East Coast Personality (A Complete Guide)

In this article, we will discuss the East Coast Personality. We will do that by describing how people living on the East coast are different from people living on the west coast. We shall highlight stereotypic personality traits popular in people living on the east coast. It must be mentioned that these refer to general trends and do not reflect definite personality traits that apply to every person living on the east coast.   

East Coast Personality 

East coast personalities exhibit the following characteristics:

  • East coast personalities are considered to be uptight.
  • East coast personalities are thought of as less approachable.
  • People on the East coast are considered to be conservative.
  • They are more controlled in nature.
  • People on the East coast may have a more practical, focused, and realistic approach to life.
  • East Coast personalities can be considered more family-oriented.
  • East coast personalities are less likely to lean toward imagination, innovation, and creativity.
  • East coast personalities may be less likely to live in the present and holding an optimistic approach towards life.
  • East coast personalities are more likely to be religious compared to the west coast.
  • East coast personalities are less likely to be open and liberal.

East Coast and West Coast

In the United States of America, people living on the east coast and west coast are considered quite different especially in terms of their personality, values, interests, attitude, and overall approach towards life. Due to this, among the public, stereotypes are quite popular regarding east coast and west coast people. 

We can say there is a clash between how these two groups perceive each other. It is highly likely that these perceptions are quite generalizing and may not reflect every person, since individual differences exist. However, it is true that the place where you live, its environment, traditions, culture, etc. have an influence on how you live your life.

So in this article, we shall discuss how both of these people differ from each other in terms of personality. The purpose is not to highlight, label, or corner any particular group of people, it’s just to describe certain trends that are popular about them.The stereotype personality popular about people living on the East Coast includes the following:

East coast personalities are considered to be uptight.

This means that the general perception they give off to others is someone who has a very tense and anxious aura around them. These people are usually nervous and uneasy and don’t know how to relax.  It points to the idea that they are overly-controlled and inhibited in their approach and don’t let themselves loose.

East coast personalities are thought of as less approachable.

Another popular stereotype about people living on the east coast is that they are unfriendly. While people on the west coast are easygoing and approachable, it is possible that if you go to the east coast, you might find it hard to approach and interact with someone even if it’s a stranger on the street. It can be due to the reason that these people are more serious

People on the East coast are considered to be conservative.

This generally suggests that it is likely that new ideas and different approaches to life are not easily welcomed and accepted by the general public living on the east coast. It is probably because they are used to living life in a certain manner and holding certain beliefs. So when the already established system is disrupted by ideas that are completely opposite, it is hard for them to accept it with open arms. This can include the overall style of dressing, social attitude towards new ideas, overall beliefs of people, etc.

They are more controlled in nature.

In other words, East coast personalities have a proper way of doing things. They have an established system and certain social practices which need to be followed step by step if you want to achieve a certain outcome. Organization in their overall environment, as well as personal life, is something of a norm there. Unlike them, people on the west coast are less controlled and more disorganized. It is a popular belief that they are more laidback and one can get things done more easily while living there.

An example of the above would be that if you want to purchase a tool to defend yourself(you know, the kind that most policemen use), it would be more of a practice to follow the law and get a permit first on the East Coast. Compared to them, on the West coast, a general trend would be that people can purchase such a tool without such strict abidance to the proper procedure of doing so. In short, East Coast, 91 % of people would abide by the law compared to the West Coast where 74% of people would abide by the law for purchasing such a thing.

People on the East coast may have a more practical, focused, and realistic approach to life.

This can be indicated by the idea that up to 45% of people living on the East Coast think that the government is spending too much on outer space exploration in contrast with 29% of people on the West Coast. Accordingly, 68% of East coast people prefer that it is more reasonable to spend money on planet Earth and in conserving and protecting the environment in contrast to 50% of people on the West Coast.

East Coast personalities can be considered more family-oriented.

