yoironfistbro8128]

@@outlaw1179 St Lawrence River

[@TheFuelInjected]

Because of Geological constraints. It could probably support a higher population as a part of Canada, just as the Milk River and Pakowki Lake of S.E Alberta would probably better develop as a part of Montana

[@Nick_J_]

@@outlaw1179 most Canadians live south of the northern parts of Maine

[@denelson6286]

“Besides the occasional tropical storm is blessed with weather most regions would beg for” 13 seconds in and my mind is blown and I’m lmao. Devastating hurricanes hit the coast on a regular basis. Hurricane Ida, Laura, Marco, Delta, and Sally since 2019. With many more tropical storms. The weather itself is humid, like 80% or higher close to 24/7 365. So if you like to sweat, have two season then yes the weather is lovely…

[@mickbadgero5457]

Hot, humid, mosquitoes, flies, black widows, fiddlebacks, scorpions, rattlesnakes, water moccasins, copperheads, and yes, an occasional coral snake. Did I miss anything?

[@siricm9647]

@@mickbadgero5457 don't forget the massive flying tree roaches

[@rivieracar1992]

I agree that there's way more hurricanes and destructives storms that this guy says. Very many residents have been displaced every year and just don't return.

[@crazydrummer181]

The MS Coast still feels “empty” compared to before Katrina. You’ll still find countless concrete foundations and empty use-to-be neighborhoods that have been reclaimed by nature.

[@MikeCheckBiloxi]

Ive lived in gulfport/ biloxi my whole life thus far (currently 38), and im so accustomed to the humidity that anytime i go anywhere north where the humidity isnt as high, my skin dries out and my nose starts bleeding. I need the 80-90% humidity. Im basically a fish

[@hugedeath]

I've lived all along this area and they only thing holding this region back is the lack of jobs. The University of South Alabama has become a major public university to the east and LSU to the west. Harrison County in Mississippi, Baldwin County in Alabama, along with most of the counties in Florida are some of the fastest growing counties in their respective states. The Gulf Coast is not the region you described. Most of the "Gulf Coast" culture is below or along I-10. A lot of French and Spanish influence has made this area super interesting to live in. Mardi Gras, obviously, is celebrated all along this region. Many manufacturing companies have moved to the South Alabama area. THE largest port in the US is also in this region along with BR, NOLA, Gulfport, MOB, and others bringing massive economic output for the rest of the country. The summers used to be brutal, but I have gotten used to them. Hurricane culture along the coast is very weird. Where I live, we do hurricane parties where a bunch of family and friends come over and pretty much camp out the hurricane. Very fun, might I add. Probably not the safest, and we don't stay around for cat 3 or higher. I have really enjoyed living in this area and the lifestyle is very relaxed all along the coast, especially in the sleepy beach towns along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Amtrak is beginning its service from Mobile to NOLA and that is going to be awesome for people without cars. Gulfport-Biloxi is seeing a major boom because of Casinos and subsequent tourism. A new one is even under construction right now. Sorry for the long message. This video seemed very negative and I thought I would highlight some of the positives of the region. This region is cohesive together and is vastly different than the rest of the states it is part of. Like night and day different. Def come visit if you are wanting to escape the cold.

[@sethb.9597]

I live in this region and two corrections: 1) it is pronounced Moe-beel and 2) brutal, you meant BRUTAL summers of 90's to 100's with 90%+ humidity. Other than those small corrections, this video is awesome. Love the information and historical data you provided. Keep up the good work!

[@ripple947]

Relative humidity is the percentage of the amount of moisture that can be held in the air. The higher the temperature the more moisture can be held. What that means it that, assuming the actual amount of moisture remains the same, as the temperature rises during the day, the relative humidity goes DOWN. That means temps of 90+ with relative humidity of 90% just doesn't happen. The numbers just don't work that day. On a really hot humid day you might get a RH of 70% at the peak temperature but that doesn't sound as dramatic. And then as the temperature drops in the evening the RH might approach 90%. This is why dew point is a much better measure of the level of humidity discomfort. Any dew point above 68 F is going to be uncomfortable and sometimes in the south the dew points can rise to the high 70's with temperatures rising well into the 90's.

[@yearbyguy4470]

It’s spelt mobile so ima say mobile

[@David-hm9ic]

@@yearbyguy4470 That's about as good as "spelt" and "ima." It's as he said; MOE-beel.

[@David-hm9ic]

The pronunciation of Lafayette was like fingernails across a chalk board, too. Locals say it more like Laffy-ette. I spent 8 long years in South Louisiana; don't need the subtitles any more if I watch "Swamp People."

[@TheBOG3]

@@David-hm9ic 'Spelt' is how they say and spell 'spelled' in the U.K. I hear people up north saying 'Spelt' at times instead of 'Spelled.' In the south it's left over from British settlers. Like people saying 'Yonder' which is old English.

[@brianc6218]

I’m originally from this region and moved away as soon as I could. It really is a great area but economically poor, bad and corrupt politics and infrastructure is horrible, especially with the hurricanes and tornadoes that are pounding the area in the last several years. I go back to my hometown often and not much has changed since the 1980’s.

[@damikey18]

I'm from Mississippi I plan on moving to georgia soon or either New York 😂

[@lephtovermeet]

Yeah being a theocratic libertarian hell hole doesn't sound appealing.

[@michaelgomez3044]

Thanks for leaving.

