“It’s Not for Everybody”: Life in Arizona’s Sparsely Populated Areas

Sparsely populated regions (SPRs) have specific features like remoteness and low population densities but also specific identities constructed by their inhabitants based on their relationship with their environment and the consequences to their lifestyles. Although theoretical frameworks have been developed for SPRs, two challenges remain when it comes to applying them to actual places. The first one is identifying them on the map. What would the demographic threshold of “sparse” be? How do we quantify the isolation? The second one is evaluating how SPR features reverberate in the lifestyle and self-image of their inhabitants. What are their views about themselves and their geographical situation? Are they linked? This article attempts to elaborate on both dimensions. It uses the state of Arizona as a test area and proposes an approach that combines quantitative methods and geographic information systems to determine which part of Arizona can be considered an SPR and a qualitative analysis to analyze how this population sees and conceptualizes its lifestyle, as well as how they relate to more densely populated areas, especially on the issue of isolation relative to place attachment and place identity. As a result, this article will offer a better grasp of SPRs in the United States and suggest new trends to be investigated in other geographical contexts.