These Maps Make Us Look At The U.S. In A Whole New Light

Fancy a cartload of cartography? Then join us to discover 40 magnificent maps that tell you a whole lot you don’t know about the U.S. There’s a wry view from a Brit and a map that tells you where all the Waffle Houses are. We even have an indispensable one that shows the places where single men outnumber single women! Some are weird, some are wacky, but all of them will make you look at the U.S. in a new light.

1. What a British guy calls “yee-haw states”

When it appeared on Reddit in 2020, this map was captioned, “How I, a Brit, see the United States (sorry if it offends anyone).” Certainly, it may not go down well if you’re thin-skinned! The orange states are all classed as “Yee-haw.” Even worse, the pale green ones are dismissed as “nothing special,” and the dark green ones are “small and confusing.” Gotta love that British humor...

2. The blue states have fewer people than LA County

Here’s an original way to look at population distribution in the U.S. What this map does is highlight all the states where fewer people live than in the whole of Los Angeles County. And as you can see, that’s plenty of states. A lot of folks trying their luck in Hollywood, maybe?

3. The most popular surnames by state

Now, here’s some truly indispensable information: the most common surnames by state. According to U.S. Census Bureau figures from 2010, California has a lot of Garcias. Johnsons overwhelm all-comers in the north, while Martinez is favored in New Mexico. Overall, though, Smith is top by a wide margin. Amazingly, the census recorded more than 2.4 million Smiths in the U.S.

4. The counties with a sky-high GDP

This map picks out the U.S. counties with an annual GDP of more than $100 billion. Basically, that’s the value of what’s produced there. And if you’ve got more than $100 billion of economic activity going on in your county, chances are you’re living the high life — or have neighbors who do.