Middle America (United States)

As a geographical label

Geographically, the label Middle America refers to the territory between the East Coast of the United States (particularly the northeast) and the West Coast. The term has been used in some cases to refer to the inland portions of coastal states, especially if they are rural. Alternately, the term is used to describe the central United States.

As a cultural label

Middle America is contrasted with the urban areas of the country, particularly, those of the East and West Coasts. The conservative values considered typical of Middle America (often called "family values" in American politics) are often called "Middle American values".

The plots of such American films as Sweet Home Alabama and The Judge center on the contrast between big city life and that of a typical "Middle America" small town; in both, a protagonist with a successful big city career is drawn back to an old hometown. Similarly, the protagonist of John Grisham's novel " The Associate" leaves a well-paid job at a giant Wall Street law firm and goes to work with his lawyer father in his hometown, York, Pennsylvania. The contrast between "Middle America" and big city America is evident in the life of the fictional superhero Superman - growing up as Superboy in the archetypal Smallville and as an adult moving to the equally archetypal Metropolis. The depiction of Ron Kovic's childhood in the early parts of Born on the Fourth of July also fits the cultural perceptions of "Middle America" (though Kovic's hometown, Massapequa, is physically located in Long Island). The same applies to the episode of Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead which is set in Clayton, Ohio and which depicts that town as the archetype of "Middle America", the polar opposite of the cosmopolitan New York City where most of the novel's plot takes place.

Economy

The economy of Middle America is traditionally agricultural, though most inhabitants now live in suburban locales. Compared to coastal America, home prices tend to be low and economic disparities are less pronounced. Housing prices tend to be significantly less volatile than those on the coasts, and houses tend to appreciate in value more slowly.

Politics

The phrase Middle American values is a political cliché; like family values, it refers to more traditional or conservative politics, although larger cities such as St. Louis, Missouri and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and major university towns such as Madison, Wisconsin, Columbia, Missouri and Lawrence, Kansas provide exceptions.

Many of the political battleground states are situated in "Middle America".