[@prestonsenior488]

@@michaelgomez3044 You forgot the biggest point, the people are just god awful. Hyper religious and bigoted people who vote against their own best interest, leading to brain drain as anyone with sense leaves. All that’s left are landed elites or people like Michael Gomez here, convinced it’s great to eat the landed elites shit

[@brianc6218]

@@michaelgomez3044 welcome.

[@robertohara6732]

terrific commentaries.. thank you all!

[@ericjohnson6675]

Your comment on infrastruture is so true. I have driven from Tampa to Dallas and back several times. The farther west you go, the worse the road conditions. And its a distinct transition right at the state lines.

[@GulfShoresVacationGuide]

I moved to Gulf Shores, AL 13 years ago and do no regret it at all. It has to the best remaining affordable beach town with beautiful white sand in America right now. Summers hot. Winters short. Fall and Spring are gorgeous. Storms are a crap shoot - that can happen to you anywhere (I moved from the tornado alley part of the country). All in all, happy here.

[@ronwinkles2601]

We have a home in Foley, AL, and we absolutely love Baldwin County. We just do October to March and would like to stay longer, but with two homes back in Tennessee we have to come back to mow grass. Where we live in East TN, we have not had one day in the 100s for 7 years.

[@GulfShoresVacationGuide]

@@ronwinkles2601 Its time for you to sell all that TN property and become full time South AL resident :)

[@blakeskinner3878]

I guarantee you as someone from Mobile most people cannot afford gulfshores it's a tourist trap now with no affordable housing for its residents and they cater more to tourists then the people who actually live and work here not to mention the rude tourists and snow birds who flock here for vacation and retirement that disrespect the people and the land

[@__nm10]

As a student in Tallahassee, in just over a year the city has started to completely revitalize itself. When I moved here at the beginning of my freshman year it looked extremely unkempt and certain places looked almost abandoned. Since then I’ve seen so many construction projects that it reminds me a bit of Miami. I think Tallahassee is definitely going to start kicking off the spur of growth in this region, especially as people start getting priced out from living in South Florida.

[@Jack-he8jv]

and then comes the next hurricane washing everything clean. id rather live in a desert than that death gulf.

[@MrPolandball]

What construction in Tallahassee do you speak off? Cheap wooden junk collegetown dorm apartments that will get eaten by termites or destroyed by a hurricane within 50 years? You you have to be insane minded to compare that place to a megapolis like Miami. Sorry to break to you bud, anything build after 1980 in Tallahassee is not going to last past this century.

[@loganrobinson192]

@@Jack-he8jv Tallahassee fares really well in storms historically as it is just far enough east into the big bend region of FL.

[@safeandeffectivelol]

@@Jack-he8jv Tallahassee isn't on the coast

[@476233]

@@MrPolandball I doubt all the glass and high rises in S FL will survive a cat 5. Hell. Even in Jacksonville when storms pass a hundred miles away our coast gets ate alive. At least tally isn’t right on the water front.

[@ecaldwell9]

Great job on this video! Very well (geographically) explained w/ supportive (logistic) illustration. I like your tone of voice & speed in how you’re telling us the story. Thx U!

[@ihatetheworld90]

The humidity is something else during the summer especially in south Texas and Florida but we can grow tropical plants and cover them up during our “winter”

[@DataJuggler]

8:00 I lived in Biloxi in 2008. Former houses and shopping centers were just slabs. I overheard poker players telling stories of riding out Katrina in a bathroom with their dogs with a mattress over them. The regions of Bay. St. Louis, Gulfport and Biloxi were destroyed, yet New Orleans got all the headlines.

[@kalburgy2114]

MS and AL were hit so hard the news crews couldn't get there.

[@mssha1980]

That’s because New Orleans was under water primarily due to government failure.

[@Jacksonn985]

Thats because yes, yall got fucked over by simple hurricane damage. but new orleans was only fucked over due to the government. Not only that yall got paid well after the storm, residents in Louisiana only got 2-20k maybe a bit more even though they were promised wayyyy more and the state government took most the money. The government fucked new orleans. Also got to remember new orleans at the time was a major city with a million people

[@guyindecatur]

@@mssha1980 "government failure." The "government" and israel did 911. So, there's that!

[@nickwaters9869]

This MS GUlf coast was referred to as a "Landmass"

[@LifeMoreColorful]

You missed how many hundreds of thousands of acres of land are owned by the government. Just in NW Florida, there is Eglin AFB with 340,000 acres. Blackwater state forest is 207,000 acres. Apalachicola forest is 633,000 acres. There are other smaller holdings, but it adds up to not a lot of space for people to live on. That land alone is ~1850 square miles, or nearly 20% of all of the land in the Florida panhandle.

[@timothylolley6302]

45 percent of California is owned by the federal government but that doesn't stop people from moving there.

[@paulkoza8652]

Yeah, the reason for this is that nobody wants to live there. Believe me, if the land was that valuable, the developers would have bought the government out years ago. If you are blaming the government for this, you are barking up the wrong tree.

[@DEmersonJMFM]

Many endangered species live in these areas that aren't elsewhere in the country. Plus these areas are important for maintaining the historic pine ecosystems.

[@brentbarnett9224]

@@paulkoza8652 Iam good with nobody wonting to live here in the panhandle. But the fact is the population is growing. You also don't get to buy Air Force property because you are a developer or anything else for that matter. And yes, a piece of land that has a bay on one side and the gulf on the other [Tyndall Air Force Base] is as valuable as it gets.

