Posted on Apr 30, 2026 (buzzfeed.com)
“Reds glorify their ignorance while Blues weaponize their money and status over people they say they’ll support but don’t.”
After covering a viral TikTok of a woman explaining the “stark differences” she noticed after moving from a Republican-leaning to a Democratic-leaning state, BuzzFeed Community members who did the same (or vice versa) also came out to share their own stories — and they didn’t hold back. Here are some of the biggest, wildest differences people who’ve lived in both blue-leaning and red-leaning states have noticed:
1. “We moved from Wisconsin to California and actually wondered why it took us so long to get out of racist Wisconsin. The kids went to college here and were definitely not coming back to Wisconsin. We retired and went back to work once we got to California, and it was the best decision ever. Nobody here asks, ‘What does your husband do that you can afford a house like that?’ You also just can’t beat the weather, which is perfect every day. The mountains and the beautiful Pacific Ocean are shared by all, not just those who purchased a home nearby. You have to have a good job to be able to live and make it in California, but so far, we are living the good life and are here to stay. Blue all the way!”
2. “I live in Ohio and grew up in Indiana, but I’m from Michigan and do research in Chicago for work. Red states are inhabited by people who are constantly in a state of fear. They point out what’s wrong with everything different than them, but in reality, they’re miserable people. Chicago is a vibrant, happy city, and Detroit is fun and has good-working folk. Are red states cheaper? Sure, but you have no choices there. There’s much more diversity of economy in blue ones.”
3. “My wife and our two school-aged boys lived outside of Charlotte, North Carolina about 15 years ago. At the time, there was no Trump or MAGA, so things weren’t nearly as polarized as they are today. BUT, there are two aspects that basically made my wife and me decide to move back to Maryland: extremely poor public schools (even though we lived in an affluent area), and everyone is a Bible thumper. Rural NC is very backward.”
4. “I moved from a blue state to a red state to be near family. The people are friendly but not well-educated. They always talk about freedom, yet vote for idiots who pass laws that infringe on their personal rights and economic well-being. I don’t get it.”
5. “I’ve lived in New York, Ohio, and Kentucky. Ohio was the worst. I met the most prejudiced people of every color there. It was surprising and shocking. Growing up in New York, we never knew which neighbor was going to stop in for coffee and a chat. The doors were kept unlocked and open during the day, and neighbors helped each other. But Kentucky is my home now. Even though it’s a red state, most people are kind and respectful. It’s safer here, and I love it. I have great neighbors who are like family, and it’s a beautiful state, too!”
6. “I was born in NYC. At 10, my parents moved my sister and me to Jacksonville, Florida. At 27, I moved back to NYC and am now living on Long Island. Jacksonville has gotten worse over the years, and I’ve never liked the politics, with the fake Christians and racism. The irony is that Long Island is more red than Jacksonville.”
7. “I hate admitting this, but Idaho had the best Medicaid. My children are disabled, so we’ve dealt with Medicaid in Louisiana, Idaho, Washington, and now Illinois. Idaho hadn’t privatized its Medicaid, whereas these other states force you to pick a management plan from a crappy insurance company, and then you’re limited to what these insurance companies will pay for, or who takes it. You need prior approval for anything out of the ordinary. In Idaho (from 2013 to 2016), if you are on Medicaid, you’re on Medicaid. Everybody seemed to take it, and you never had to worry if this person took Aetna or if that person only took Blue Cross. It was so much easier. I really wish other states did this, and I have to wonder how much these states are paying to get these management companies to do Medicaid, and if it’s really worth it.”
—Anonymous
8. “I grew up in Louisiana and ended up in Maryland for grad school. It’s a bit more expensive, but other than the DC burbs, it’s pretty affordable for the Mid-Atlantic. I’m so never moving back to Louisiana, especially with the likes of Landry in charge down there.”
9. “I moved from Houston to rural South Carolina for a job. The culture shock was what got me. Yes, my property taxes on an acre of land are $700 per year (I’m retired now), but the celebrating-everything-regarding-the-Civil-War stuff was disgusting: Confederate Ball, Confederate Memorial Day, having the first shot, being the first to secede, etc. There being Confederate flags displayed in yards is too much. I just want to scream, ‘You lost, get over it!’ It’s not bad on the coast, but it’s pathetic in rural upstate.”
10. “I moved from New York state to Florida. It’s awful. It’s very red here, and the politics are all about racism and being anti-gay. They’re banning books and now sociology in college. God forbid anyone is actually educated and informed. People in my area can be friendly, but it’s surface. It’s all about money and outdoing everyone. The cost of living isn’t really any cheaper. The big difference is there’s no state income tax. I’m counting the days ’til I can move back home.”
