Just retired and moved to a dead zone, it Sucks! No crime, no homeless people, no drug addicts, no lines everywhere, but the absolute Worst part was the Ridiculous cost of housing, 135k . I definitely would not recommend moving to a dead zone🏠

@pdxmtngoat

5 ай бұрын

Are there any doctors there if you need them?

@TheSondysue

5 ай бұрын

Where did you move?

@seanmcdirmid

5 ай бұрын

Jobs, healthcare might be an issue.

@singingwindrider9881

5 ай бұрын

@reallyemptypockets6509 Where did you move to?

@hairy-one

5 ай бұрын

yes. a little travel may be needed, but it's OK.@@pdxmtngoat

“Nobody lives there” is like music to my ears.

@Joseph1701-A

2 күн бұрын

Same here, I'd love to live in Montana with my nearest neighbor at least 20-30 miles away.

@RuukuLada

Күн бұрын

it just sounds lonely to me

Native Buffalonian. I’m glad everyone thinks it’s dead here. Keeps prices low and life convenient. Everytime I go to these so called bustling cities, I pay 48 dollars for 6 hour parking and want to leave immediately ❤

@panachevitz

3 күн бұрын

Shhhh, Keep Buffalo a Secret.

The beauty of America’s empty west coast needs to stay empty. I had the honor of visiting all of the land between portland and San Fran and I can say it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

@Semper_

5 ай бұрын

One of the most beautiful coasts I ever seen, I plan on going there one day. Especially Thor's Well

@schwenda3727

5 ай бұрын

The 2 lane (non-freeway) part of US 101 is truly something to behold… especially along the coast in most of Oregon.

@pongop

3 ай бұрын

Yes, the whole west coast is lovely. The California Central Coast in particular is my very favorite area.

@JugglinJellyTake01

7 күн бұрын

The empty west looked amazing. I'm not familiar with this channel but it seems if there isn't a growing economy it sucks. Natural environments are needed and provide a different means for jobs such as conservation, low impact tourism ie only a fraction of it can be visited, some areas mean you can grow your own food and make a small living.

@ForageGardener

6 күн бұрын

No it's not it's a total shithole full of drug addicts and it's cloudy and rainy and expensive. Don't come here.

They are not dead regions. Am sure the wildlife are flourishing. No pollution, no pesky noisy humans.

@patlynch6517

5 ай бұрын

Yes, as a human I can attest to being pesky

@stevesnyder3440

5 ай бұрын

Great points

@BZendry

5 ай бұрын

I’m a lifelong “Region Rat”. There are some beautiful areas off of the “beaten path” of that stretch…it is sad to see what it has become from what it used to be. If you know you know.

@Nitro_Joe

5 ай бұрын

Your joke fell flat.

@jcarp8471

5 ай бұрын

The Utah Nevada dead zone is also lacking animals. Life is definitely not flourishing there. You need water for life to flourish. It is also a really scary place (speaking from experience) to drive when the gas gauge is getting close to empty. There is nothing there. No houses, no buildings, no animals, just miles and miles of empty.

As a native New Mexican I am offended that we weren't included in this video.

@goshawk4340

10 күн бұрын

New Mexico is pretty and should be on this list.

@shortsign

4 күн бұрын

I love New Mexico I really enjoyed traveling through there. Everybody was nice and it's pretty.

@zacharyberry2534

Күн бұрын

Yo, I love new Mexico (I slipped up and called it north Mexico and all my mississippi homies laughed). We drove all the way to blue hole during covid, but it was closed so we spent time in Raton, I lived there briefly. Mississippi is a black hole, at least you have culture, we can't even say sir or ma'am anymore, a sign of respect letting strangers know we don't think of ourselves as any higher status. I still say it though because my mom will beat me if she found out otherwise. NM is awesome.

@Helaw0lf

Күн бұрын

I have been throughout the state over the many years. There are parts I have yet to explore within. Anyone living in Albuquerque, Santa Fe or Las Cruces needs to hit the road to explore the state instead of saying it is boring here.

People just can't fathom how COLD winter is in northern ND, MN, and Montana. The people are great, however. When you make a friend up there, it's forever.

@OpenCarryUSMC

6 күн бұрын

I can fathom it. I went to extreme cold weather training in February at camp ripely MN in the late 80’s. 29 below. 60 below with the wind chill. And we were in TENTS

@towtruckmafia

Күн бұрын

The cold weather cuts down on the riffraff.

Why not Minot? Freezin is the reason. Spent my last miserable year in the Air Force at Minot AFB. Longest and coldest winter I've ever experienced in my entire life. Got so cold that I used to watch the weather Channel and envy Anchorage because it was warmer.

@ytgytgy

5 ай бұрын

as a person who once lived in Fargo, I relate. It got colder than the North Pole several times during the 2012 winter, and that's not a flex.

@JesusIsKingAndSavior

5 ай бұрын

I've had family up there my whole life. Been up there about ten times. They take summers in Florida now, if you can believe that. : )

@RobKimbro1966

3 ай бұрын

@@JesusIsKingAndSavior kinda gluttony for punishment aren't they? lol

@JesusIsKingAndSavior

2 ай бұрын

Family retired after 20+ yrs at Minot AFB. Its where they built their life. With the savings my uncle and aunt made, they can up and drive to any part of the country and do whatever they want til they die. They had a good community the whole time they lived up there. Theyve led good lives.

@BostonCycling_

2 ай бұрын

The “nuclear sponge” with the minuteman silos throughout is also interesting and worth mentioning

It's sad because the Great lakes is one of the best geographic locations that has been neglected

@joywebster2678

5 ай бұрын

My Dad sailed the steamships hauling cargo from tip of lake superior down to Montreal on the Canadian side. Hauling over the great lakes relieved road congestion of too many trucks. But slowly all the great lake cities beautified their docks and got rid of the needed silos and rail yards to shunt cargo. Tis a shame. Dad eventually got into trucking management.

