East South Central states

Last updated

East South Central
Nashville skyline from Fort Negley 2018.jpg
Memphis Skyline at Night January 2015.jpg
Louisville skyline night.jpg
Lexington Downtown Area Panorama.jpg
Birmingham Skyline, Alabama (27864996195).jpg
Knoxville TN skyline.jpg
Mobile, Alabama Skyline (2022).jpg
EastSouthCentralStates.png
States in dark red make up the East South Central states region
Largest cityNashville
Area
[1]
  Total183,403.90 sq mi (475,013.9 km2)
  Land178,289.84 sq mi (461,768.6 km2)
  Water5,114.07 sq mi (13,245.4 km2)
Population
 (2019) [2]
  Total19,176,181
  Density100/sq mi (40/km2)

The East South Central states is a region constituting one of the nine U.S. Census Bureau divisions. It is located within the American South. Four states make up the division: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. The division is one of three that together make up the larger region known as the Southern United States (the other two are the more populous South Atlantic states and the West South Central states).

Contents

Historically, the area has been colonized and influenced by the French, Spanish, British, early American, and Confederate governments. [3] [4] [5] [6] Distinct among these states, Alabama's French culture has been preserved through the Alabama Creoles, [7] and Kentucky's French culture can be observed throughout Louisville. [8] The East South Central states form the core of Old Dixie , [9] one of the nine moral regions identified by James Patterson and Peter Kim in their acclaimed 1991 geopolitical best-seller, The Day America Told The Truth. [10] Politically and culturally, the East South Central is more conservative than the other regions making up the American South; Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee's governments have been described during 2012 to 2023 as some of the most conservative. [11] [12] [13] Religiously, conservative Evangelical Protestantism dominates the East South Central as a central part of the Bible Belt.

Demographics

As of 2020, the East South Central states had a combined population of 19,430,030. The East South Central region covers 183,401 square miles of land. Within the region, Tennessee is the largest state by population, though Alabama is the largest by land area; Tennessee was also the East South Central's fastest growing state between 2010 and 2020, [14] [15] with Alabama second. [16] Kentucky was the third-fastest growing state, [17] and Mississippi experienced population decline; despite population decline, Mississippi did increase in diversity. [18] [19]

States in the East South Central region
State2020 estimateLand area
Kentucky 4,509,34240,409
Tennessee 6,916,89742,143
Mississippi 2,963,91448,430
Alabama 5,039,87752,419
Ethnic origins in East South Central Ethnic Origins in the East South Central United States.png
Ethnic origins in East South Central
Ten largest cities by population
City2020 pop.
1 Nashville, Tennessee 689,447
2 Memphis, Tennessee 633,104
3 Louisville, Kentucky 633,045
4 Lexington, Kentucky 322,707
5 Huntsville, Alabama 215,006
6 Birmingham, Alabama 200,733
7 Montgomery, Alabama 200,663
8 Knoxville, Tennessee 190,740
9 Mobile, Alabama 187,041
10 Chattanooga, Tennessee 181,009

