An update to crazymonk’s link to Common Census is in order since the map has been updated many times since its post due to the number of links that it’s been getting from blogs.

The map has become a lot more accurate. All of New Mexico isn’t covered by Albuqueque. People of Hobbs generally idenitify with Lubbock, TX, which is now a cultural center. Southwest NM is covered by El Paso, TX and northeast NM is covered by Amarillo, TX. Not only do these Texas cities provide the airports for these regions, but these peripheral towns of NM go shopping and chill in these relatively large Texas cities.

More interesting, though, is that the cultural areas of some smaller cities do not cover the actual city itself. People living in or just near Santa Barbara, CA and Portland, ME identify with LA and Boston respectively. It’s only when you get much further out from LA and Boston in the direction of Santa Barbara and Portland into the rural areas, do the cultural areas of Santa Barbara and Portland come into play.