Poll: Do you live within 50 miles of the ocean?

[tangomonster]

I'm reading a novel about a real estate agent who commented that half the US population lives within 50 miles of the ocean. This didn't seem possible to me, so I looked it up. Some sites say that as many as 66% live within 50 miles; the census people say it's actually just 49%. I can't wrap my brain around this because I keep picturing a map of the US and all the states that aren't on the coast. I realize some of these states aren't very populated and that the coastal states would have more people. But I live in a coastal state (Georgia) but am way over 50 miles away from the ocean.

I realize this poll won't be scientific since the sample will be small and that more retired people may have moved to the beach. But it's the best I can do to find out if this is really true..

Inquiring minds want to know! And being FIREd, I have the time to ponder these things!

 

[TromboneAl]

It is surprising, isn't it? Here are some pictures to help with brain wrapping:

 

[Tiger]

I Live on Long Island, NY which is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. All of New York City is well within 50 miles of water.

 

[Moemg]

50 miles ! Try less than 50 feet ,my house is on Sarasota Bay .

 

[Nords]

I Live on Long Island, NY which is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. All of New York City is well within 50 miles of water.

I don't think that any point on Oahu is more than 10 miles away from the ocean. We already know what happens downtown from storm surge.

Our home is at 465 feet of elevation. If the Mauna Kea slope goes then we go with it. Otherwise I think we'll be OK...

 

[Gumby]

Roughly 250 feet from the house to Long Island Sound. About 25-30 feet in elevation, so we can cope with the Greenland glaciers melting, but not the Antarctic ones.

 

[kcowan]

We are 700 ft from the Pacific but we are on the roof (250ft above sea level). Our GW survival strategy is an inflatable raft.

The IPPC forecast of 16.5 inches can be contained by existing beaches and sea walls. Storm surges in December could be a big problem because all the driftwood acts as battering rams. We probably need a driftwood harvesting strategy.

 

[Alex]

We are about 15-20 miles from the ocean. I prefer the weather here. Less 'marine layer' and fog, more sunny days.

 

[chinaco]

I can believe it. If you said 75% of the US population lived on the coast of a large body of water. I would believe that also. Think Chicago, Cleveland, etc...

Most large US cities (and their smaller near by towns) were formed in a time when water was the main way of transporting people and goods over distances. That is probably the primary reason why. People often settled near the large water source for that and other reasons.

 

[Fool_working]

I never thought of that, but it does make sense once I thought about it. Most of the big cities are on the water. And I think TromboneAl's pictures say it better than I ever could!

I also live w/i 1 mile of the ocean!

 

[wildcat]

I kind of wonder about those who live close to the ocean - could you ever do without? People in NY make comments about my landlocked home base and how they could never imagine living in a landlocked location.

Closest I have ever been to waterfront living was northern Chicago. We were about 10-15 from Lake Mich and I loved it. Having that kind of access seemed to provide a lot of inexpensive outdoor recreation.

If you were to strip out the Chicago & Phoenix population from the statistic, the numbers become ever more profound.

 

[Outtahere]

I live just a 15 min drive from the ocean and a 2 minute drive from a river, and several ponds and lakes with a small pond and stream at the end of my street.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

We're about a mile from the Gulf as the crow flies, maybe 12 miles to spectacular beaches; our home is 10' above sea level.

It's true for us that nearby major water enhances our enjoyment even if we don't go to the beach every week. We see it when we travel, we (as a region) benefit from the tourism, and it gives off something of a relaxed, vacation atmosphere.

But then there are hurricanes...

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

moeng, a high school friend of mine might have his telescope aimed at your window. he's on the bay up by conquistador in bradenton. gorgeous views of the bay there.

at 6-ft elevation (actually the neighbor across from me just had us measured so on the street now right in front of our houses is painted "el. 6.66"--scary), i'm a 3-mile bike ride to the nearest beach and maybe 4 or 6 miles to world famous fort lauderdale strip, well, what's left of the strip anyway. from mom's house you can boat from safe harbor or walk to the beach. location location location.

having done much boating along the east coast i've loved touring historic ports and often fantasized about how these areas developed. it is no wonder to me that populations gathered here. i've also been on lots of islands and they make me very comfortable. love gator's take on gainesville in another thread (& i'm considering that for my retired future) but there's nothing better than watching sunrise and sunset over the ocean from the same hammock. talk about lazy.

i've only been off the coast a few times, once to kansas city for job training and recently i did a leaf-peeping tour of blue ridge mountains. it definitely gives me a sense of landlock within my first few days there. i remember in kansas after a few days coming upon a river and i had to stop and spend some time there for comfort.

i also noticed that i have more difficulty orienting myself directionally when i'm not near this coast. but i have the same problem in california or in sarasota where they put the water on the wrong side.

 

[bssc]

In Phoenix, we are 400 miles from Santa Monica and at 1423 Feet. Mexico may be closer but I haven't figured out how to get mapquest to calculate it.

We are safe from the rising sea.

 

[cantlogin]

In Phoenix, we are 400 miles from Santa Monica and at 1423 Feet. Mexico may be closer but I haven't figured out how to get mapquest to calculate it.

We are safe from the rising sea.

Google Earth has a ruler tool that allows you to draw a measured line between points. I'm 63 miles from the Atlantic.

 

[Moemg]

moeng, a high school friend of mine might have his telescope aimed at your window. he's on the bay up by conquistador in bradenton. gorgeous views of the bay there.

.

I'm very close to that area and I also have a telescope so maybe we are looking at each other .Wouldn't that be funny ??

 

[73ss454]

When living on Long Island NY we were about 10 minutes from Jones Beach. We moved last Nov. and still about 10 minutes from the beach on the east coast of Florida.

 

[maddythebeagle]

As already pointed out....the other 50% not on the coasts are probably mostly near major rivers or along the great lakes....

 

[Meadbh]

I kind of wonder about those who live close to the ocean - could you ever do without?

I grew up close to the sea but am currently landlocked. I miss the sea a lot and plan to move closer after RE.

 

[ERD50]

Does the Michigan Ocean count? If so, then 'yes'. And add plenty of people in Chicago and Milwaukee, too.

 

[kramer]

Early population centers were built at Ocean harbors and along rivers which provided transport, fresh water, and less extreme temperatures. These factors are less important with modern technology like water transport, irrigation systems, air conditioning, and communication systems. For instance, without the invention of cheap air conditioning, Arizona would be a fundamentally different place than it is today.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area although I am about to move. It is too cold on the beach here to really use it much and the water is freezing. For the vast majority of people who live here, the primary benefit of the ocean here is the moderate climate.

I am moving to a place in southern California that claims to have the best climate in the US. It is around 10 miles inland and has around 12 inches annual rainfall with no adverse stuff like tornadoes, hurricanes, dust storms, etc. So they actually have a pretty good claim -- being close enough to the ocean that the average highs and lows are in a nice moderate range year round. If you live right on the ocean it is often cloudy, cold (and windy if you are real close) so being a few miles inland (at least in that part of the country) can make for really nice weather. By the time you get 50 miles inland, it is getting close to desert.

Kramer

 

[dm]

Not near the ocean, but I have a view of the Mississippi River.

 

[Dawg52]

180 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. 5 miles to the local reservoir.

 

[Sheryl]

I'm about 6 blocks from Puget Sound which is more or less the ocean. I grew up landlocked in Ohio, except for a three-year stint on Lake Erie. After 20 years here, I can't imagine going back to a land-locked locale. Visiting in Ohio last week, I didn't see a single car with kayaks on top, or boats in tow... seemed strange.