[@GardenerEarthGuy]

Once the military is defunded we'll be able to grow-

[@oliviatr_rose]

This is so helpful!! I've been looking into moving to Louisiana after college and this has answered some questions for me

[@carsontate01]

I can say that the weather down here during 8 months out of the year is anything but comfortable. I lived in Louisiana my whole life and I still dread the summer months. The heat is brutal and walking outside is like walking into a sauna. I’d take 100 degrees in the desert over 85 degrees over here any day

[@smesui1799]

Phoenix or Tuscon, AZ awaits you ! Want something cooler year-round (?) ... then Flagstaff, AZ may be just the place for you.

[@jessicabowers4811]

I’ve lived in Alabama my whole life, and it honestly isn’t as bad as people are making it out to be. Where I live we have a solid 6 months of perfect weather. Spring and Fall are magical here and the winters are gentle and short. Our “summer” is like everyone else’s “winter” where you just stay inside and chill for awhile until the weather is favorable again lol.

[@GulfShoresVacationGuide]

100% correct - I said exactly the same thing. In the summer, my wife and I just spend our days indoors and head out to the beach around 5pm after all the tourists have burned and broiled themselves to oblivion. We start our beach time when there's fewer people down there, and the weather gets cooler by the minute. Its actually fun and comfortable to be on the beach as the sun goes down.

[@ShidaiTaino]

It’s also filled the brim with klansmen

[@l.plantagenet]

I grew up in Birmingham and have lived in Mobile since 2000. I hate this heat and would prefer all four seasons including colder winters to kill off of the insects that abound. You'd think I'd be more heat tolerant, but no, this oppressive heat can take a toll. I do enjoy the rain especially since I've moved to Mobile we receive more rain than any other U.S. city. I've always wanted to live somewhere that has the climate of England, but I know most people don't care for the rain like I do. It's only since I've gotten older that I appreciate the beauty in this state.

[@rashidkhwaja959]

only if you are white. Alabama definitely still has sundown towns.

[@marcusmaynard1526]

Fake news. Lots of shootings, all out war in the Gulf of Alabama. Highly suggest staying away.

[@magus2342]

I lived in that area. It's hot, but really nice with plenty of friendly, chilled out people.

[@derekbutts2660]

I'm from Lafayette the state as a whole is rough for attracting new people. It takes a certain kind of person to live out there and like you said there isn't a ton of work. I live in Atlanta now if there was good work I would probably have stayed couple years back. Louisiana is great but hurricanes, flood areas that make homes a liability, and no jobs makes it suck. The people are the best in the country though, its an awesome place to visit, and the food is the best in the world.

[@angelofamillionyears4599]

Thanks for the post.

[@CrazyWeatherDude]

People often look at the Gulf Coast and think about the SUFFOCATING humidity. Here in Mobile, summer temperatures are very consistent, and it rains just about every day from late May through early to mid September. But what's often forgotten about is the insects being ruthless. We have mosquitoes the size of pterodactyls, flying swamp roaches, big orb weaver spiders with webs that are a nightmare in the woods at night, and endless flies. But the bugs I hate most are the Guinea wasps because they are so vicious for being so small.

[@jackstar6018]

All facts

[@zumis1011]

Not to mention the guinea bees, or even the guinea bears.

[@bonesrhodes3762]

@@zumis1011 "or even the guinea bears." ---- those are extinct: they were a small bear similar to the Mississippi green bears but being black and yellow striped they were a lot easier to see in the woods; the early setters killed them all off because they were vicious as crabs but made nice looking rugs

[@yearight6294]

i lived in florida and we had all these but the worst to me was something i didn’t name. the fire ants. worst worst worst thing. u csnt go outside without shoes for even 5 seconds

[@crazydrummer181]

Yellow(Deer) Flies are the absolute worst. The painful itch is 10x worse than mosquito bites. Especially if you’re bit on your hands or feet.

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

The Mississippi coast is beautiful. We're 1 hour from New Orleans and have great fishing. Katrina slammed MS.worse than New Orleans. There are still empty lots everywhere. Our coast has a line of barrier islands which keeps our beach a little stagnant. If you have a boat, a short 10 mile trip and you are in clear, clean waters. We have great food, great restaurants. Biloxi is over run with casinos and traffic. Everywhere else is beautiful.

[@safron2442]

@Gretchen K. I'd say places like Pascagoula and Gautier still have that small town charm.

[@susanvinson2667]

Katrina also destroyed most of the old homes that graced Beach Blvd across the Mississippi coast. My mother’s home in Bay St. Louis was wiped out. We only found a brass bell and her recliner was blown into a tree on the north side of I10.

[@susanvinson2667]

@@safron2442 they were further from the eye of the storm.

[@safron2442]

@@susanvinson2667 I'm aware. I wasn't talking about Katrina, but rather the casinos and lost small town charm that Gretchen mentioned. Sad to see places like Waveland that just got completely wiped off the map

[@susanvinson2667]

@@safron2442 that’s why I mentioned the beautiful homes that added to all that charm. I miss those second Saturdays in downtown Bay St. Louis and the Fire Dog.

[@cris-1001]

Your explanations are fantastic! Thanks for helping me understand the US more! :)

[@willmcfarland1455]

I love the gulf coast and lived there for 8 years. Late winter and the spring are the only times it’s nice. Some winter days are so cold, with the humidity its penetrating.

[@dynella6216]

I grew up 45 mins from Gulf of Mexico in south Louisiana. I’ve always asked myself the same question.

