53 maps that explain the South
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@jessestokes8745
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
I did this assessment with many of the same metrics you did about 6 years ago! I think one thing you're missing is confederate states. Kentucky, while a slave state, was aligned with the Union. I think that makes them a hard case to consider not being southern, as morbid as it sounds. I had the same result as you, except without Kentucky and adding Virginia and North Florida. Just because Virginia has the Capital City area doesn't mean it isn't mostly southern. You could make the same case for Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina or even Atlanta at this point.
@alexbrown8435
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
The waffle house map is wrong, there's one in Jefferson County WV- Eastern most tip of the state
@ampersand64
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
I live in Louisiana, and no one says "drink a coke"
I've only heard "soda"
@Scrimp22
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Krystal >>>>> White Castle
@Scrimp22
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
If restaurants don’t serve sweet tea-not southern. That’s the main standard
@M34tboss
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Texans feel no shade with the first cut from the south because Texans aren’t from the south, they’re from Texas
@christinalaguya
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
6:25 Texas has been cut first is crazy surprised Virginia made it so far cannot believe Maryland was not cut before Virginia
@lordrefaiv
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Phil. Indians?!
@brianna7148
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
As a southern who moved, the maps of bojangles made me cheer lol. Idk why i was nervous about NC being cut lol
@deaterk
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
What in the world do you have against Maryland!? 10:35
@aellipsis
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
As someone from Oklahoma. We’re sort of a mix of South and Midwest.
Your accent in the ad read sounded almost UKish to me
@agmudd
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
you’re doing the thing where you change the thumbnail photo 👀
@williamhauser3686
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
As a kentuckian, I can tell you for certain kentucky is not southern. We're definitely not Northern, but we're not southern.
@Trabbit17
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Shout out to Rock City and Chattanooga! (where Phil's home videos are recorded)
@Methoverbitches
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
3:51 excuse me what
@thegamingarchitect3390
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
I think I personally would have cut Kentucky before Florida, but I’m biased towards the gulf beaches in the panhandle.
@cornhuskerviceroy2938
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
that music map seems way off. Nebraska as electronic???
And the excessive drinking definitely seems fishy. Having state line divisions like Wisconsin makes it seems like the data is coming from the state not the national government as stated
As for new video idea, I would love to figure out the best region for places like the Dakotas and Wyoming.
@b1gdonkus
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Missouri should’ve never been included in the first place
@skidawg22
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
I don't consider Missouri Southern anyway. It's very Midwestern, especially around the two big cities.
@alexcitron5159
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
How bout where school starts before August 15?
@Flying-Skitty
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
You know, I've never heard anyone ever pronounce Gwinnett they way you did. Congratz. Had physical whiplash when I heard it :p
@TheButterZone
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
#8 Aren't pecans less expensive in that area? I'd be eating them more if they weren't $7.58/lb here (Costco item 1250774). Heck, I'm a fan of pumpkin pecan pie…
LOL shots fired at country music
@vlfrail
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
The final map he has is fairly reasonable but I would still include Virginia but obviously exclude DC
@Eugarps71
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
As an Alaskan, I'd say it's all Down South.
@clairekopenhafer8272
May 13, 2026 at 1:31 pm
7:46 it's sounding more British to me
@nicolasspring5827
May 13, 2026 at 1:32 pm
Should have used the loblolly pine range for the ecology section
@zakkgreene
May 13, 2026 at 1:32 pm
17:22 I made that map at my last job! crazy to see my own work show up in a map nerd video 😮
@Matteodcervantes
May 13, 2026 at 1:32 pm
Kentucky making the final cut… I am in shock and total disbelief, in a good way! Kentucky is such a forgotten about state and big geography people love to clump it with the midwest. I think that, respectfully, that is done purely from ignorance. It's so easy to focus on the big ones like Alabama Mississippi and South Carolina and not take the time to research Kentucky therefore write it off. In this video I feel like you proved that when you take the time to accurately research in a non-bias way you will find that Kentucky aligns significantly more with the south than the midwest. Sure it's a crossroads but it's the final part of The South before you cross into the north.
@TheVidSquids
May 13, 2026 at 1:32 pm
North Carolina rules, we gave the world NASCAR and Andy Griffith.