@northstarstatepolitics1652

5 ай бұрын

You can thank the EPA, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, NAFTA and George W Bush for that.

@rfranklin3000

5 ай бұрын

@@northstarstatepolitics1652 No, the culprit for the death of the internal water ways of the country, including the Great Lakes, is entirely due to the Jones Act of the 1920s.

@CatherinePearl100

4 ай бұрын

I grew up in this area, between Muskegon and Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, and I loved it and sometimes still miss it. It’s a tragedy what corporate greed has done to the lower lakes region. I really hope the trend reverses in my lifetime, but I’m not holding my breath.

@user-oo1ps9bo3j

9 күн бұрын

Oil spills really ruined fishing Z& people got very sick from it All in Louisiana so sad 🙏✌️✅❤️🌍🥸😇🫶🙃😳😅🤔🧐🥲

Many of us have lived in these empty spaces and loved it. I came back to live in my hometown because it was at the end of the road and nothing exciting happened there. My kids whined about a lack of big city entertainment but they all managed to get drivers licenses so they could travel to concerts and sporting events. I grew up on the same block as my first grade teacher, and so did my son and daughter. They got a good education and both managed to graduate from university. They are successful because they grew up in a small town with parents who were interested in their children. I knew all my kids friends- and all my neighbors. Parents talked to each other. I wouldn’t want to raise a family in a big city.

@glennso47

8 күн бұрын

I lived next door to my high school teacher. (Mount Carroll Illinois )

You left out northern Maine. That area is a definite dead zone. The only economic activity there is potato farming. Logging used to be big, but that switched over to providing wood for paper mills decades ago and there are no mills remaining in northern Maine.

@PogueMahone1

5 ай бұрын

This is true also for the adjacent Canadian Maritimes, especially the inland parts.

@todddunn945

5 ай бұрын

@@PogueMahone1 absolutely. I lived in New Brunswick for 20 years before moving to Maine. Outside of the cities (Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton) and the coastal town of St. Andrews, New Brunswick was a dead zone then and I imagine still is.

I disagree about the Great Lakes. Maybe some of the cities are problematic but the region has water, fresh water, something you cannot live without. BTW, Buffalo has turned itself around (not completely) but it’s not sitting there waiting for heavy industry to come back or pinning their hopes on casinos. Another thing that you seem not to appreciate is places like Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland have the legacy of old money and very wealthy people who invested in the arts. Cleveland for example has one of the finest symphony orchestras in the world. And Buffalo, Cleveland, and Buffalo all have world class art museums. I agree, the heyday of manufacturing is dead but let’s appreciate all the important technology that has come out of the area and the potential they have to reinvent themselves. P.S., Buffalo, Cleveland, and Detroit still have major league sports teams. These are cities where the majority of the population is lower to middle class. I think it says something about the strength of those communities and people rallying their teams and keeping them relevant.

@PogueMahone1

5 ай бұрын

Buffalo doesn't offer baseball or basketball and Cleveland doesn't have hockey.

@dylanlowers5236

5 ай бұрын

Yeah but Erie sucks

@CaseyBerard-qv6bi

5 ай бұрын

Ny is dying its socialist/communist authoritarian government is killing freedom and regulating everything to death also anyone who wants to live free and live in a constitutional republic like the United States is supposed to be ny is far from it and more like a dictatorship

@440tomcat

5 ай бұрын

Ahhh yes arts and orchestras that contributes a lot

@marktillotson5426

5 ай бұрын

THESE CITIES ARE DEAD because of horrible government mismanagement up to and including the destruction of the steel and coal industries .Sorry I lived in Buffalo for some time and it may turn around some BUT LIKE ALL THE "POOR STATES" IT WILL NOT TURN AROUND UNTIL INDUSTRY COMES HOME FROM THE SWEAT SHOP $5.00/DAY PAYROLLS OVERSEAS THATWILL ULTIMATELY DESTROY US BY HOLDING OUT SUPPLY. I am continually surprised at why major manufacturing doesnt move to some of these areas ..take some upper management from wherever they are now and build like they used to (with corrections) a psuedo company town

The narrator must’ve grown up in an idyllic suburban setting. Poor guy doesn’t know any better. 😂

Ive mentioned this in other videos but I have lived in many cities including NY and LA and Miami, and Milwaukee has been the kindest to me. Lots to do, I feel very safe, the people are wonderful, and it’s so affordable. People complain about weather but Milwaukee salts the roads well. I plan on never leaving.

@sficlassic

5 ай бұрын

I grew up in Madison and still live in Wisconsin. You couldn't pay me to live there. As with any big city the drivers are A-holes. I now live in a small village west of Madison and go there when I have to. If you like the big city, more power to you. I hate it.

@DSAK55

5 ай бұрын

Actually, it's pronounced "mill-e-wah-que" which is Algonquin for "the good land."

@barbellcrazy4852

5 ай бұрын

As a Milwaukee native, I find that awfully surprising. Because I just recently moved away from it, a year ago and I don’t like visiting at the least, but of all my family is there still. It does all depends on where you come from, because you might appreciate it much differently, it’s not definitely not the worse city ever. It’s just out of all Wisconsin cities and towns, I wouldn’t recommend it. I’ll stick to its suburbs, if I had to live there again.

@KristNi

5 ай бұрын

@@barbellcrazy4852 Why did you move away from Milwaukee?

@LPVPisFr33

5 ай бұрын

@@DSAK55 I was not aware of that.