Politics

Parties
Nonpartisan Democratic-Republican Democratic National Republican Whig Constitutional Union Republican Dixiecrat American Independent
Presidential electoral votes in the East South Central States since 1792
YearAlabamaKentuckyMississippiTennessee
1792 No election Washington No electionNo election
1796 No election Jefferson No election Jefferson
1800 No election Jefferson No election Jefferson
1804 No election Jefferson No election Jefferson
1808 No election Madison No election Madison
1812 No election Madison No election Madison
1816 No election Monroe No election Monroe
1820 Monroe Monroe Monroe Monroe
1824 Jackson Clay Jackson Jackson
1828 Jackson Jackson Jackson Jackson
1832 Jackson Clay Jackson Jackson
1836 Van Buren Harrison Van Buren White
1840 Van Buren Harrison Harrison Harrison
1844 Polk Clay Polk Clay
1848 Cass Taylor Cass Taylor
1852 Pierce Scott Pierce Scott
1856 Buchanan Buchanan Buchanan Buchanan
1860 Breckinridge Bell Breckinridge Bell
1864 No election McClellan No election Lincoln
1868 Grant Seymour No election Grant
1872 Grant Hendricks Grant Hendricks
1876 Tilden Tilden Tilden Tilden
1880 Hancock Hancock Hancock Hancock
1884 Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland
1888 Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland
1892 Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland
1896 Bryan McKinley Bryan Bryan
1900 Bryan Bryan Bryan Bryan
1904 Parker Parker Parker Parker
1908 Bryan Bryan Bryan Bryan
1912 Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson
1916 Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson
1920 Cox Cox Cox Harding
1924 Davis Coolidge Davis Davis
1928 Smith Hoover Smith Hoover
1932 Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt
1936 Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt
1940 Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt
1944 Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt
1948 Thurmond Truman Thurmond Truman
1952 Stevenson Stevenson Stevenson Eisenhower
1956 Stevenson Eisenhower Stevenson Eisenhower
1960 Byrd Nixon Byrd Nixon
1964 Goldwater Johnson Goldwater Johnson
1968 Wallace Nixon Wallace Nixon
1972 Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon
1976 Carter Carter Carter Carter
1980 Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan
1984 Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan
1988 Bush Bush Bush Bush
1992 Bush Clinton Bush Clinton
1996 Dole Clinton Dole Clinton
2000 Bush Bush Bush Bush
2004 Bush Bush Bush Bush
2008 McCain McCain McCain McCain
2012 Romney Romney Romney Romney
2016 Trump Trump Trump Trump
2020 Trump Trump Trump Trump
YearAlabamaKentuckyMississippiTennessee

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky</span> U.S. state

Kentucky, officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Kentucky borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the northeast, Virginia to the east, Tennessee to the south, and Missouri to the west. Its northern border is defined by the Ohio River. Its capital is Frankfort and its largest city is Louisville. As of 2020, the population was approximately 4.5 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clay County, Illinois</span> County in Illinois, United States

Clay County is a county in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 13,288. Since 1842, its county seat has been Louisville, in the center of the county's area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeKalb County, Alabama</span> County in Alabama, United States

DeKalb County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,608. Its county seat is Fort Payne, and it is named after Major General Baron Johan DeKalb. DeKalb County is part of the Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville, AL Combined Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi County, Missouri</span> County in Missouri, United States

Mississippi County is a county located in the Bootheel of the U.S. state of Missouri, with its eastern border formed by the Mississippi River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,577. The largest city and county seat is Charleston. The county was officially organized on February 14, 1845, and was named after the Mississippi River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe County, Mississippi</span> County in Mississippi, United States

Monroe County is a county on the northeast border of the U.S. state of Mississippi next to Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,180. Its county seat is Aberdeen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowndes County, Mississippi</span> County in Mississippi, United States

Lowndes County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 58,879. Its county seat is Columbus. The county is named for U.S. Congressman William Jones Lowndes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hickman County, Kentucky</span> County in Kentucky, United States

Hickman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,521, making it the third-least populous county in Kentucky. Its county seat is Clinton. The county was formed in 1821. It is the least densely populated county in the state and is a prohibition or dry county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond, Kentucky</span> City in Kentucky, United States

Richmond is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is home to Eastern Kentucky University. The population was 34,585 at the 2020 census. Richmond is the fourth-largest city in the Bluegrass region and the state's seventh-largest city. It is the ninth largest population center in the state with a Micropolitan population of 106,864. The city serves as the center for work and shopping for south-central Kentucky. In addition, Richmond is the principal city of the Richmond-Berea, Kentucky Micropolitan Area, which includes all of Madison and Rockcastle counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville, Mississippi</span> City in Mississippi, United States

Louisville is a city in Winston County, Mississippi. The population was 6,631 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Winston County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern United States</span> One of the four census regions of the US

The Southern United States is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Western United States, with the Midwestern and Northeastern United States to its north and the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico to its south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern United States</span> Geographic region

The Eastern United States, often abbreviated as simply the East, is a macroregion of the United States located to the east of the Mississippi River. It includes 26 states and Washington, D.C., the national capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeastern United States</span> Eastern portion of the Southern United States