This indicates that they value their tradition of marrying in the family. In the same way, it is likely that their priority is to keep the family together in a closely knitted group. This can be exemplified by two things. First is that 14% of people on the East coast stated that they never had intimate relationships outside of their marriage compared to 27% of West-coasters. In the same manner, the divorce rate and separation rate is also lower on the East Coast compared to the west coast i.e. 13% vs 28%.  So, we can say that on the East coast, it is more likely that people stick to the norms established by society.  

East coast personalities are less likely to lean toward imagination, innovation, and creativity.

We can say that they prefer sticking to their jobs rather than engaging in arts and crafts or other means of letting out the inner creativity. Similarly, rather than spending time envisioning an idealistic world, they prefer to stay grounded and like information that is more concrete and objective.

This is exemplified by the fact that 33% of East coast people said that they were not oriented towards arts and crafts compared to 50% of West coast people who said they were inclined towards arts and creativity. Furthermore, east coast personalities are more committed to their jobs and less likely to complain about it compared to west coast personalities i.e.42% vs 50%.

East coast personalities may be less likely to live in the present and holding an optimistic approach towards life.

Compared to them, people on the West coast may be more present-oriented, positive, and strive towards being happy in the moment. This is indicated by the idea that up to 43% of people living on the east coast said they found life exciting compared to 64% of people in the West. Another example is with respect to the approach towards the afterlife. People on the west coast hold a more optimistic approach about life after life compared to people living on the east coast i.e. 73% vs 57%.  

Another thing that makes sense in it includes the overall approach towards the legalization of drugs like “The good stuff”. True to their image of being more controlled and grounded, people on the east coast were less into the ideas of legalization of “The good stuff” compared to the west coast who were more into it. This suggests a general trend of less rule-breaking and less openness to experiences for people living on the east coast compared to people on the west.

East coast personalities are more likely to be religious compared to the west coast.

This is indicated by the idea that more people were catholic on the east coast compared to the west i.e. 38% vs 22%. Similarly, fewer people on the East coast had no religious background compared to the west coast i.e. 12% vs 26%.

East coast personalities are less likely to be open and liberal.

 Compared to them, the west coast is more open-minded, liberal, and accepting of different ideas. This is indicated by their overall attitude towards traditional gender roles. 39% of people on the East coast believe that it is alright if the male works and the woman stays at home compared to 20% of the west coast.

FAQs: East Coast Personality

What is the East coast known for?

East coast is famous for its Appalachian mountains that stretch up to the coast of Maine. They are a good site to hike and one can also surf along the rocky coastline of Big Sur.

Is the East Coast better than the West coast?

It depends on the person and their preference of whether they like the east coast and west coast. If their personality matches a more serious, committed, organized, and traditional side, they would like the East coast better. However, if they are more laidback, easygoing, and are open to experiences, they would like to live on the west coast better.

Why are the states smaller on the East coast?

The states are smaller on the East coast because their natural features like rivers, mountains, etc are widespread which makes demarcation of land more difficult. To prevent annoying French-aligned native Americans who were originally at the land, the lines were kept narrower and more close to each other, resulting in smaller states.

How are the east and west coast different?

East coast is considered more fast-paced in their lifestyle. There are also weather differences. People on the east coast are considered less approachable, less open, and more competitive compared to the west coast where people are considered to be approachable, liberal, and easygoing.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the East Coast Personality. We found that people living on the East coast are more likely to be uptight, competitive, less approachable, conservative, and controlled. Similarly, they may have a more practical, focused, and realistic approach to life. Another thing is that they are considered more family-oriented and religious. East coast personalities are less likely to live in the present and holding an optimistic approach to life. Finally, east coast personalities may be less open and liberal and stick to what they know. They may lean less towards imagination, innovation, and creativity.

 I hope you found this article interesting. If you have any queries or comments, please state them in the comment section 😊

Citations

https://www.greenbook.org/marketing-research/east-coast-versus-west-coast-stereotypes

https://www.businessinsider.com/differences-between-midwest-and-east-coast-2019-8#the-east-coast-has-a-more-competitive-spirit-than-the-midwest-5

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!