Right, nobody lives in Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Windsor, Toledo, Cleveland, Buffalo..... wow.

@OriginalContent89

6 күн бұрын

OMG! Where am I?!

One thing you missed about the future of the Midwest is climate migration. The Great Lakes region has fresh water and fewer severe storms. The Southwest were all the people are has chronic water issues with all the states competing for the Colorado river. The Southeast has too much water with flooding and destructive storms. If you want to move somewhere more affordable than the Northeast or Mid Atlantic the Midwest is a good option. BTW most of Chicagoland is nice and not dead or dying. I guess you haven’t been here in awhile. Visit in the summer; winter can be rough. Good channel.

@the937chef

5 ай бұрын

So many people have shamelessly benefitted by wrongly trashing on Chicago. Outside of a couple of bad areas, 90% of the city is safe and amazing.

@carylhalfwassen8555

5 ай бұрын

Chicago is a pit, downstate Illinois would like to separate from that city which has the state in a stranglehold.

@the937chef

5 ай бұрын

@carylhalfwassen8555 Chicago is a world class international city. Just like any other large city in the world, there are parts that can be dangerous. I've been there 100s of times in my lifetime and have never had any issues with crime or felt unsafe. Go to the lakefront and take in a museum or go to wriglyville and take in a cubs game or go to one of the countless amazing restaurants downtown or in one of the neighborhoods. Whatever youre insecure about, unless you're hanging around in Cabrini Green, it's not founded in anything rational.

@FreeU.S.

5 ай бұрын

When were you last there?​@@the937chef

@archiebunker7688

5 ай бұрын

There's no such thing as mistakes on the Great Lakes, it's a huge natural resource not to be overlooked and the cities along them were built at a time before the auto made flight to the suburbs possible. The infrastructure is already in place, many cheap affordable homes on small lots all within walking distance of corner stores, bakeries, shops, churches, clubs, businesses- the climate change value seeking liberals are fleeing from partched sunbelt cities and expensive crime infested cities on both coasts are salivating to grab those " mistakes " up. Billions being poured into Detroit restorations. Terminal Tower in Cleveland turning into apartments for younger crowd. These cities and others such as Buffalo have magnificent architecture worth saving. Even cheap Youngstown is getting marks as the place to work remotely. Amtrak is adding more routes to these areas, all you need is to bring a bike along. Most cities have busses with bike racks and bike ways now along many city streets. You don't need a car anymore. This channel totally missed it rehashing old history.

Hello from Crescent City, Ca. You are mostly right on target in your assessment, except we are, not sadly, quite short on Applebee's! Our main export is now Bigfoot souvenirs.

I like it when you bash areas I’m looking into moving to when I retire. It may help to make the land cheaper.

@pdxmtngoat

5 ай бұрын

But can you see a doctor if you need it?

@LPVPisFr33

5 ай бұрын

@@pdxmtngoat You don't need a doctor when you have internet ;)

@shortsign

7 күн бұрын

​@@pdxmtngoatno don't move there. Lol stay in the city you're nice and safe there.....

@amelliamendel2227

4 күн бұрын

Until the reality of the reason why no one lives there catches up to you...

@amelliamendel2227

4 күн бұрын

​@@shortsignwell per capita there's way more crime and rural areas

Psst, Jefferson was the third president, not the second. I’m sure you were just seeing if we were paying attention. 😆

Less population = even better. Also container gardening or farming is possible. I grown cucumbers, carrots, watermelons, corn, tomatoes and a few others container gardening

We go to Cleveland to visit family and it's always struck me as a city that has a lot going for it. Sure there is poverty and crime but it has terrific theater, music, museums and food - not to mention the Christmas Story House.

@yodorob

2 ай бұрын

Not to mention a large and thriving Jewish community - both generally and Orthodox.

A Harvard study identified Buffalo and Duluth, Minnesota as the two places in the U.S. best suited to become receiver cities - that is, places receiving people fleeing from extreme weather elsewhere. In his 2019 State of the City address, Buffalo mayor Byron Brown acknowledged the city’s unique position. “We know that Buffalo will be a climate refuge city for centuries to come,”

@ericl3498

5 ай бұрын

I've been to Buffalo a bunch. It's a lot nicer than he thinks it is.

@FixIt1975

5 ай бұрын

​@@ericl3498How about the east side? I'm asking a legitimate question out of curiosity, as I've never been there. But I've heard east side is kinda sketchy

US highway 50 runs from Utah to California right through the middle of Nevada. It's been called the Lonliest highway, and I agree. I rolled down it doing 85 pulling a trailer. A few small towns, cattle ranches, lots of empty land.

@johnchedsey1306

5 ай бұрын

I've taken that road a few times over the years and love the emptiness of Nevada. Very zen experience!

@AdrienneJung.M

5 ай бұрын

I’m from that emptiness….it is beautiful

@ajf5823

5 ай бұрын

There’s much lonelier/emptier highways in Nevada alone.

@johnchedsey1306

5 ай бұрын

@@ajf5823 I do honestly think in general Nevada wins at the emptiest roads in the US. I've been on the state highways as well and could count the other cars I saw on one hand, or so it felt!

@domin8ss

2 ай бұрын

​@@johnchedsey1306agreed. Get off I-80 in Winnemucca and head north to Denio. When you get to the closed down gas station turn left and head towards Laketown, OR. Do it during winter and you're taking your life into your own hands. Over 200 miles of emptiness and you'll be lucky if you see 3 cars.