The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast, the Southeast, or the South, is a geographical region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and the southern portion of the Eastern United States. The region includes a core of states that reaches north to Maryland and West Virginia, bordering the Ohio River and Mason–Dixon line, and stretches west to Arkansas and Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West South Central states</span> U.S. Census Bureau region

The West South Central states, colloquially known as the South Central states, is a region of the United States defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as covering four states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. The West South Central or South Central region is located within the Southern United States and Gulf Coast regions, bordering the Mountain states and Midwestern U.S. regions to its north and west. The Gulf of Mexico is to the south of the region. Houston is the South Central's largest city, and the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area is the region's largest metropolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central United States</span> Geographical region of the United States

The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern and Western as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the U.S. Census's definition of the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions of the U.S. Census's definition of the Southern United States. The Central States are typically considered to consist of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Mississippi and Alabama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memphis metropolitan area</span> Combined statistical area in the United States

The Memphis–Clarksdale-Forrest City Combined Statistical Area, TN–MS–AR (CSA) is the commercial and cultural hub of the Mid-South or Ark-Miss-Tenn. The census-defined combined statistical area covers eleven counties in three states, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. As of 2020 census, the Memphis metropolitan area had a population of 1,389,905 The Forrest City, Arkansas Micropolitan area was added to the Memphis area in 2012 to form the Memphis–Forrest City Combined Statistical area. In 2023 the Clarksdale, Mississippi Micropolitan area was also added to form the new Memphis-Clarksdale-Forrest City Combined Statistical Area which as of 2023 had a population of roughly 1.4 million people according to census estimates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashville metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan area in Tennessee, United States

The Nashville metropolitan area is a metropolitan statistical area in north-central Tennessee. Its principal city is Nashville, the capital of and largest city in Tennessee. With a population of over 2 million, it is the most populous metropolitan area in Tennessee. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Tennessee in terms of land area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Kentucky</span> Overview of the Geography of Kentucky

Kentucky is situated in the Upland South region of the United States. A significant portion of eastern Kentucky is part of Appalachia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dixie</span> Nickname for the Southern United States

Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region, or the extent of the area it covers, most definitions include the U.S. states below the Mason–Dixon line that seceded and comprised the Confederate States of America, almost always including the Deep South. The term became popularized throughout the United States by songs that nostalgically referred to the American South.

References

  1. "United States Summary: 2010, Population and Housing Unit Counts, 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. September 2012. pp. V–2, 1 & 41 (Tables 1 & 18). Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  2. "Population, Population Change, and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019 (NST-EST2019-alldata)". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  3. Pinnen, Christian; Weeks, Charles (2021). Colonial Mississippi: A Borrowed Land. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN   978-1-4968-3270-2.
  4. "National Park Service - Explorers and Settlers (Alabama)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  5. "Tennessee". HISTORY. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  6. "Kentucky Genealogical Society - Kentucky History". kygs.org. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  7. Blejwas, Emily (February 19, 2020). "Gumbo: Africans and Creoles on the Gulf Coast". Mobile Bay Magazine. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  8. "Timeline of Louisville, KY". Louisville Kentucky Government.
  9. Dreher, Rod (September 10, 2021). "The Day They Drove Old Dixie Down". The American Conservative. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  10. "LITTLE GOOD NEWS IN `THE DAY AMERICA TOLD THE TRUTH`". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  11. "Mississippi Most Conservative State, D.C. Most Liberal". Gallup.com. February 3, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  12. "Alabama Has the Most Conservative Legislature in the Nation". Governing. December 6, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  13. "CLA Report: Tennessee Ties For Second Most-Conservative State House". MemphisFlyer. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  14. "2020 Census Data: Tennessee Population Topping 6.9 Million". News. April 28, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  15. Yu, Yue Stella. "2020 Census results: Middle Tennessee drives population growth as state becomes more racially diverse". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  16. "Alabama Population Grew 5.1% Since 2010, Surpassing 5 Million". Census.gov. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  17. "Kentucky Population Topped 4.5 Million in 2020". Census.gov. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  18. "Census shows Mississippi lost population and diversified". AP NEWS. April 26, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  19. Newsom, Michael (February 2, 2022). "UM Experts Warn About Consequences of Population Loss". Ole Miss News. Retrieved January 25, 2023.

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