After a viral TikTok feature of a woman she saw moving from a Republican-leaning to a Democrat-leaning state explained the “dramatic differences,” members of the BuzzFeed community who did the same — or vice versa — came forward to share their own stories. Here are the main, wild differences that people who live in both blue-leaning and red-leaning states have noticed:
1. “I thought my vote mattered more when I lived in a blue state. I never saw a candidate win the Electoral College vote in my state. I was wrong. Now, I know the exact opposite is true. My vote matters more in a red state, and the GOP wants you to feel apathetic and powerless.”
David de Delgado/AFP via Getty Images
– Hopeful young lady
2. “I grew up in New York, and I moved to Florida for a job opportunity. It’s … very different from NYC, but overall, the people are very nice. I don’t get into the politics of things, so maybe it was easier for me to adjust.”
– Anton, 42
Related: If you can pass this geography quiz, you’re officially smarter than the average American
3. “I have an idiot, but once I moved from a rural red zone to a blue one, I was never accused of trying to steal someone’s subpar boyfriend again. I know almost every woman who moves from a red zone to a blue one has been accused of this in their red hometown. Like, ma’am, it’s literally just hiding from her first boyfriend. Biggest, biggest, ugliest truck she can find.”
– Witchylegend85
4. “We moved from Nebraska to Arizona when we retired. Aside from dealing with some MAGA-crazy friends, we love it. It was very disappointing to see Arizona go to Trump in the last election, but overall, AZ is still a wonderful place for retirees and families. In Nebraska, I knew if I talked more about my room, I’d know. Pitchforks were right-wing conservatives there, once a small, small Black Lives Matter in our small town. The mater assembled, and there were men who appeared in flak vests and guns.
“People threw water on my family, including our 10-year-old grandson. They said the protesters drove their monster trucks and shot the motors to blow diesel fumes, and then laughed. Shame on them all.”
— grumpytruck292
5. “I’m a military veteran and retired teacher. I lived in Illinois most of my life, but when my daughter left home, I decided to move to a warmer climate near the beach. I ended up in North Carolina. That was in 2015. Wilmington was fine because the population was so diverse, but moved into MAGA, and I felt like I left to live with my friend. 1955. People referred to black people as ‘colored,’ And Trump signs were everywhere that I lived for seven years before I moved back to Illinois.
– Amber, Illinois
6. “I live in a blue state, Illinois, but recently moved to a rural red county because it’s cheaper. I have to live with really dumb, out-of-touch people, many of whom are glued to Fox News all day and believe all the lies. It’s hard to believe how many of them are on Medicare and Medicaid. But they’re poor, Trump is poor.”
– Purple Goat 4588
7. “I grew up in a blue state and have lived in mostly blue-leaning states. I now live in Florida, where I have to watch what I say and to whom, because there always seems to be an angry MAGA member ready to argue—or worse. For security reasons, I even changed my party affiliation.”
– Anonymous
8. “Red areas are very cheap to live in, but there are no jobs. Blue areas have everything you want, but you can never afford it.”
– Fall
9. “I grew up in northern Virginia, which is very liberal and affluent, but I spent every summer with my family in Florida. Now, I live in the liberal-but-liberal area of southeastern Virginia. I love being from Virginia, and even though I’m a public school teacher here, I’m really grateful for the benefits of this state. Visit my family in Florida, it’s like driving through the Bible Belt. From each other.”
“It’s very strange and honestly scary. I’m Cuban, and my best friend is a black man. We went to visit my family and go to Disney World in the summer of 2024, and we were afraid to stop for lunch or a bathroom break. And when we did, we were very careful, because we were both really afraid or hot.”
—Eleanora, 25, Virginia
10. “I grew up in Minnesota and lived in Wisconsin, South Carolina and South Dakota. The most surprising thing for me was the big difference between Minnesota and South Dakota, because they are neighbors. South Dakota is very Christian and conservative, while Minnesota is very liberal-leaning. I actually felt more at home in South Dakota than in the southern states. Dakota I learned that if you look anywhere, there really is in every state. There are conservative and really liberal pockets.”