To join to the chorus about the lakes region; we have plentiful fresh water which is starting to lack nationwide, prebuilt infastructure (some cities better maintained than others, looking at you gary), and access to lake and river transport. The move of manufacturing overseas really hurt it but what is often overlooked was the lobbying of the oil industy to favor highway over water transport which is way cheaper (jones act and other restrictive policies) and the construction fo the welland canal in canada. As industry nearshores and the south continues to dy up the lakes region will be waiting to welcome its expats back. Houston region can't take all of them forever.

@JamJamJam3x3

5 ай бұрын

Freshwater lacking nation-wide? Lol dude it's pretty much only the west side, such as California, Arizona, and Nevada. The east coast is just fine and has plenty of water, which is why it's so much greener on the east side compared to the west side.

As long as we get some beachfront, I'm game to add Oregon to our state! As for Alaska, people move there to get away from people, so being a dead zone is not such a bad thing for the state.

@pdxmtngoat

5 ай бұрын

Alaska is awesome. It's nice because it will never ever grow too much.

Southwest Michigan is one of the prettiest, nicest places in the United States. The Great Lakes region is also predicted to be one of the most livable places in the US in the future due to climate change. I think theres going to be an influx of people to the Great Lakes area once the south becomes unlivable.

@MrSiomys

5 ай бұрын

It’s gonna be super hard and almost impossible. I know Mexico is hot, but I rarely hear people say it’s so hot that it’s already not livable. The reason behind is the invention of air conditioner. People can just survive hotness with that on. I’m not joking. The former prime minister and founding father of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew even stated that it was one of the important reasons they could develop. Specifically, people have no problem staying in the office to get online and participate in the global business with air conditioners on… But what about coldness? It’s not just as easy as put on more heaters. Coldness comes with snow, strong wind and difficulty of machinery running… Yes the climate is changing, but people are NOT gonna simply move back north because a cold place gets a little warmer. People are more tolerant for hotness due to air conditioners. Plus the whole new industry chain has been set up in the south, people will just naturally stay where they were born in the south. More comfortable. People and business have no need to urgently move, rent new places, build new infrastructure and spend any extra money…. So unless the sunny south states are all fucked up with crime, and a new industry is simultaneously emerging in the Great Lakes region, otherwise I don’t see too much hope.

@schwenda3727

5 ай бұрын

I recommend any Sun Belt resident with a blue collar background intending to relocate to the Northern Midwest… …to find a local warehouse that’s literally a freezer. Work there full time for weeks or months. If they can’t tolerate that, then they certainly won’t like the BRUTAL winters that the Northern Midwest is historically known for. If the winters were more tolerable, people from the 1950s-80s that lost their above average paying manufacturing jobs would overwhelmingly likely find another excuse to stay and keep paying the mortgage & taxes instead of bailing to the South for yet another reason. At least major cities along the I-70 corridor aren’t getting much attention (except KC, Indy & Columbus)… particularly between Topeka & Pittsburgh. And their winters are more manageable than the Great Lakes’ frozen-hell-on-earth scenarios of winter weather.

When my dad switched from the Navy to the Air Force, they sent us to Havre, Montana. The Hi Line. We lived there from 68-72. I was just a kid but I remember there wasn't much memorable about living there. I then returned in 1990 to Rudyard, 40 miles west of Havre! Yeah, its empty, hard scrabble life up there. Not for everyone but it has a weird stark quality, like look how we survive here.

Milwaukee is pretty nice actually, minus a certain area.

@jaimeogas

5 ай бұрын

I'm convinced Briggs hates Milwaukee. Maybe it's been since the time he rode the Amtrak Empire Builder approaching downtown, when it hit a kid crossing the tracks in the Wauwatosa Village.

@Jnicks01

5 ай бұрын

A certain area 😂😂 I can’t even fight you about that but I do like Milwaukee my wife’s from the city I’m from New Jersey

Hey Briggs, the production quality of your videos is looking really good. Your drone shots are impressive.

The Midwest has a lot of potential. Maybe not all the cities there, but definitely Chicago. The economy there is very diverse, they attract a lot of immigration, it is safe from climate change, and the cost of living there is a lot more affordable than cities on the East or West Coasts

@patriciamay6396

5 ай бұрын

Chicago is very expensive, has rampant corruption, rising property taxes and sprawl that makes traffic a nightmare. No thanks

@Oxymera

5 ай бұрын

@@patriciamay6396Nothing beats downtown Chicago, clean and somewhat affordable.

@blowinshtup6553

11 күн бұрын

Chicago is a sh*thole. you all need to get out more if you think otherwise

@glennso47

8 күн бұрын

@@Oxymerajust head out North Avenue and go straight to the Mississippi River to Carroll County Illinois. It’s a 2-1/2 hour drive from Chicago to Carroll County.

We just went to Chattanooga last week. Liked it better than Savannah. Great breweries and restaurants without all the tourists.

You’ve illuminated some areas that many of us have forgotten about. I’ve traveled to all these places many times back when I was an over-the-road trucker in the ‘80s & ‘90s. It’s sad that all the immigrants coming to the U.S. will probably not be settling in these areas either. The dynamic cities like New York, Boston, Miami, Houston, Dallas, L.A., San Diego, San Francisco, Nashville, Charlotte, Denver, Phoenix should continue to flourish.

LOL. Your picture of Detroit is actually Louisville, Kentucky.

Good information. Thanks.

@WorldAccordingToBriggs

5 ай бұрын

You're welcome

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Briggs! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 🎆🍷 😉😎

Excellent video. It brings attention to areas that are largely overlooked.

Honestly I don’t know how you can make so many top quality videos so quickly!

Great vid as always! Haven’t visited most of these regions, but a few years back I drove from Boise to Klamath Falls, Oregon. I recall one stretch of about 200 miles where I did not see a single other car or sign of civilization save for a “town” called “Wagontire” with a population of 2. If I had run out of gas on that trip, I would have been vulture food.

