How ‘Midwestern’ is Michigan?
Michiganders love to pride themselves on being good Midwesterners, but apparently, we don’t have much Midwestern pride. That’s according to a new study published by the Washington Post.
When I think Midwestern, I like of states such as Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. But, this study factored in any Airbnbs that use the word “Midwestern” in their description.
According to the tally, Iowa is the most Midwestern state in the union, followed by Indiana and Wisconsin. The study also states that, “rural folks tended to be more likely to describe themselves as Midwestern than did their city-dwelling cousins, so states with large urban populations, such as Illinois, Michigan and Ohio, slipped farther down the rankings.” They added that, “most mentions of Midwest outside the 12 core states are to the effect of ‘I’m originally from the Midwest’ or in reference to a local street or landmark with Midwest in the name.”
So, how Midwestern is Michigan? We’re at the bottom of the list, only behind Ohio. In fact, North Dakota is above Michigan, which makes no sense, because North Dakota isn’t in the Midwest. No. 1 is Iowa, followed by Indiana, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming and New Mexico. Again, several of those states aren’t even in the Midwest. What’s cool is that the study also determined the “most Midwestern thing on Earth,” which is the walleye, “a drab but delicious freshwater fish whose primeval bulging eyes and snaggled teeth would look at home in one of those Nebraska fossil beds.” There’s no denying that walleye is very Midwestern. Find the full study here.
Michigan's Fastest Growing Towns in 2022