[@devinjohnson9749]

I’m from Louisiana too . For me it was financials and education

[@PandorasFolly]

From gulf of Mississippi. Education system is poor Infrastructure is poor Humidity is horrific for people who have never experienced it. Once saw it end a marriage engagement

[@8cupsCoffee]

While I understand why people don't want to live there, I am very surprised it isn't more of a vacation destination.

[@jamesm568]

​@@8cupsCoffee During covid that's all you saw was New York plates all over the Gulf Coast.

[@lewing658]

​@@PandorasFolly I lived there and sometimes in the summer, I would walk outside and feel nauseated smelling the heavy, humid stagnant air.

[@garydaniels8134]

It's crazy that you mentioned the alabama river as a major water wag when Louisiana also has the Red, Sabine, Ouachita Rivers which are all longer and larger

[@GulfShoresVacationGuide]

Not to mention the mighty Mississippi River

[@blakeskinner3878]

They're all major rivers that support the biodiversity of the gulf coast through their nutrient rich water same with the tombigbee they all deserve protection and respect

[@justinthyme2666]

We have friends from Michigan that will often visit with us in Nashville, but no longer in the summers. A few years ago my wife and the Michigan wife arranged to go with us on our mostly annual trip to Gulf Shores in Alabama. They about died. So much complaining about the heat and humidity. We went to Pensacola one day to see the Blue Angels practice/show. They stayed in the air conditioned museum all day 😂

[@nancyrice7569]

Thanks Geoff! I'm writing a book about springs in Florida and so I've been looking at maps of Florida every day. This video answers my questions because I did notice that empty area along the coast where not many people live. Thanks to you now I know why. It seems strange to me because the most beautiful springs are in the Northern part of the state. That's where I'd live. But people like beaches more than springs I guess. I'd love to hang out near a cool clear spring when it gets hot and humid. Which it does here in Ohio!

[@warren-freshoffthevinemedia]

I live near Dothan, Alabama, and I kayak the Florida springs south of here. Please let me know when your book comes out. I'd like to read it. Thanks.

[@1001HELL]

I grew up in Fort Walton Beach Florida. The entire town is completely captured by the military-industrial complex and real estate companies. I eventually wanted to be able to afford to live outside my parent's home so at 24 I dropped everything to move into a friend's uncle's basement in Ohio. Best decision of my life. It was pretty easy to find a job that didn't leave me wondering how many meals I would have to skip to make rent. I even own my own home now.

[@DugrozReports]

I vacationed near Ft. Walton many times!!!

[@1001HELL]

@@DugrozReports It's a great area to visit, the beaches are beautiful. Don't live there unless you have money... Or work for the military.

[@cdybft9050]

Exactly. The military have destroyed niceville-it’s now houses with no yard and traffic. And average home price is $340,000

[@joez3706]

@@cdybft9050 $340 is cheap

[@florida-man_850]

@@cdybft9050 y’all have houses for only $340K? hook up your brothers from the other side of the bay!

[@aaronscarpa7469]

I live on the Gulf Coast. People up north make fun of me and say I couldn’t survive that winter. But lemme tell you, they ain’t surviving my summer.

[@agricola]

Most of those upper midwesterners can’t survive their winters either, that’s why they flee to florida

[@chrisdaigle5410]

A few posters have mentioned that for 8 months of the year, the heat index in the Gulf Coast region is absolutely BRUTAL. What other parts of the nation call hot and humid, we laugh at. The outdoor dining season is about 6 days long and that's in March and late November. A common occurrence will be that you need to go grocery shopping in the middle of the day and the heat index will be around 125 degrees. You open the front door and....close it back. You DON"T need groceries THAT bad. Multiple tropical storms are common along that area of the Gulf coast yearly. A few months after Katrina, hurricane Rita slammed into the Gulf Coast near the state line with Texas and did FAR more damage to that area than Katrina did to the Louisiana Mississippi area. Katrina flooded New Orleans because neglected levees broke. Thus confirming your point that infrastructure is in poor shape in the area. Attempts to strengthen those levees are rebuffed over and over again. You only get relief from mosquitos for a few days after a freeze. So maybe once or twice per year.

[@La_Ru-yg8es]

I lived near Mobile, Alabama, for many years. It's so quiet, peaceful, & underdeveloped! I hope it stays this way!!

[@12345fowler]

How is that Airbus plant doing for the city ? Any good ?

[@476233]

I can’t really speak to a lot about this region, as it’s not my home per se, but I do live in Jacksonville FL, so I think I’m familiar enough with the weather. What I will say, is the weather in this region generally sucks compared to the more eastern parts of the south. Here’s why: 1) the sea breeze is very different from the East and west (gulf coast). A sea breeze off the Atlantic feels refreshing and comfortable. The west coast (Gulf breeze) feels like getting hit with a more humid sauna steam version of air. I think because the air is more stagnant over the gulf 2) hurricanes- while Florida does get hit, most places only suffer the brunt from west or east coast storms. The panhandle to LA can experience impacts from both sides. Also, a lot of storms that make landfall on the Atlantic coast are weakened by land such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, or the Bahamas. Once in the gulf, nothing really tears storms apart. 3) the Florida peninsula and Atlantic Ocean help to moderate temps. It will be over 100 in New Orleans, Jackson, or Birmingham but only in the 80s or 90s from Miami to the outer banks. This is especially true during strong summer highs. 4) a lot of potent and severe storms start to fall apart by the time they hit the Atlantic. The Deep South and MS delta seem to get a lot more of the violent outbreaks as compared to most of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. But, this is all just some general observations 😊

[@mardiffv.8775]

Very interesting Sir. Saying Hi from the Netherlands.