Happy New Year Briggs!

Brilliant analysis each down and out town got there by circumstances unique to that area, no pattern of similar situation. Brilliant

There are parts of Louisiana where you can buy a 3 bedroom 2 bath brick home for under $100k. But the wages are terrible.

@stanleybest8833

7 күн бұрын

Way overpriced

Chicago isn’t nearly as bad as you are making it sound. It doesn’t even have the highest crime rate of cities in Illinois.

@johnhawkins3507

5 ай бұрын

East St. Louis?

@johnhawkins3507

5 ай бұрын

@@moreayf2319 That's why I mentioned it. Any other cities?

@jayl5032

5 күн бұрын

Chicago is still a hellhole lol.

Thank you for the video

Great video buddy

I feel safer in South Bend, Indiana than Portland, Oregon ! Facts 💯!

@PogueMahone1

5 ай бұрын

Agreed. Portland went to hell after Trump's election and hasn't recovered since.

Very interesting, Briggs. TFS

@WorldAccordingToBriggs

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

🎉🎉Happy New Year!! 🎉 Look forward to more videos in 2024 !! Thankyou for them!! 🎉🎉

everyone seems to moving to the sun belt, but i'd like to see in a few years the numbers of people from the northeast who moved south who are now moving back, im 41 and in new jersey and have noticed a small number of people my age who had moved south especially florida who have now moved back to nj

@andyjay729

5 ай бұрын

Florida's getting expensive from what I hear. Same with Texas. As long as you don't live too close to a river or the coast, hurricanes won't be as much of an issue in NJ.

@bruhbutwhytho2301

5 ай бұрын

@@andyjay729even if you do it’s definitely not as bad as Florida

One of my best flights included landing in Wendover. It is a leftover airbase from WW2 and everything is sized for big bombers. Small planes like mine look tiny. And everything looks like WW2 was yesterday. The hangars still looked like they maintained, runway and taxiways were clean. And Briggs was right about the Casino on the border being the big thing.

@seanmcdirmid

5 ай бұрын

The drive between SLC and Wendover on i80 across the salt flats is really nice. It is more than just a casino. The salt flats are an attraction in their own right.

@itsjohndell

5 ай бұрын

Just as an aside Wendover was where the 509th Bomb Group trained for the use of the Atomic Bombs in WWII. Because of the secrecy involved the shear isolation was a security measure.

@darren5956

5 ай бұрын

As a Utahn, the biggest draw is Lee's liquor store.

@yodorob

2 ай бұрын

There is a street in the Cleveland suburb of Beachwood named Wendover.

About a decade or so ago, I drove up from Sherwood, ND to Elmore, SK, and I asked the Canadian border official how many people he sees coming through in a day, and he answered "about 25".

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones.

Love the videos I would've liked to have chapters included on this one

I have to disagree about the “Empty West” or State of Jefferson. The population has grown like crazy since I moved up here a year ago. Some of the towns have doubled or tripled in size. It’s growing like crazy out here!

Briggs, I always enjoy your videos. I've had this thought on several of them. There is a book called American Nations by Colin Woodard. I don't know if you have the time, but I found it to be a fascinating read that gives a lot of back ground on the goings ons in our nation. I think you would also find it interesting. Looking forward to the next video.

@johnzabrenski6327

5 ай бұрын

I read this book and loved it. Great insight into how the founding cultures of a region persist.

Funny timing to watch this video about dead zones which started with Alaska, because I just started watching "Northern Exposure." Interesting video!

Great video!

Surprised Wyoming, Nebraska and Maine are not on the list.

@skurinski

5 ай бұрын

All growing in population

@KristNi

5 ай бұрын

@@skurinski Not Nebraska and Wyoming

Katrina in 2005 pushed about 28,000 people to the Katy/West Houston region. 75% of those never returned mostly for economic regions.

@KristNi

5 ай бұрын

Hurricanes occur in Houston as well

@JWReichert

5 ай бұрын

@Kristina-yl9zf yes. But they didn't stay in Greater Katy to avoid hurricanes. They stayed because their incomes double or tripled, and moving back to NOLA would've been financially stupid. Of course many of these people then endured Harvey.

@cashed-out2192

5 ай бұрын

Why is Louisiana on this list. The state has no "desolate places," such as Alaska, Utah, Montana. A drop in population doesn't make a state or city, desolate.

@rconach

5 ай бұрын

@@KristNi I’m a former Houston resident and yes, Houston gets hurricanes but it’s easier to evacuate from the area. In Katy, TX the land is plains-like rather than swamp. Harvey-like storms are rare. Houston, and the state of Texas has an economy far and away better than Louisiana. Louisiana is a pit. I know, I lived there from 1970 to 1984. I still have family there. I moved a couple hours away from Houston after retirement. I don’t like big cities.

Very interesting and educational

Howdy Briggs!, I must say that one thing I really enjoy is driving on a U.S. highway or state highway that has stretches of rural to them if you catch my drift; especially ones that have the big pylon power lines that seem to go on and on forever with the sun hitting the horizon, anyone else?

Living in that southern Oregon coast region, I'll add here that it's not just a cultural push against the metro region of the state but also a legitimate sense that state leadership is irreconcilably skewed towards failed policies. Right now we are seeing our forests continuously shut down for sustainable logging (my county is on a 60 year rotation for its timber harvests) exacerbating out of control wildfires, a state mental health hospital that will not receive patients regardless of severity until they've committed person-to-person crimes, drug policies that are completing failing, and our governor requesting increased ODoT funds be provided to clean up graffiti in Portland when it has been scheduled that snow clearing will be under-funded this year and only prioritized to the three major highways around Portland. I have to say, it would be very much to my disadvantage to see the whole state turn red. I'm part of the LGBTQ+ community. But, I also understand that folks are reaching for the only remaining alternatives they see. 20% of the geography of the state has little to no understanding of the other 80%, which makes sense from a population standpoint, but it completely fails to properly utilize administer the other 80%, thus failing the people therein.

