Has anybody never left their home state?

[kkt]

In NYC you meet a lot of people who claim to have never left the city.

Not even to walk up the Statue of Liberty once?

[Duke87]

In NYC you meet a lot of people who claim to have never left the city.

I used to work with someone who grew up in Brooklyn and despite being in her mid-20s had only been to three states (NY, NJ, PA), and had been to the latter two only once on a trip to the Poconos. Close, but not quite.


Legitimately answering the original question, an old friend of mine had an ex who, when he met her (they were both 19) had never even left the county she grew up in, let alone the state. It was a rural county in Ohio and her family never traveled anywhere non-local because they lacked the means or the need. Then he took her to Chicago and her world kind of turned upside down.

[Pete from Boston]

In NYC you meet a lot of people who claim to have never left the city.

Not even to walk up the Statue of Liberty once?

A big high-five to you for that one!

[briantroutman]

In NYC you meet a lot of people who claim to have never left the city.

I can't remember the title, but I recall seeing an old movie where the protagonist gets into an argument with a crusty New York cop on the beat (something having to do with the South, I believe), and the officer grunts "I've never been south of the Battery."

[MarkF]

I met someone once who never had left their county.  But it was Maui county, Hawaii.

[empirestate]

Since the thread seems to have drifted to "What was the second state you visited?"–well, I can't remember, because I was born in PA but we moved from the state before I formed any memories there. We moved to NY, but surprisingly that's not the earliest state I have memories from; I can distinctly recall some moments that happened during a visit to MA that took place before we moved out of PA. Such a visit was probably the first time I left my native state, and to get there the first state along the route was certainly NJ.

So, my second state was apparently NJ.

[kkt]

My parents took my on a trip backpacking in the Grand Tetons when I was about 6 months old.  Not sure of the route we took to get there, so my second state might have been either Oregon or Nevada.

[Alps]

On the St. Louis meet, those of us who ventured across the ferry found a town where the locals never left that part of Illinois.

[apjung]

I've been living in Louisiana ever since I immigrated to the US in 1978 (Lafayette from 1978-1987 and Metairie since 1987).

If you mean I never left my home state to travel around, then no, I've been around the country.
http://mob-rule.com/user-gifs/apjung.gif

http://mob-rule.com/user-gifs/Canada/apjung.gif

[theline]

Like everyone who responded, my answer to the OP is "no." Growing up in Muncie, IN, with relatives in Ohio, I'd presume my second state was Ohio.

My parents took my on a trip backpacking in the Grand Tetons when I was about 6 months old.  Not sure of the route we took to get there, so my second state might have been either Oregon or Nevada.

That makes me think of our first daughter, who was born in Mishawaka, IN. Her second state was Kentucky, which we visited on a short vacation to sites like Hodgenville (Lincoln's birthplace) and Mammoth Cave. Just about 12 weeks old, she was very happy in her Snuggly.

[oscar]

I grew up in a military family, which meant four different home states (NC, MN, VA, CA), plus passing through many others every time my father was transferred, before my 8th birthday.

[thenetwork]

Or even more unlikely, someone that has never been to a state.
Anybody growing up in DC that wants to take on that challenge?

Or anybody in NYC who has never been to Jersey?

[cpzilliacus]

I assume that everybody on this board has been to at least two states, but there are some children on here who might not have. I can see if you lived in, say, LA, you might not have ever left California or if you lived in central Texas or Montana, or Alaska or Hawaii you might not have been to more than one state. Do you know anybody who has only been to one state? Foreign countries don't count.

Considering I was born in the United States, but not in a state, I suppose that makes things unique (I was born in the District of Columbia, but my family moved to Maryland when I was a little over 1 year old, so I have no memory of being a D.C. resident and I do not consider it my hometown).

[hbelkins]

I honestly don't know what my second state may have been. Has to be either Ohio, West Virginia or Tennessee. Indiana is an outside possibility.