– Anonymous
11. “I’ve lived in 12 states in every part of the country, including Hawaii, but Alaska, big cities (NY, SF, and Houston) and small towns besides college towns. Everyone seems to be commenting on politics and the cost of living, so here are some other differences. First, there’s the food. The grub-rustler in my house learned a lot about food. Really, the food in the Midwest is terrible, and some of the regional fare in the southern states is amazing. The culinary diversity of big cities in blue states is very enlightening. is.”
“Second, culture and art. It is impossible to mix museums and high arts in big cities in blue states, but there are good orchestras and regional arts to be enjoyed everywhere. Finally, over the years, I have developed a basic understanding: everywhere there are positives and negatives. If you can focus on the positives and negatives of life, the good and the negatives can be respected. Anywhere.”
– Famous Salt737
12. “I grew up in a metro area in central Florida, which was politically purple. I moved to the Philadelphia area a few years ago, and the differences shocked me. Philly can be dangerous, but the suburbs where I live are much safer than where I live in Florida. Also, the politics are not shoved in your face. I actually see the greatest people. Complaining about who opened the door at Wawa, the quality of medical care is better, as is the overall quality of life.”
– Brandonbear35
13. “I grew up in Missouri and moved to California. Politics aside, the food is pretty good. Like, seriously. Everyone should have a California burrito at least once in their life.”
– Anonymous, 37, California
14. “I moved from Pittsburgh to a small beach town in Florida and back to Pittsburgh 10 years later. My friend is European. I was fascinated at first by the weather and the beach life; the Florida town I went to was nice, but it hadn’t voted Democrat at any level since FDR. The people, teachers, government employees, hospital workers, and religious workers there vote against. It was very strange to return to the Pittsburgh suburbs, the friendship of strangers, the value of life and services, And even obeying the rules of the road was better, and the quality of life was better than in winter.
– Anonymous, 72, Pennsylvania
15. “I lived in eastern Idaho for 17 years. I am an atheist, but never told anyone. A large part of the population of eastern Idaho is Mormon and very conservative. I was a public school teacher, but students and colleagues often asked about my religious beliefs. The state is beautiful, with mountains and high desert, but I was less livable. Western Oregon, the cost of living is very high, but here no one asks about my religion or political preferences.
-Mary, 73, Oregon
16. “I’m retired and snowbirding from Colorado to Texas because of the warm winters and close relatives (in small-town Texas). In Texas, we’re very careful about who we talk to and what we say, especially in politics and religion. There’s a certain freedom and pride that ‘everything’ is good, but not in a rich state. Tricks the average Joe into voting against their interests, and tries to control children’s minds and women’s health.”
– Anonymous
17. Finally: “I grew up in California, then joined the Army at 17. I was very lucky; except for a couple of deployments, I was mostly on the West Coast. When we left the Army, my husband and I moved to a red state for work. We kept swearing we’d get out, but it just wasn’t possible. Now we couldn’t go back to California until later. In my little red state I’m already getting a lot of help as a disabled vet, and the health care is so good – They have a lot of variety, and it’s all very cheap.
“We pay a lot for gas, and the utilities are technically higher, but since we downsized our house, the bills are relatively comparable. However, the biggest thing is that people actually care about others. Like, there are groups that families get together and put baskets for families that need help, non-essentials, that’s just for fun. It’s completely secular, no religious requirements. ‘Poor-people-cookies-for-you’ Don’t deserve’ places, there are libraries that work, book drives, where people read to kids… there are so many programs.
– Anonymous, 43
If you moved from a Republican-leaning state to a Democrat-leaning state, what was your experience like? Share with us in the comments, or you can submit your story anonymously using the form below.
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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