@JesusIsKingAndSavior

5 ай бұрын

It's very confusing these last few years from a sociological standpoint. I'm nearing my 40's. I came up with a very anti-war sentiment, anti-corporate culture. It's like people are completely oblivious to that now.

Dear Briggs - you might consider having a look for the videos about likely locations where people might move to due to global warming - the lower Great Lakes is well-represented.

@danisaur6487

5 ай бұрын

Yes! I actually just moved back to SW Michigan because of this. I think it's beautiful and I think it will be one of the best places to be in 20-30 years

i lived near cleveland for a few years. the sun came out about twice a year. very industrial, very run-down. i'd like to get those few years back

@domin8ss

2 ай бұрын

The best steak I ever had was at some steakhouse/microbrewery in the warehouse district. It was a fantastic bacon-wrapped filet mignon.

Great video. Question: How do different amounts of open time affect strength?

I would disagree with you about the Great Lakes region. I think as water becomes more scarce and many places in the west become too hot and dry, this region will see a good influx of people.

@joywebster2678

5 ай бұрын

But to work at what? The rust belt is real.

@UserName-ts3sp

5 ай бұрын

@@joywebster2678chicago is only the third largest city in the country. there sure aren’t jobs there.

@flyingbanana4179

5 ай бұрын

​@@joywebster2678 there are plenty of jobs around here

Feel like I should move to a dead zone !

Modoc county in the dead west has lithium mining potential. Ya gotta love the remoteness to live there. Modoc County is also notorious for no or bad water.

Milwaukee is awesome. I visited there s month ago.. 3rd Ward is super cool. Pro sports. Good food..

The Last Frontier State , Alaska is awesome. Flights from Seattle to Anchorage are a mere 3.5 hours long. Not a long flight for this Washington resident. Alaska has flights to Seattle around the clock. Every few hours. Can't wait to visit again.

@seanmcdirmid

5 ай бұрын

Ketchikan is closer to Seattle by air than it is to Anchorage. In fact, if you fly from Ketchikan to anchorage, often the quickest flight is through Seattle.

@pdxmtngoat

5 ай бұрын

@@seanmcdirmid Wow. No kidding?

A great movie featured a small fictional Alaskan town in the summer. The movie was “Insomnia” I highly recommend it!

@douglasdea637

5 ай бұрын

I recently saw The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. It is supposed to take place in Sitka, Alaska, but was filmed in Massachusetts.

The zone in which I live isn't exactly "A Dead Zone." It's more accurately described as "An Undead Zone." That said, I LOVE THIS PLACE!🤗

4:33 "And stop typing, Thomas Jefferson was actually our 3rd president..."

It has been pointed out that downtown Detroit is experiencing investment and growth. So has Cleveland. Their neighborhoods have a lot of problems yet. Try doing a little more research.

@naptime0143

5 ай бұрын

Also Buffalo as well there has been hippies moving there and pop ups of new condos

@UserName-ts3sp

5 ай бұрын

these cities aren’t what they used to be but of these “dead zones” the great lakes region has by far the best chance at revival

@skurinski

5 ай бұрын

Detroit is still losing population dude. Its dead

Would be nice to have timestamps for each region. Thanks !

Appreciate it Briggs. You're keeping the riff raff out of the Glass City! We like the decent cost of living, too👍.

@UserName-ts3sp

5 ай бұрын

i don’t like this. it means you people (mostly cleveland folks) are going to keep coming down to columbus and raising our prices.

@seanmcdirmid

5 ай бұрын

I lived in Toledo for four years as a kid (dad worked in nuclear near Monroe). It is what it is, there is some real beauty in the region (wildwood?), but I don’t see a point to go there ever again.

@snooksmcdermott

5 ай бұрын

Nah, that's the developers raising prices, not Clevelanders. @@UserName-ts3sp

Thomas Jefferson is our 3rd President; not 2nd. Other than that, terrific video. Please keep the great content coming!

@jaimerosado3896

5 ай бұрын

I was expecting him to say “stop typing,” and correct himself.

@dcasper8514

5 ай бұрын

I caught that presidential mistake too. So I hurried to the comments here to see if anyone else c aught it.

@slimreaper1911

Ай бұрын

Ever wondered what the J in John adams stands for? Now you know 😂

Alaska could very well be one giant Nevada as far as the US is concerned. Tourism has brought in some good money but its big money maker has been and will probably always be its energy and resources, even if it does die.

Eastern Oregon is beautiful but what to do with it? Nature photography!!

@pdxmtngoat

5 ай бұрын

Eastern Oregon is the only redeeming place left to visit or live in the entire state.

Which number President was Jefferson again? LOL Great video as always!

Im glad Im in the empty West. If the place started growing like crazy, Id move

In the 1990's I lived for several years in "The Empty West" dead zone and loved a lot about living there. I was self-employed and at first didn't have to travel very much but after a couple of years my work changed to where I had to fly a lot. The funny thing was that it took me longer to drive to a major airport hub than it did to fly anywhere across country or even to Hawaii! After a couple years of doing that I'd had enough and moved away. So if you like or need to fly, please consider that if you move to a "dead zone". Another thing to be cognizant about is that medical care is usually very basic in these places. Where I lived was a long drive to a hospital, although some towns had emergency services. So like anything there are the good and bad points.

