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Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

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Re: Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

#31

Post by grecy »

ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #3
ChuckMcM wrote: post #2

Drove across Wyoming the other day on the way to Denver and I could definitely appreciate that it was the least populated state in the US (or least densely populated). Lots of open space.

I'm a recluse and I've actually considered one day retiring to a state like Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho. This infographic just made my eyes light up. "Oh my god I can finally get away from everyone" I thought.

Move north.

For this past long weekend I snowshoed into a remote lake and stayed in (and fixed up) a beautiful abandoned cabin. Ice fishing, star and northern light photography, wildlife viewing and beautiful sunshine. Didn't see a single person, and I would have been shocked if I did.

I'm in the Yukon, Alaska is much the same.

Re: Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

#32

Post by b_emery »

nkoren wrote: post #20
ggchappell wrote: post #17

This is fascinating. Some of the big green areas are obvious: the Everglades, the forests of Maine, the awful stuff we call "Nevada". But what about the green blob on the Georgia-Florida border? And what's up with south Texas? Also, if you didn't catch the link, a fixed map: http://mapsbynik.com/maps/census0pop/census0pop-mapsbynik-re...

> But what about the green blob on the Georgia-Florida border? I was curious about that too. Apparently it's a very large swamp: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okefenokee_Swamp > And what's up with south Texas? Have you been to south Texas?

In the summer it's so hot your underwear hurts [1]

1) http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2013/04/20/scrip...

Re: Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

#33

Post by refurb »

tomkinstinch wrote: post #27

Related to this is a PDF from the USGS showing the average distance to the nearest road: https://www.fort.usgs.gov/sites/default/files/products/publi...

Thanks for posting that link, very interesting!

Two comments:

1. I lean towards the idea that the government wastes a lot of money on stupid things. This however, is pretty dam neat.

2. I'm surprised that most of the US (60%?) is purple/blue which would suggest most of the land in the US has a road within 0.2 to 0.5 km? That's really surprising. I guess if you threw in logging roads and any type of path that could support vehicle traffic it makes sense.

Re: Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

#34

Post by refurb »

Windwaker wrote: post #11

Maybe I'm the only one, but is anyone else impressed about the amount of populated areas in the country? It makes me wonder how long we have until we start shoving each other into the oceans.

Really? I have the opposite viewpoint. It's amazing how much of the US has zero people living in it.

Remember, if the census block has is filled in, it could only have 1 or 2 people living in it (i.e. a farm).

We have so much dam space in the US it's mind blowing.

Re: Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

#35

Post by mildtrepidation »

pnathan wrote: post #19
mildtrepidation wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Downvotes for an attempt at constructive suggestions. Fly that proud introvert flag, HN!

OK, I downvoted you because you played therapist online, making no attempt to understand the person and telling them they had a problem. That's really not OK in so many situations.

I did no such thing. I responded to someone's statement that he's a recluse with the suggestion that perhaps that's not a natural state. Somehow this is offensive?

Then I went on to make what I considered a positive and constructive suggestion, that assuming I did not understand the person, he might look in places other than zero-population areas for suitable but more convenient habitation.

I'm sorry you see that as "not OK." I see it as ridiculous that this sort of well-meaning input should somehow be so awful as to be unmentionable. But I seem to be pretty much alone there.

Re: Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

#36

Post by saraid216 »

mildtrepidation wrote: post #35
pnathan wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK, I downvoted you because you played therapist online, making no attempt to understand the person and telling them they had a problem. That's really not OK in so many situations.

I did no such thing. I responded to someone's statement that he's a recluse with the suggestion that perhaps that's not a natural state. Somehow this is offensive? Then I went on to make what I considered a positive and constructive suggestion, that assuming I did not understand the person, he might look in places other than zero-population areas for suitable but more convenient habitation. I'm sorry you see that as…

I have no idea what your comment was before it was deleted, but based on how defensive you've gotten since, maybe you should seek therapy for your anger management issues?

Re: Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

#38

Post by jonnathanson »

Windwaker wrote: post #11

Maybe I'm the only one, but is anyone else impressed about the amount of populated areas in the country? It makes me wonder how long we have until we start shoving each other into the oceans.

We'll fight each other over fresh water supplies long before we're shoving each other into the sea.

The looming water crisis is a particularly big problem in California, Arizona, and parts of the Southwest. Interestingly, farmland irrigation accounts for a bigger drain on water than almost all of the nearby cities combined.

Re: Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

#39

Post by Serow225 »

jsmthrowaway wrote: post #12
seanalltogether wrote: post #6

Can anyone explain whats going on with Maine? It doesn't make sense for a coastal state to be so uninhabited.

The coast is about the only part of Maine that is inhabited. That particular dark green area is largely remote, quite harsh, and has very little infrastructure. North and west of there is the tiny sliver of inhabited Quebec, then go much further beyond and you're in some of the harshest, most remote land in North America. If you're interested in what the area looks like, check out the Trans-Taiga Road as well as the…

The trans-taiga road is very cool!

Re: Nobody lives here: the 5 million US census blocks with zero population

#40

Post by dfc »

grecy wrote: post #31
ChrisNorstrom wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a recluse and I've actually considered one day retiring to a state like Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho. This infographic just made my eyes light up. "Oh my god I can finally get away from everyone" I thought.

Move north. For this past long weekend I snowshoed into a remote lake and stayed in (and fixed up) a beautiful abandoned cabin. Ice fishing, star and northern light photography, wildlife viewing and beautiful sunshine. Didn't see a single person, and I would have been shocked if I did. I'm in the Yukon, Alaska is much the same.

How much "fixing up" can you do in a long weekend and still find time for all the other activities?
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