[@kennycarter5682]

i noticed this too. storms approach mobile lately and they fall apart around there or as they approach my place in pensacola. reminds me of where i moved from which is bismarck ND where most of the storms develeped to my east. its like. i got the same luck but its reversed if you get my drift. i been here since 2021 and i still have not seen that. constant rains that i was promised.. at least locally. surrounding me sure.. but at my house no.. and your right about the sea breeze...

[@476233]

@@kennycarter5682 I think the storms are more common around Florida due to the collision of the breezes and then the northern part of GA , AL, and MS as the warm air meets the slightly cooler air coming down from both Canada/the Great Lakes and the smokies. For example, the wedge that happens in GA and the Carolina’s during the winter. It always seems like LA which can get a fetch from the East and then the northern part of those states get rain and Florida. But it does seem like very often there is less coverage from the MS gulf coast, to Birmingham and back down to maybe Panama City. Like not a crazy difference, but I do think it’s noticeable.

[@476233]

@@kennycarter5682 if you really want the rain here In Florida during the summer we can have several weeks of 50% chance of storms or higher. Growing up you could almost set your watch for 4:00. I hope you are enjoying life in the south so far 😀

[@natenae8635]

Yeah, a lot of people don’t think about the difference the sea breeze makes.

[@VinsonMusic]

In some gulf coast beach communities, the tap water smells like sulfur and is barely drinkable. I remember a vacation where the first stop was to buy bottled water.

[@vanillagorilla2747]

I mean no shit it’s saltwater

[@zimmejoc]

Go to Montreal. Their water is exactly the way you are describing as well. Very sulfurous. I rode my bike through the region and what i noticed wasnt that the water tasted terrible but that it was so soft. It ft like i couldnt wash the soap off myself in the shower.

[@voiceofreason2674]

I like the water down here it’s soft water and they say soft water soft skin cuz it permeates ur epidermis naturally or maybe it’s the humidity. Either way so long as you don’t smoke and don’t let your skin get fried you should have nice shiny skin leaving down here

[@zimmejoc]

@@voiceofreason2674 I used to live in the TX panhandle where the water is so hard, your showerheads would calcify shut in a year. The super soft water down there took some getting used to. I only live an hour north of New Orleans and the water here is nowhere near that soft. I've also heard anecdotal tales about the superiority of soft water.

[@voiceofreason2674]

@@zimmejoc Yea N.O. Covington and Mandeville all have slightly hard water but it’s really soft in Baton Rouge Slidell or Biloxi. I went from New Orleans to Baton Rouge for college and I remember washing my car the first time and the water just turned the soap into pure thick foam instantly I was like whoa this some magic water

[@PlaySA]

A couple things about the Gulf of Mexico: there is very little sea breeze, and in the summer it is hot and humid rather than refreshing. There are no waves, for people that like to enjoy surfing or bodysurfing or bodyboarding or anything like that. The water just feels still and brackish, much like the Sea of Cortez in Baja California. I could never move there loving moderate temperatues, good surf, and beautiful, harsh northern coastlines (like from San Francisco to the end of Washington).

[@derrionclavelle9921]

Sourthern Louisiana native here. Hot summers? LORD it’s been HOT since April

[@slickfox33]

Misleading title 10million people on the coast line of three States is still a big number. Also humidity is not just a throw away reason to live in the south, It is brutal half the year.

[@JosephStJames2000]

3% of U.S. population = about 10 million.

[@rubbishrabble]

Appalachia has only 26 million and is much larger geographic from Albany NY to Alabama. That comes out to around 126 per mile using the definition from the federally designated Appalachia Regional Commission.

[@capuchinmarmoset]

hello from the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, your channel and podcast are great! Wages here suck, the humid climate here is awful, people are not generally tolerant of minorities here, the coastline is eroding, crime is relatively high, poverty is high, and hurricanes routinely destroy the already bad infrastructure. Brain drain is pretty intense here, people tend to move as soon as they're educated. This just reinforces the poor state of this region's economy. The weather's nice, the beaches in Alabama and Florida are pretty, and the Cajun/Creole cultures are fun but this area is nicer to visit than to live in. I'm going to contribute to the brain drain and move to Cascadia in a few months 💀

[@patricknorton5788]

Welcome to Cascadia. I live in Portland, and we are undergoing some difficulties right now (we're not alone in this) but it's still a good place to live, and the rest of Cascadia is as good or better. Except Crescent City. Don't move there.

[@504ever4]

Yup. Did the same except I moved to Orlando. It's crazy because, aside from food/culture, Orlando is better than New Orleans in every way. Similar temperatures but less humid, better education, more to do, prettier nature. And people are just happier with their lives and it's obvious. I always tell people that Nola is amazing to visit but rough to live in. Best of luck in your journey.

[@regthethird6824]

Cascadia isn't the utopia people claim. The major cities are pretty bad crime wise and the smaller cities are the same as anywhere else. If you like nature and mountains then welcome, if you're here for the rest then please don't get your hopes up.

[@Droidman1231]

This hits the nail on the head. Both my parents are from Lafayette LA, and both moved as soon as they graduated college (to Dallas, then Atlanta). Of my mom's three siblings, 2 did the same thing. Only the one without a college degree stayed. I explored potentially moving back but the high crime, bad weather, and bad job market just made it infeasible.