Wonder what state has the highest percentage of residents who've never left their borders? My guesses would be Alaska or Hawaii.

[kkt]

I honestly don't know what my second state may have been. Has to be either Ohio, West Virginia or Tennessee. Indiana is an outside possibility.

Wonder what state has the highest percentage of residents who've never left their borders? My guesses would be Alaska or Hawaii.

I bet not, those states both have lots of people who come from elsewhere or travel a lot.  I bet one of the lower income states, probably in the southeast.

[slorydn1]

Having been born in Michigan, Ohio was my second state.

The first time my parents brought me back east to meet the rest of the family the first time in NJ/NY (mom says I was about 2 months old) we would have dropped down US-23  to Airport Hwy into Maumee to hit the Ohio Turnpike (we did that trip many times before we moved to the Chicago area when I was 10, so I remember the route).

[dfwmapper]

I honestly don't know what my second state may have been. Has to be either Ohio, West Virginia or Tennessee. Indiana is an outside possibility.

Wonder what state has the highest percentage of residents who've never left their borders? My guesses would be Alaska or Hawaii.

I'd be more interested in the other end, what state has the lowest percentage who have never left? My money is on Delaware.

[Thing 342]

I honestly don't know what my second state may have been. Has to be either Ohio, West Virginia or Tennessee. Indiana is an outside possibility.

Wonder what state has the highest percentage of residents who've never left their borders? My guesses would be Alaska or Hawaii.

I'd be more interested in the other end, what state has the lowest percentage who have never left? My money is on Delaware.

Probably Rhode Island, I'd say.

[NE2]

Alaska and Hawaii probably have a large proportion of people born there who never left but a small proportion of those who currently live there who have never been elsewhere.

[jeffandnicole]

Or even more unlikely, someone that has never been to a state.
Anybody growing up in DC that wants to take on that challenge?

Or anybody in NYC who has never been to Jersey?

I would think that a lot of people in NYC have never been to NJ.  A lot of people in NYC don't have cars, so they would need to take a train or bus.  And then what?

[empirestate]

I honestly don't know what my second state may have been. Has to be either Ohio, West Virginia or Tennessee. Indiana is an outside possibility.

Wonder what state has the highest percentage of residents who've never left their borders? My guesses would be Alaska or Hawaii.

I bet not, those states both have lots of people who come from elsewhere or travel a lot.  I bet one of the lower income states, probably in the southeast.

I'm thinking Texas would be up there.

[signalman]

I would think that a lot of people in NYC have never been to NJ.  A lot of people in NYC don't have cars, so they would need to take a train or bus.  And then what?

Agreed.  I run a gas station and convenience store.  If I'm outside pumping gas I will often encounter a New Yorker who's never been to NJ and thus is not aware that they can't pump their own gas.  I've also ever overheard New Yorkers saying something to whomever they're traveling with.  "No, you have to wait for the man.  They pump it for you in New Jersey."

[dfwmapper]

Probably Rhode Island, I'd say.

Are you just basing that on size? Because I'm looking at factors that would enable people to remain in the state. Providence has far more in the way of cultural activities, sports, and other things you would expect a city the size of Providence to have. Delaware has beaches and other than that you're probably going to Philly or DC.

I'm thinking Texas would be up there.

Texas has one of the highest rates of inward migration of anywhere in the country. Would have to be somewhere that people aren't moving to. Ohio maybe.

[empirestate]

Texas has one of the highest rates of inward migration of anywhere in the country. Would have to be somewhere that people aren't moving to. Ohio maybe.

It does, but it also has several very large metro areas, inhabited by a great many people without the resources to travel much, along with a great many small towns and rural areas that aren't within an easy distance of another state.

Has anybody looked for a study on this?

[bzakharin]

I was in 3 states the day I entered this country: Flew to NYC, then flew to Philadelphia (yes, really), then driven to NJ where we then lived. Don't recall when #4 happened. Probably on our drive to Boston 2 years later, which would mean it was Connecticut.