Southeastern United states

[Hai-Etlik]

Would it be possible to raise the entire outline of the state as the column?

That would introduce an ambiguity as they have different areas and so the volume would not be purely a function of the height of the column. Even with a written clarification, it would be disruptive to the ability to easily see the values, which is the entire point of such a chart.

For a simple thematic map like this, I'd also drop the textures, glow, and whatnot. Simple flat colours will serve you best.