[@regthethird6824]

@@techtutorvideos that's kinda the point lol, I was trying to point out that the politics of cascadia don't make it any different then the rest of the country.

[@DrDaveShows]

I grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and I know how beautiful it is from Corpus Christi to Fort Myers. I get why some people don't like it, that's fine. But along with the heat you get the Gulf, a southern-facing beach that affords both beautiful sunrises and sunsets, great seafood, reasonable prices, and good people. And living on the beach means you have moderating breezes. Military who come here eventually retire here; one of the Armed Services Retirement Homes is located in Biloxi. Now it's not for everyone but for those it's for, it's great.

[@williamdavisnorth]

Being from Louisiana, I can attest to the fact that the weather is not mild and that summer lasts the whole year.

[@Big_Tex]

I’ve spent a few years of my life on the Gulf coast in the past, and have the freedom to move there any time. I don’t, basically because 1) it’s hot and humid, 2) don’t get real winters, 3) hurricane-prone. I don’t fear the personal danger of a hurricane, I just don’t like the idea of my home and all my stuff getting wrecked and flooded.

[@spnkysy791]

I have been all over Florida and have a relative there. I was there once in July and I find the humidity intolerable.

[@katherinemclean7103]

This area also has mosquitos and other bugs that seem the size of pterodactyls! And lots of spiders and snakes!!!😰🤬😱

[@vernonfrance2974]

Lions and tigers and bears. Oh my!

[@Jensees901]

Interesting stuff. I subbscribed after seeing this video :-) keep up the good work mate

[@BTBailey111]

Good coverage of the area, a very pretty and interesting place to visit. (Especially in the cold weather months). You might also mention the education quality, which needs improvement.

[@markpennington5575]

That’s exactly what makes it so appealing; low population. Plenty of other places are being overdeveloped, like most of Florida. I get tired of seeing all the land clearing and all the added traffic. It’s nice to have a place to go to escape all the chaos and crowdedness and good to go to where the “real Florida” does still exist in some areas.

[@monstersdad67]

As a native and resident of the Gulf coast region, WE ARE NOT UNDER POPULATED !!!

[@brandonbaron1834]

Sounds like future area of investment 👀. Thank you for your content.

[@filodipicori]

Speaking for Alabama, what growth and opportunity there is in the state are north of that Gulf Coast line, in Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Birmingham's suburbs, and especially Huntsville.

[@wizarddragon]

I grew up in the panhandle of Florida and I can't express how much I miss it. I like to clarify something when it comes to the weather. The weather was nice with the occasional small pockets of rain showers but the humidity freaking sucked. lol

[@christinecollins6648]

Sadly Mississippi was just walloped with tornadoes this week

[@cadamham]

That was north Mississippi. Not the Gulf Coast

[@palmsofdestin1]

Way inland, pumpkin. nothing to do with the coast

[@Dj0287]

5 hrs north of the Gulf Coast

[@cfluff6716]

Mobile, AL native and wanted to add the opportunity of growth is also stifled by opposition from the “old money” power structure. For instance RobertTrentJones wanted to turn Dauphin Island into a a destination town but was prohibited. Not to mention the major mistake of Bookley (largest military airport runway infrastructure) being snubbed for an international hub that turned Houston into what it is today.

[@Matthew-dd6kp]

I'm happy in central Florida it's constantly growing, good weather, and there's opportunity

[@mikeguidry2577]

You are right about college educated people in those areas moving to other areas. Happens to every single smart LSU grad that's from Louisiana. I'm from Shreveport, and all my best friends that got 30+ on their ACTs and went to honors LSU or better schools almost always end up in Houston or Dallas. Same for others in Louisiana. The best and brightest end up in Dallas or Houston. There simply aren't any six figure jobs in Louisiana besides maybe a few in New Orleans.

[@Lonelythumb-mg4eh]

You are correct in every aspect. New Orleanians leave for opportunity, then miss it and come back after they made their money. I’m one of those people.

[@JoeCharp]

+1 - grew up in St. Mary parish, now been in Houston for 11 years. I'd love to move back home one day, but there are just no job opportunities.

[@Becca4.2]

My louisiana history professor in college .... "What is Louisiana's top export?" us: uhm ..... sugar cane? Soybeans? Rice? Seafood? Him: *laughing* "college graduates..." Us: Owwohhhh..... fuck.

[@ahf9281]

The same thing is happening in Georgia outside of Atlanta. I’m from Columbus, GA, and almost everyone young with a college degree has moved to Atlanta for career opportunities.

[@Jonathan-sf6ej]

I personally ended up in Kansas City myself.

[@Johnnyboy000]

I think you might have mistaken weather for temperature. I currently live in Florida, and I love the temperature, but I'm trying to move out because the humidity is awful.

[@JTA1961]

Yup...

[@BadgerCheese94]

The temperatures in Florida suck too. No seasons. Personally I prefer temps in the 20s to 60s. Cold to pleasant. Florida is too damn hot. 80s, 90s and even if its in the 70s the humidity makes it still too warm

[@alanhigh8125]

A/C is mandatory in Florida. At one time, I had relatives in Tampa, Tallahassee, Winter Park and Orlando. I was always ready to leave after a day or two. Too hot and too humid.