—Anonymous
11. “I moved from Northern California to George five years ago, and people from the South already seem to have negative feelings about California. For the most part, people are friendly, but they let you know they don’t want you to try to change things here. I can’t understand how fellow Christians think being a Democrat is somehow wrong. One of the most important rules is to love the Lord above all else, and secondly, brotherly love. Wouldn’t social programs fill that bill?”
12. “I live in a very red part of an overall blue state in the Northeast. The thing I’ve noticed is how insulated the MAGA folks keep themselves. They live in a bubble where they somehow ignore the drugs and the unhoused around, so they can say they live in a more ‘high-end’ area. They claim those types of problems are all in bigger cities. They somehow don’t see the unhoused sleeping downtown at night, or the kids in school without lunches and in dirty clothes, or the guy tweaking and arguing with himself next to the farmers market every weekend. They see what they want to see and will call you a liar for pointing out the truth. The brainwashing is complete, and they will believe their GOP- and FOX news-fed lies over what they are seeing in front of them.”
13. “I moved from the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to Virginia. Southern hospitality is a myth. People here are still fighting the Civil War. I moved after four years to the east coast of Florida, and the mix of people and beliefs was much better.”
—Anonymous
14. “I was raised in super rural Missouri, went to college in a liberal pocket of Nebraska, went to grad school in Indiana, chose Louisville, Kentucky as a home for 15 years, and have now been in a blue pocket of Kansas for nearly three years now. I won’t leave the Midwest (or South, if that’s how you want to categorize Louisville) because I want the US to stay purple. Admittedly, I stay near blue pockets, but every state I have lived in is similar. If you don’t bring up politics or religion, then everything is copacetic. As you create true friendships, you’ll find out that a close friend is actually of a very different school of thought than you, but that’s where we as a society learn to stretch. I love not being in an echo chamber. We have great conversations about the ‘why’ behind our deeply held beliefs, and we respect each other enough to grow.”
“I would say Indiana is the least expensive state to live in, but I really appreciate that every single Kansas person I’ve met is entirely respectful of alternate opinions. Kansas is perfectly purple. The communities come together for emergencies and truly care about everyone. There are so many pride flags and ‘Don’t tread on me’ bumper stickers. It runs the gamut. In the end, the overwhelming sense is ‘I won’t regulate you if you don’t regulate me.’ Sad that legislators used the ‘gut and stuff’ tactic to strip our communities of trans protections this year, though. My 8-year-old boy with long hair is now scared to turn 9 because he might get fined for coming into the bathroom with me next month….But hey, that was the work of a few. I haven’t met a single Kansan who agrees with that bill.”
—Meg, Kansas
15. “I’ve lived in Arizona and Indiana. Indiana is a ruby red state, but only because the ‘QpubliKKKlan’ cult has gerrymandered the hell out of this state. It’s really mostly 50/50, but the Democrats have been separated into separate districts. My representative only represents parts of multiple counties. I’ve worked with die-hard Republicans, and we got along fine and had some interesting debates, but only as long as their cult leader was in power in the White House. But as soon as that piece of shit lost in 2020, they decided they hated all Democrats. When I lived in Arizona, I didn’t notice that division, but of course, that was decades before Diaper Don the Con started dividing us all.”
16. “I bought a house last year in a deeply red Southern state (I hate it here, but I grew up here, and I committed to relocation before the 2024 election since I believed there was no way Trump would win). Anyway, I was in disbelief when I got my property tax bill and saw how low it was. First, I was relieved, but then I got a little angry. The roads are shit, the schools aren’t great, and public services are shit. These rednecks refuse to invest in anything that would improve the quality of life here.”
17. “I’ve lived in both blue and red states, and each has people who are equally ignorant and judgmental of the others’ ways of life. But I also think they have an equal quotient of assholes. Red state assholes will loudly announce who they hate with their voices and faces showing, while blue state assholes will say ‘Hola’ to the local Latine community, go to pro-women charity dinners, write checks at benefits for Black children, and then silently promote or hire their kids or rich friends for the best positions of power to fill. They’ll put Kamala signs in their yard but vote for Trump for the third time. Reds glorify their ignorance while Blues weaponize their money and status over people they say they’ll support but don’t.”
18. Lastly: “I went from Upstate New York to Pittsburgh. It was uncomfortable to live in a swing state because, even though Pittsburgh itself was pretty liberal, the entire state’s laws could affect me as a woman and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Pennsylvania was uptight and loose in all the wrong ways.”
—Anonymous
If you moved from a Republican-leaning state to a Democratic-leaning one or vice versa, what was your experience? Share with us in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your story using the form below.
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.