There are so many states in the union that most people probably couldn’t name all of them off the cranium, and it’s no secret that separate states have separate customs. Recently I’ve become increasingly curious about these differences and the apparent tension between the states. The divide is not exclusively political, and I wouldn’t go as far as to say there’s hostility between differing states, but there are some key factors detaching states from one another. 

The detachment is most evident when you look at the disparities between a metropolitan lifestyle and a more rural, “small town” lifestyle. A prime example off the top of my head would be on the west coast, where you have vast metropolitan areas in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco but travel inland or in between these cities and see many agriculturally dependent towns. It’s truly night and day. If you didn’t know any better, it would be difficult to determine you were in the same region. Geography aside, what I would like to focus more on is the aforementioned lifestyles of these places. In the big cities, what’s noticeably much more prominent as time goes on is the technology industry. It’s gentrified the hell out of countless major cities across the country, with people coming out of college with degrees in computer science, data science, or engineering and signing six figure contracts. Predictably, this drives up prices for just about everything and is problematic for those who don’t specialize in technology. 

For areas that don’t rely on this massive tech industry, these issues apply much less. This said, Americans in the midwest hold interesting opinions on the matter.

I talked to a friend of mine who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma and he informed me that where he lives, there is not much to be worried about as long as you carry yourself well. Areas can be rocky, but that is true with anywhere. Next, I asked if he had ever heard people there talking down on big cities and acting like their small town lives are better. He told me that people in his area frequently make fun of big cities for their high crime rates and costs of living. He also noted that he enjoyed the mix of metropolitan and suburban areas in Oklahoma.

Mostly out of my own curiosity, I asked him if there was any possibility that he would relocate to a more populated city dominated by tech. He said that if employment brought him there, then potentially he would, but he’s also comfortable where he is and feels that he has enough opportunity as things are. In contrast to the high cost of living of areas dominated by tech, where he lives is significantly more affordable. When asked about this luxury, he said he views it as less of a luxury and more just a comfortable reality. He enjoys that in regards to employment, you get out what you put in. Lastly, I asked him about the stereotypes placed on the midwest by people saying that “there’s nothing to do there.” He told me that if you enjoy the outdoors and you know where to look there’s really plenty to do, and they aren’t far behind metropolitan areas in terms of stuff to do in peoples’ free time. 

What intrigued me the most within this short interview is the apparent opposition that some people in the midwest have taken against larger cities. Jokingly talking about these statistics which contribute to issues like homelessness and poverty comes off quite crass, but what I gathered is that they simply would not want to live there and if they weren’t sensitive to these statistics they wouldn’t bring them up. Tulsa has half the crime rate of Chicago, and there are 19 cities across the country with a higher crime rate than Chicago. I find it difficult to blame the oppositional midwesterners for their stance. If someone can feel safe, financially secure and enjoy their time where they are, there is very little reason to be enthusiastic toward somewhere less safe, less affordable and equally enjoyable.

Conclusively, I think the term “To each their own” is what best represents this divide. Everyone has a right to their preferences and not everyone is looking for the same experience when it comes to where they reside. The excitement of a big city crawling with opportunity and fortune with a skyline scratching the clouds may attract one person and repulse another. The truth is, the fantasies people have involving moving to one of these cities and seizing opportunity is by no means unattainable, but it has become much more difficult for young people to work their way up industries due to the one-dimensional requirements for tech employees. It feels like if you don’t specialize in tech development in some capacity your career options are severely limited, whereas if you lived somewhere without this hindrance, your choices are far more broad.

It’s important to remember there are advantages and disadvantages everywhere. Be thoughtful of what you desire and you will find what you are looking for.