[@grime076]

If by “occasional tropical storm” he means a hurricane that spawns several tornadoes every 2 weeks from February-May, then sure. The weather is great 😅

[@colbysheep]

From Hattiesburg to Pensacola. It's really pretty here but it is a rainforest. There's a monsoon season in summer and the heat and humidity is really harsh if you aren't used to it Edit: As a gulf coast native I would actually like to see a lot of south Mississippi/Alabama be protected as wildlife management areas with an emphasis on restoration of lost ecosystems. I think this area would make for a good east coast tech center similar to Austin and encourage economic growth with minimal land use.

[@leecoulon6790]

Interesting vid! Good job! MY one caveat is this: you showed Lafayette, LA as an example of the anemic growth we have faced here historically. I would ask you to also look at the growth of Lafayette Parish (county) from 2010-2020 was 9.1% growth from 221K - 241K. Many of the people moved out of the incorporated city limits and moved to the unicorporated parts or Youngsville, LA which has bucked the trend! It has nearly doubled its population from 8K - 16K from 2010 - 2020 with a 96.5% increase! I know you can't hyperfocus the entire region, but please continue to produce these fun informative vids!

[@JeanEDeaux]

Wow. I had absolutely no idea Youngsville had grown that much. Excellent!

[@nickwaters9869]

Mobile is pronounced "Moh-BEEL", not "Mo-bill". There are a lot of other places on the Gulf whose names are generally mispronounced (Gautier, MS :) ), but Mobile sometimes gets national attention and when it's name gets butchered it is like nails on a chalk board to the locals. I used to live on the MS Gulf coast and loved it there. I just went back to visit on a vacation and was surprised to see how much development has occurred in the past decade. That was really encouraging. You hit on it, but jobs is the major issue. The MS, and AL gulf coasts are is lacking in stable high skill and high tech jobs. The major industries that do exist, such as ship building and oil and gas, tend to be volatile. After the 2008 financial crisis and during the Obama years there was major stagnation in the ship building industry. Ingalls (at the time it was Northrup Grumman) had hiring freezes and layoffs of engineers and skilled tradesman positions in their Pascagoula Yard and Avondale Yards. The smaller shipyards in the area were also hurting for business and weren't in a position to hire many of the folks. Also, working on Naval vessels isn't apples and oranges with oil and gas or fishing vessels. The area just north of the immediate coastal counties is extremely rural and sparsely populated. E.g. George County, MS, Greene County, MS, Stone County MS, Washington County, AL -- the populations of these counties are around or under ~20k. Property is cheap in this area but there is limited access to high speed internet. For new construction you're probably going to have to drill a well, put in septic, and pay to put in some power poles to build outside of the small towns in the area. You might have to drive 45 minutes to the nearest Walmart, and an hour to get to a decent hospital. Also, I wouldn't mention Montgomery, AL when talking about the Gulf Coast. The Montgomery area locally referred to as "The River Region", folks around there don't think of themselves as being on the Coast. Montgomery and Columbus are on the Fall Line and more Piedmont than Coastal Plain.

[@vernonfrance2974]

Doesn't it occur to you that some people do not care how the local yokels pronounce things? There are examples of this all over where people get upset and annoyed. Like Illinois where the "s" is not pronounced, Ne vad a with the sound of the first "a" like in "had", Boise like Boy zee, Cairo Illinois like Karo the syrup, Quincy MA like Quin "Z", Arkansas like "Ar can saw" instead of like Ar- kan's a$$., Connecticut pronounced like Cun etiquette instead of Connect ee cut. Paris KY where they say Pear iss instead of Pa ree.

[@kregcarpenter5785]

Gautier!!

[@sixoh_diesel5662]

@@vernonfrance2974 Yokels? Lol, ignorant people mispronounce the names of places they have never been. It shows their ignorance and lack of culture.

[@sixoh_diesel5662]

@@kregcarpenter5785 (Go-shay) or (Go-sure)? Kinda like Saucier, (so-sure) not (saw-c-er)

[@vernonfrance2974]

@@sixoh_diesel5662 I consider myself to have been such a Yokel when young but by study and travel I learned about the difference between the original pronunciation of places named after those originals. I was studying Spanish when I remember first noticing this. A tiny town near where we lived was mentioned. It was Buena Vista but the locals said bew -knee vis-tee.

[@NicolasLaBarre]

From Panama City but laughed at the pronunciation of Mobile

[@MispelledOnPurpose]

Holly Beach in SWLA was completely blown away by a hurricane the same year Katrina hit New Orleans. Nothing but a couple of wood posts remained. The building codes are now extremely restrictive. It's very difficult and expensive to build there, and there are no amenities. The "occasional" storm hits SWLA almost every year now, sometimes more than once. Imagine the cost of home insurance if you can even get it. Plus erosion has swallowed up a lot of coastline. Then there's wetlands where you're not allowed to build even if you own the land, and a lot of the area is conservation land/waters. So a lot of the coastal areas are either too unstable due to weather, erosion, being in flood zones, or not inhabitable due to no insurance available, and various government restrictions.

[@brandonspivey4467]

Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana have a lot in common in terms of the placement of cities. There's almost a straight line across these states that would be roughly equal to the top line in the region laid out here. This line is a string of cities. Macon and Columbus in GA, Montgomery in AL, Jackson in MS, and Shreveport in LA. There are also mid to large sized cities on the coast in every state. Pensacola and many other in FL, Mobile and Gulf Shores in AL, Gulfport and Biloxi in MS, and New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette in LA (although Baton Rouge and Lafayette aren't quite coastal). The area in between these central and coastal cities is where the real emptiness is and where there's much smaller populations. This area is almost the same in every state. A lot of farmland, very small towns, a very large slave population in the 1800's, and a lot of poverty. There are good pockets in there in every state, but that would be an accurate description for all of these. There's no big businesses that will ever be in this part of these states because they'll either want to be on the coast or at a larger and nicer centrally located city. That will make it very difficult for this area to ever grow. We may see this big gap and this large area stay rural for quite some time. However, as a native Alabamian, I can definitely there's nothing wrong with a good ole small town. Some of the nicest people in the world live in places like that, and I'd never want that to go away!

