Do Coloradans Really Think They're Midwestern? The Results Are In

What region is Colorado located in? It depends on who you ask. At least, that was the conclusion of a survey that threw the state into a full-on identity crisis a few months back.

The October poll asked 11,000 people in 22 states if they live in the Midwest. The results revealed self-proclaimed Midwesterners in every state surveyed, from Pennsylvania in the Northeast to Idaho in the West and Arkansas in the South. But Colorado particularly captured the nation's attention, as 42 percent of the residents of this state said they consider themselves living in the Midwest.

The revelation inspired local and national publications alike to ponder Colorado's regional status. Some condemned Coloradans as geographically challenged, while others questioned whether the state's Census designation as a Western state outranks its stereotypical Midwestern tendencies — like overusing ranch dressing and having an abundance of cows.

The collective confoundment convinced the pollsters to take a closer look. In late January, the Middle West Review journal and Emerson College Polling asked 2,000 Coloradans whether they live in the Midwest, the Great Plains or the West, expanding the sample size and providing more options to choose from. Now, the results are in.

Most Coloradans agree with the state's Census classification: 65.1 percent of respondents say they live in the West, according to the new poll. But 26.2 percent still maintain that Colorado is part of the Midwest and 8.8 percent say they live in the Great Plains.
“These two large-scale surveys demonstrate the strength and persistence of Midwestern identity, and they help us to better see the boundaries of the Midwest,” says Jon Lauck, editor-in-chief of the Middle West Review. “The Western character of Colorado shines through in this new poll, but so does a Midwestern identity in the areas next to Kansas and Nebraska. There is less of a Plains inclination in Colorado than I expected."

Coloradans in the Eastern half of the state, with more flat terrain and open plains, were more likely to identify as Midwestern. But when looking at the results by zip code, the Midwest identity extends even to the furthest West reaches, including Montrose County. Nearly all respondents who say Colorado is in the Great Plains live in the Eastern half of the state, however.

Young people disproportionately call Colorado the Midwest. Of respondents between 25 and 29 years old, 43.8 percent say Colorado is in the Midwest, as do 39.1 percent of respondents aged 18 to 24. Only 11.2 percent of those seventy or older identify as Midwestern.

Perhaps the most damning finding for the Midwest truthers: The more educated they are, the less likely Coloradans are to identify as Midwestern, according to the poll.

While 43.9 percent of respondents whose highest educational achievement is a high school diploma (or less) say Colorado is in the Midwest, the percentage continuously decreases for those with technical certificates, associate degrees and college diplomas. In the most educated group, people with postgraduate degrees, only 13.1 percent say that Colorado is in the Midwest. 
The new poll also reviewed three states that are designated as part of the Midwest by the Census: Missouri, Ohio and South Dakota. Around 90 percent of respondents in Missouri and Ohio call themselves Midwestern, but more than one-third of South Dakotans say their state is in the Great Plains or the West.

At least Colorado isn't the only state with an identity issue.