That's what I meant, pretty much. But even geographically... you're telling me we're similar to Iowa, Nebraska? Nuh uh.

Yes, of course.  That's the second time you've corrected me on the very same error -- typing NorthWEST Ohio, when I meant NorthEAST Ohio, or it might have been the other way around.  I can't remember the context of the other post. 

At any rate the point is that the Appalachian region, as defined by the feds, is becoming an almost meaningless term.  As for me, I just prefer to be called a hillbilly!

Most Ohioans, if asked, will say they live in the Midwest; however, when you actually live in the Midwest (like I once did in Missouri), they view Ohio as an eastern state.  They kind of view Ohio and Massachusetts as bordering states.  Geographically perceptions are sometimes really skewed.  When I was a kid some of the bridges on the Ohio river between Ohio and West Virginia had signs that read -- incorrectly -- "you are now crossing the Mason-Dixon line."  It was, of course, once in pre-Civil War days, the border between the slave-state of Virginia and the free-state of Ohio, but it wasn't really the Mason-Dixon line.  In fact, West Virginia, itself, is a good example of the issue of actual versus perceived geography.  Folks who live in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia are socially and culturally much more like western Pennsylvania, or Northern Ohio than they are like Central West Virginia.  In turn, Southern West Virginia in the coal fields is a completely different cultural place compared to the Eastern Panhandle.  However, ask the average citizen of the U.S. what comes to mind when he or she thinks of West Virginia and you'll probably get stereotypes related to poverty, coal mining and the Hatfield-McCoy feud.  I guess my point is that one should be careful when describing Appalachia or any other part of the USA.  There are many differences -- subtle or otherwise -- within many of the common geographical designators.

There are also subdivisions within states that can be fascinating to consider (at least if you're into that sort of thing). Northern Ohio was originally claimed by Connecticut, while Southern Ohio was claimed by Virginia. You can see the significance of that today architecturally. Northern Ohio small towns are designed and laid out similar to New England towns. Southern Ohio architecture looks just like Virginia. 

Within Southern Ohio, the area designated by the Scioto River on the East and the Little Miami River on the West (just east of Cincinnati), was parceled out for Revolutionary War soldiers from Virginia. As a result, a drive through the rural areas of Clermont, Brown, Adams Counties, and others, features farm houses that look just like a drive through the Old Dominion.

Just across the Little Miami River, the homes are designed differently. 

Trying to identify the culture of a whole state is nearly impossible, just like trying to identify whole generations is also nearly impossible (Gen X, Baby Boomer, Gen Y, etc.).

It's good to have a thread about where Ohio University is located.

True. I remember that becoming clear when I first started at OU. That was the first time I had spent much time with students from other parts of the state, and the first time I realized just how different Ohio accents could be. I still tease my northern Ohio wife for the way she pronounces "dollar."

I've always noticed that too, but I wonder if this is truly something that is different about Ohio, or simply that one sees nuance in areas with which they are familiar.  I'm already picking up on "regions" in CT (and it is pretty darn small!).