[@rickywatters7692]

what about the garbage education system, horrible drinking water, racism, and lack of real careers (not "jobs") ?

[@brandonspivey4467]

@@rickywatters7692 I've met more racist people when traveling the country than I have my whole life living in the South. That's a massive stereotype. Of course racists exist everywhere, but they are genuinely very few and far between. The vast majority of people here will determine their opinion of other people based on their character alone, regardless of race or social class. There's also plenty of "real jobs". We have doctors, lawyers, and big corporations like everyone else. The drinking water issue was rather localized around Jackson, MS. We've also got plenty of private schools and amazing universities to get a great education at. We've also got some of the most affordable housing and lowest taxes in the country. Don't listen to the news. Come and see for yourself. I'd love to show you around and show you that this part of the country really is a great place! Southern hospitality isn't a myth.

[@2CHiLLED.]

@@brandonspivey4467 That’s crap. You must not be a minority. Racism isn’t standing outside in a KKK uniform burning crosses anymore (not to mention they STILL do that sh*t btw lol). It’s “subtle racism” like refusing to service you at some stores. Blatantly being targeted by police in predominantly white areas as a minority. Things like that, as any “glory day” racism would likely get many killed in this day and age. I’ve lived in Bama my whole life spare a few years of elementary in Georgia and one thing I can say is when it comes to White and Black it’s all the way love or completely hate. There is no in between. But it does exist without a doubt.

[@TheBOG3]

​@@rickywatters7692 Midwestern people are more racist than Southerners. I speak from experience. I'm white, too.

[@linellcorban4194]

@brandonspivey... As a long time resident of Jackson, MS now retired to Gulfport, I would point out that 'good private schools' do not make up for the poor public education that plagues so much of our beautiful, humid, hurricane prone area.

[@davefranklyn7730]

As a Southern Alabamian I love the rural life. You city folks can have your crowds. Nothing like being outside at night and listening to the cacophony of insects chirping, whirring and fiddling up a storm and seeing the flashes of heat lightning... Then the stars come out and fill the sky with wonder. And heat and humidity? Haven't y'all heard of air conditioning? That's a background noise too!

[@DDBurnett1]

Nothing wrong with any of that and I can appreciate it. Sounds beautiful. But I prefer cooler, drier weather and mountains.

[@butchyboy69]

Biden is after your AC now.

[@Spartan0430]

the ideal is to have plenty of good options for every kind of lifestyle!

[@katiecrowley3417]

The rural life down there sounds pretty nice but I think the heat would kill me. Plus bugs, venomous snakes, alligators, and not sure what else! I just moved to rural northern Wisconsin and love it. I'm so done with city life too.

[@davefranklyn7730]

@@katiecrowley3417 air conditioning!!! I wouldn’t live here in the Summer without it. Even so, it cools down at night. Sticky though.

[@dreed7312]

Lived there most of my life. True story: Canadian neighbors dad visits from Alberta and as soon as he steps off the plane thinks "its like I'm breathing soup." 😊. Mississippi was a place thieves fled to after being run out of town back east. 😅

[@alexanderfabian8414]

Great vid. One correction- Katrina was not cat5 at landfall

[@ahf9281]

I was born and raised in Columbus, GA which is right at the edge of this region. We definitely see a lot brain drain here as well. The vast majority of young people who get college degrees don’t stay around. Most move to Atlanta or Birmingham which are close but offer way more career opportunities.

[@lleytonc]

Here in South Georgia, it might be even worse with brain drain without any big-ish cities besides Albany, Valdosta, and Brunswick(well that is not the gulf coast but still is South GA). Especially for tech careers many like myself had to stay in the ATL area to find good employment with upward mobility after college. At least in Columbus, Macon, Augusta, and Savannah they have a little more opportunity being decently sized 200-500k but I’m sure the problem still persists there no doubt as well

[@ahf9281]

@@lleytonc you’re definitely right that Columbus doesn’t have it as bad as South Georgia but it’s still not great when almost all the people you grew up with move to Atlanta

[@TrapZeroEX]

As someone also from Columbus, they are 100% correct. Most of my friends move to Atlanta or bigger cities.

[@frzstat]

I’m from Atlanta, and everyone did move here! But a lot of people I know are buying homes in South Georgia, Alabama or the Florida panhandle, and plan to retire there. I think the perfect setup would be a home 60 miles from the Gulf Coast, and a cabin in North Georgia/Alabama.

[@gregm4813]

@@lleytonc I'm from the Savannah area, eye-balling the Atlanta area for career growth. Most everyone I knew growing up left Savannah due to poor job market. Yeah, perhaps better than the rest of South GA, but it ain't pretty here either. It's Atlanta or bust.

[@claudiahansen4938]

Fascinating and well presented analysis. Well done!

[@mbrennan459]

I get a chuckle out of the “quite comfortable” designation. It is like subtropical Africa hot and humid.

[@cliffsta87337]

I love my home of Lafayette. Grew up a little to the north in central Louisiana. But I’ll never move back. Lafayette is home. And it is awesome!