@momosgarage

7 күн бұрын

Job availability is also and issue. If you move to some backwater place and need to get a job and don’t really know anyone because you aren’t a native or local, based on my experience, you’re screwed.

You have one of the most thoroughly researched and entertaining educational channels on the net. Love it.

@WorldAccordingToBriggs

5 ай бұрын

Thank you

@ItsEverythingElse

5 ай бұрын

Researched?? Takes 5 minutes to pull the data he uses off the web, and even then he gets a lot wrong.

@us1fedvet

5 ай бұрын

@@ItsEverythingElse so why watch?

@WorldAccordingToBriggs

5 ай бұрын

Just because you don’t like the number doesn’t mean they are wrong.

Thanks for the list of places for me to check out next time I go up north to Washington state! 😂

When the Mississippi moves. I’d like to hear your speculation as to what would happen to all the cities.

I've decided there's 2 bad choices on where to relocate for me. #1) Economically disastrous places with really bad diverse demographics. #2) the Booming places or up and coming places - which means now or soon prices with spike, liberals will move in, the natural beauty fades, crowding and homelessness balloons, then liberal policies appear, crime, degeneracy erupts and it's all ruined. Much better - the places that are ok, barely growing and beautiful terrain or the still nice places than once we're very nice, but whose population is declining, meaning still decent real estate is cheaper and it's less crowded. Nobody lists these kind of places. You have to figure them out yourself.

@pdxmtngoat

5 ай бұрын

#2 Denver, Salt Lake City, Boise, Idaho all are booming, up and coming. Off the charts California in-migration.

@danmoritz3319

5 ай бұрын

@@davidgarcia5593 - You are only thinking of southern areas. There's a lot more than that. Not everywhere but certain parts of the Midwest, western Northeast, spots in the Upland South, even the well watered central plains, probably spots here and there in most regions of the country, really. For instance, places that might be slowly losing population now, but still have well maintained, infrastructure, have not decayed much, are not too close but also not too far from some major metro, either, have lower priced real estate, things to do nearby, and that there's really not much wrong with the places, except current economics, or preference, that the right kind of people with the right attitude, people that have or can make there own semi self sufficient community, whom possess skills, could repopulate good places others left, over time, could regenerate a place if coming with a large enough group of responsible people that could form a community. Look at a " US counties losing population" map in places not too hot, or cold or dry.

@danmoritz3319

5 ай бұрын

@@davidgarcia5593- You mentioned Western Ark. Ft. Smith, Ark. area, or near there, has high hills, and views, either side of the river. It's not technically in the Fayetteville or Branson metro, but still not terrible. There's not so bad places all over like that. I know some places in states some people would cringe at, but there are spots there that are actually spectacular. Most of the lists of "best places" are literally written by, leftwing, Zionist, urban, snotty types, with stupid biases whose criteria are suspect, whose opinion doesn't mean much. It's better to just go look around yourself. What you like may be different than what appeals to some urban "Chosen" type.

@user-hd7vl5kw9c

4 ай бұрын

Wallethub comes to mind. @@danmoritz3319

The dead west is where i live. Now that CA has killed off the pot industry here in Humboldt, there isn't much going on up here. The biggest hurtle to living here is the coastal mountains making it a nightmare to get in or out of here. It's 5 hours to SF but it's less than 300 miles away. Winding 2 lane mountain roads are the norm out here

@shadfletcher6815

5 ай бұрын

where are you at near Humboldt?I'm a southern Californian who moved to utah,and my wife hates it,I have been thinking of moving to either northern California,the top upper section,southern Oregon coast or Reno,so is it OK where your at?I know California has its major problems but don't know how bad that upper part is

@eisenkrieg553

5 ай бұрын

This place frustrates the hell out of me. I want to see industry up here and for it to not be a poverty island in the redwoods. But it will take so much just to even make it viable. We need rail lines so we can even build things up because winding highways that reliably shut down every winter will hamstring any effort. Our biggest town being Eureka is just a disgrace, it's so ugly to look at.

@eisenkrieg553

5 ай бұрын

​@shadfletcher6815 You get coastal California tier prices,laws, and attitudes plus the remote living tax, plus hardly any jobs or things to do. It's got the bad aspects of California with the bad aspects of some dying town in a flyover state. You see closed storefronts, derelict buildings, and rain-soaked tweakers. It's pretty when you zoom out but ugly up close.

Another very enjoyable video. Another reason why the Empty West is less populated is because there are few roads that go between various areas and it just takes so long to travel around. And the mountains all make establishing rail and truck infrastructure prohibitively expensive. So; many of the small towns are relatively isolated & expensive to live in because of the cost of transportation & lack of jobs.

Live in the Empty North, it sort of sucks to live in. We have no crime, and is quiet, but when you have to drive 2.5 hours to get to a walmart, you find there is nothing to do. It is cold most of the time and tends to be fairly hot in the summer. It is probably great for retirees, which most of the population is, but for younger people with families, it isnt. Cant wait to move to a "bigger" place, or just a place I can go to a costco or chikfila 😂

Finally, one of your videos, whereas, Arkansas nor Mississippi wasn't on the list.

They should break from Oregon for Idaho, Oregon is a sewer.

States that are best for going off the grid

I loved this one, so fun and funny!! 😅

Hiya, we are looking to move from Australia to the states....could you please do a video on healthcare costs for each state, it's nearly impossible for me to find reliable information about these costs, and it's frustrating! I think it would be a great video for you as there are many people who would be in the same boat as me!😊 Thank you!

