Shibboleths

The pronunciation of the capital of South Dakota, Pierre, serves as a Shibboleth. Listening to how it is pronounced, a person can tell whether the speaker is, or is not, from the South Dakota area. In South Dakota, it is clearly one syllable long, rhyming with 'near'.

Here is a collection of speakers, labeled by their city of origin. Click to hear each person's pronunciation. Can you determine how far the pronunciation which is characteristic of South Dakota residents extends?