People from the Pacific Northwest have a distinct brand of regional pride. It may not be as brash as the pride held by folks from some other states — Texas, for example — but it’s just as deeply rooted.

But what does it mean to be from here? At what point, if ever, does someone graduate from recent arrival to bona fide Pacific Northwesterner? As our region continues to grow and attract new residents every year, the cultural line between “local” and “transplant” can feel blurry. Fortunately, a new poll from Pemco Insurance surveying residents in the Seattle and Portland metro areas provides some hard numbers to help settle the debate.

It turns out, local identity is fiercely guarded. More than three in four respondents — 77% — said you must live at least half your life in the Pacific Northwest to earn your stripes. That’s pretty close to a consensus. Personally, I don’t make the cut, though I’ve lived here longer than anywhere else.

That 77% breaks down as such: 34% of respondents said you need to live here about half your life, 21% said three-quarters, and a sizable 22% said if you weren’t born and bred here, you’re out of luck — you’ll never be truly from here.

There is a sharp generational divide on this point. Among older residents — those 55 and up — one-third (33%) believe you must live in the Pacific Northwest your entire life to be considered a true local. Compare that with adults under 35, where only 18% set the bar at a lifetime of residency. Younger respondents are far more forgiving: 33% of under-35s say living here for about half your life is plenty to earn local credentials, and 20% say a quarter of your life will do.

Here’s the twist: While older residents are the stricter gatekeepers of the local label, they’re actually less likely to have been born in the region. Only 39% of respondents 55 and older have lived in the Northwest their entire lives, compared with 58% of those under 35. In short, the demographic group least likely to have lived here forever is the most likely to demand that everyone else has.

Overall, 66% of those surveyed consider themselves Pacific Northwest locals, while 34% see themselves as transplants.

So what defines a Northwesterner beyond length of residency?

The poll asked respondents how well specific cultural traits match the regional identity, and outdoor culture topped the list by a wide margin. Seventy-seven percent said loving outdoor recreation is an exact or major match for PNW identity, and 76% said the same about dressing casually in outdoor apparel.

Next come the sports teams — 73% said supporting the local teams is an important aspect of being a true Pacific Northwesterner.

Our famous rainy climate was a little less important to survey respondents, with 58% saying that enjoying the rain was important to fit in here, and 62% agreeing that going umbrella-less in the rain remains a quintessential regional trait.

Possessing a “quirky Northwest vibe” struck a chord with 61% of respondents.

Some other traits were largely rejected by respondents as significant markers of a Northwest identity. Being employed in tech, nesting indoors in our gloomy winter weather, and being unwelcoming to newcomers — think the Seattle Freeze stereotype — failed to hit the 50% mark.