If we were to divide America based on geography, demography and socio-economic factors, we would come up with nine regions. An interesting read on Yahoo finance categorized the U.S. into semi-nations and city-states based on the above-mentioned factors.
The Inland West is driven by lifestyle – a strong population of “youngsters” under 20, beautiful natural landscapes and easy access to it. This has led to a booming real-estate which is still cheaper than the neighboring West Coast, and adds up to solid economics.
The Left Coast, or more popularly known as the West Coast will always be the tech-hub where some of the greatest minds, that incidentally educate themselves in the East Coast, eventually migrate. You can’t beat the weather here, but as tempting and beautiful as this region is, the real-estate bubble is sending folks in droves towards the Great Plains and the South East.
The City State of Angels – Los Angeles, is still the land of dreams – the entertainment nucleus of the planet and the weather in LA is near perfect. However, LA has its own set of problems, like dwindling or quickly disappearing industries and a decline in the under-15 and migrant populace.
The Great Plains – the land of the American cowboy. This once underestimated and undervalued region recently posted some of the best job growth numbers and some of the lowest unemployment rates in recent times despite economic turmoil.
Fracking in this oil-rich region, prosperous agribusinesses, and growing technology sectors in urban and cosmopolitan cities have created a growth rate double that of the Northeast. Cities like Dallas, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Sioux Falls and Fargo lend to a very diverse and migrant culture that is likely to grow by 6% by 2023. Bluff Manufacturing, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is part of the Great Plains, and helps support the energy industry, which is largely driven by major shale finds such as the Bakken formation in North Dakota and the Barnett and Permian in Texas. Learn how Bluff Manufacturing’s heavy-duty steel fracking ramps help protect hoses, pipes and cables at fracking and construction sites.
The Third Coast, which stretches from the Gulf of Mexico through south Texas to western Florida, also boasts low unemployment rates. While a major metropolitan city like Houston is now home to the largest medical center in the U.S., it is also the nation’s most racially and ethnically diverse city. Other cities like New Orleans and Corpus Christi enjoy their own unique cultural aspects as well as the concentration of energy jobs five times the national rate, and those jobs that have an average annual salary of $100,000.
The Great Lakes – The Great Lakes were once the second most populous “American nation” but is now a region with aging population and a declining under-5 population. This region was once the heartland of American manufacturing, but with millions of manufacturing jobs having been off-shored or cut, the Great Lakes suffered a major setback. But with the revival of the auto industry in Michigan and shale boom in Ohio, not to mention access to plenty of freshwater, things might just be looking up for the Great Lakes.
The Great Northeast, not including the city-state of New York, is the brainchild of the United States. Housing some of the best universities and drawing the brightest brains from all over the country as well as the world, this region enjoys a population that is highly educated and dominant in business services. It is also the “whitest” population with anglos making up 70% of the population and is mostly a child-free zone, which means it might need to start attracting more migrants and families to sustain its population and to continue to hold onto its political clout.
New York, New York – the city state of New York is the financial backbone of the country – the port of American dreams for immigrants. However this much-clouted world financial center is losing its influence to other strongholds and upcoming economies in the West Coast and Inland West, and even some cities in the Great Plains. Soaring taxes and unaffordable housing are some of the predominant factors that are the causing the downward curve in economics for this great city.
The Southeast Region – the manufacturing belt second after the Great Lakes includes promising economic pockets in cities like Nashville, Raleigh, Birmingham, Richmond and Charlotte. Investments pouring in from Asia and Europe, and migration of families and immigrants, among other factors, might just mean a changing economical and political canvas for this region.
The City State of Miami is known as the Capital of Latin America for a reason. It boasts a strong Spanish-speaking population and the largest Cuban-American community. This beach city not only attracts tourists but also is a major center and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. Population-wise, Miami is the eighth most populous and fourth-largest area in the U.S. according to Wikipedia. However, this is also a largely aging and childless population and can only continue to grow based on its migrant community from both outside and inside the United States.
So, there you go – the “hot pockets” of economic growth, prosperity and potential within the United States. Following this holy grail of socio-economics might just lead us to improved prospects within our own borders and outside as well.
