(WTTW News)
Idaho and Pennsylvania are fighting for their lives in the group chat right now after the release of a new Midwest study that has sparked a passionate debate online.
The study by Emerson College Polling and Middle West Review, which aims to explore the boundaries and identity of Midwest states, was the result of more than 11,000 responses in 22 states. The states included those traditionally considered to be in the Midwest, in addition to some neighboring states such as Arkansas, West Virginia, Colorado, and Oklahoma.
The results are in, and well, the elitists and gatekeepers of the Midwest better prepare.
For starters, the vast majority of people in Illinois, 93.8 percent, consider themselves to live in the Midwest, according to the study. The researchers found that a majority of residents in the following 14 states consider themselves part of the Midwest:
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Iowa (96.7%)
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Minnesota (96.5%)
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Missouri (95.3%)
- Illinois (93.8%)
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North Dakota (93.8%)
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Wisconsin (93.6%)
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Nebraska (92.8%)
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South Dakota (92.2%)
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Indiana (91.6%)
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Kansas (91.2%)
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Michigan (85.5%)
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Ohio (78.2%)
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Oklahoma (66.2%)
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Wyoming (53.5%)
(Courtesy of Emerson College Polling and the Middle West Review)
But when it comes to those who identify as “Midwesterners,” the numbers are slightly lower than those who consider themselves to live in the Midwest, the study found. For example, 97% of Iowans say they live in the Midwest, while 90% of Iowans consider themselves Midwesterners.
States in the survey that did not have a majority of residents who said they lived in the Midwest included: Colorado (42.1%), Kentucky (30.8%), Montana (30.1%), Arkansas (26.6%) , Idaho (25.2%) ), West Virginia (13%), Tennessee (9.7%) and Pennsylvania (9.4%).
“These exciting results underscore the strength of Midwestern identity, despite what some claim, and further justify efforts to study the Midwest and its history,” Middle West Review editor Jon Lauck said in a news release about the study. .
A map of the study's results published Tuesday by the Middle West Review on X, formerly known as Twitter, has garnered more than a million views.
As expected, people were quick to voice their thoughts.
One user 'Clint Midwestwood' responded: “I think it's sad that the Great Plains states have given up their own identity to join something they are not. And Missouri is its own thing. That and Arkansas should be united and be the Pseudo-South. Oklahoma is just North Texas.”
Other users on X shared their disappointment and surprise with the study's results:
Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]
