Color me Purple

HotPads, who hosted the Carnival of Real Estate last week , recently released a version of their website that illustrates our collective political bias by geography.  While many of you have likely seen this type of map in the past, it is interesting information to revisit this time of year with the mid-term elections just around the corner. The HotPads blog explains this feature in more detail:

"The 435 congressional districts are outlined on HotPads’ Maps, with red and blue designating the party affiliation of the districts’ current Representatives.  By clicking on the districts’ "I" buttons below the district’s titles, users can view quick facts about the district including the current Representative and the candidates in November’s contest.  By clicking on the quick facts bubble, users can get more detailed information …"

These maps make it crystal clear that our political views and where we decide to live are related to each other — somehow.  You don’t see the reds and the blues randomly scattered across the country, and what more, red states and districts are far more likely to be bordered by another red state or district than by a blue one and vice versa. Clearly, our neighbor’s political views have something to do with how we vote — or where we choose to live. Zillow’s hometown of Seattle splits its politics somewhere in the middle of Lake Washington; the map is blue on the left and red on the right of this strip of water, causing the state to be a mixed bag when it comes to politics.

The real question is, what do you think causes this geo-political phenomenon? Are local politics a deciding factor when you choose where to live and if so, are you more likely to move to an area that shares your political view? Or do you choose to move to an area that does not support your politics but where your vote could help change the color of the map?

Personally, I am still a few years away from becoming an official US citizen and thus qualifying to vote — so, for now, just color me purple.