@TheBeachkitten

5 ай бұрын

Healthcare costs are going to make you broke and you still won’t get care

@PogueMahone1

5 ай бұрын

Are you outta your bleedin' mind, mate?? WTF would you leave a safe, well-run, civilized country where you actually have a say in government, universal health care, and decent retirement pensions for a banana-republic like the US? America is certainly a great place to visit, but good God...??? Personally, I'd give my spare left testicle to emigrate to Australia.

@seameology

5 ай бұрын

What you need to research is the cost of health insurance and the best employers offering it. Healthcare cost doesn't matter if your insurance pays for it, anyway. I used to bill health insurance in NY state. The employers with the best insurance there was the Federal government and state government, followed by, working in healthcare. The hospital I worked at, wrote off your deductible if you worked for them so it didn't matter what your deductible and coinsurance were. This is the first thing I have to explain to Canadians moving here. I assume you need this information as well?

@seameology

5 ай бұрын

What you need to research is the cost of health insurance and the best employers offering it. Healthcare cost doesn't matter if your insurance pays for it, anyway. I used to bill health insurance in NY state. The employers with the best insurance there was the Federal government and state government, followed by, working in healthcare. The hospital I worked at, wrote off your deductible if you worked for them so it didn't matter what your deductible and coinsurance were. This is the first thing I have to explain to Canadians moving here. I assume you need this information as well?

@seameology

5 ай бұрын

Another company I worked for had a $500 a year deductible when you used your health insurance. That is, your doctor files an insurance claim, but you still have to pay the first $500. Which is pretty standard for most insurances anywhere I've worked. But this company, you bring in your bill and they'll cut you a check for that $500. The reason some companies do this is, it's far cheaper for them to provide an insurance with a higher deductible. Another indication that a company is trying to get you a good insurance deal is, they provide an employee gym. Yeah. Insurance companies give them a rate deduction if they provide a gym free of charge to their employees. These are just a few things to consider, rather than the cost of healthcare. Most insurances require you to have a referral for a specialist, which cost more. With the referral from a regular doctor, the insurance will pay that. So it doesn't matter if it's more expensive. Cheapest insurance is just for you. But you certainly can cover your entire family, no matter how big. After four people, you don't pay more. And now in the US, you can insure your kids until age 26. Which was necessary for my kid in college because they don't have any options unless they work full time.

It's tough thinking about the lower great lakes. I left the Cleveland area in the mid 70s to attend law school in Columbus, and I could barely stand this cow town. The best times of of my life had all occurred on the North Coast, and Detroit, Chicago and even Buffalo were great towns too. I've been in central Ohio since then, and it turned out to be a great place to raise a family. But I really do miss the good times up north At least the Browns are in the playoffs.

@michael7054

5 ай бұрын

Lions too although I think the Browns have more of a chance. Buffalo too i think which is good for them.

@penguinsfan251

5 ай бұрын

Columbus and Cleveland have changed a lot in the last 50 years. Cleveland has had persistent problems with its neighborhoods, but a lot has been done with its downtown and entertainment districts. Look...I live near Cleveland's mortal enemy. .Pittsburgh. Briggs and others trash Cleveland without research. Northeast Ohio has almost 3.4 million people and it isn't the hole in the ground videos like this say it is. Geography King has a much better video about Cleveland.

@bjs301

5 ай бұрын

@@penguinsfan251 I still know the area, but I have trouble seeing where we'll get manufacturing back, so I have trouble arguing with Briggs. And by the way, a lot of us see Pittsburgh as a great place. If they'd just get rid of the Steelers.

@penguinsfan251

5 ай бұрын

@@bjs301 Not. Gonna. Happen.

@bjs301

5 ай бұрын

@@penguinsfan251 They've. Already. Clinched.

I love the drive on the 5 between Redding, CA and Ashland, OR.

Most people call that last region "the rust belt". And I'm glad it isn't just me that's noticed how absolutely terrible it is. Those cities are kind of fascinating to visit in a way, it's like a watching an agonizingly slow apocalypse.

Chicago? a dead region? Chicago is a wonderful city. Every city and region has its poverty but the rust belt was hit particularly hard by deindustrialization. Those cities don't suck because they want to be impoverished, they were hit seriously hard by a rapidly changing late 20th Century economy. Also each one of those cities that "sucks" in the rust belt has its own culture and charm amongst the people who remain, and many of them are beginning to see a resurgence and a slowing down of decades of population loss, especially as climate change and astronomical housing prices begin to deflect migrants from the Sun Belt. the only exception is Gary, lol. It's not that the city itself sucks, it's that the people that made up the city are just gone

@elultimo102

5 ай бұрын

Nixon, with his EPA and opening China, killed our industry and created the "Rust Belt."

@andyjay729

5 ай бұрын

Gary was a company town, so it makes sense that as soon as US Steel upped stakes, it would die. Meanwhile...yeah, the Loop and North Side of Chicago are perfectly fine (thought it is a pity about the South and West). But I guess we shouldn't talk too loud; you know what happens when places get popular. Let the Tucker Carlson fans believe in the "Chiraq" meme.

@1969bones69

5 ай бұрын

@@andyjay729 So according to you the top 2 quadrants are great and the other 2 aren't so great. So basically a glass of wine only half full of feces. Sounds like a paradise.

@andyjay729

5 ай бұрын

@@1969bones69 I'm sure your city is a poverty-free paradise. Every city has its poor sections except for yours. Lucky you.

@junicohen7918

5 ай бұрын

Chicago has been transformed into hell on earth

It has been raining all week here in Motown. This video was the cherry on top. Thanks buddy.😢

Briggs, that Utah State sign was at the Arizona border, Navajo Reservation aka Monument Valley... well east of St George... but yes remote and nowhereland

I left the Milwaukee area in 1989 and things were bad then too. Then I and moved to Texas and will never return.