USA States most similar to Canadian Provinces

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Demographically and Politically what USA States are most similar to Canadian provinces. Ignore population to a certain extent as the USA is about 10 times as large as Canada

[Pragmatic Conservative]

most similar

Ontario and Ohio
 

[Hydera]

Mantioba and Iowa.  Politically balanced schizophrenic rural state that swings towards either the Left or Right just slightly depending on mood.

Sasketchwan and Texas. Historically a natural resource rich state that voted for the economically left leaning party and overtime became a bastion of the largest Right-leaning party. 

[King of Kensington]

most similar

Ontario and Ohio
 

How so?

[Pragmatic Conservative]

most similar

Ontario and Ohio
 

How so?

Both are swing states on the Federal and Provincial Level

Both also  Have similar Demographics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio#Demographics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Ontario

[Asian Nazi]

BC and WA is an obvious one, though there are definitely crucial differences, our cultures and geography are similar enough where I think the comparison is apt.

Ditto with the Maritimes and New England.

Quebec is pretty unique, for obvious reasons.

The Alberta-Texas comparison is a frequently made one, though honestly I think Alberta is more like Idaho/Montana/Wyoming.

I agree with the Ontario/Ohio comparison.  Ontario is pretty similar culturally and demographically to the lower American Midwest, including much of Ohio.

[DC Al Fine]

BC and WA is an obvious one, though there are definitely crucial differences, our cultures and geography are similar enough where I think the comparison is apt.

Ditto with the Maritimes and New England.

Quebec is pretty unique, for obvious reasons.

The Alberta-Texas comparison is a frequently made one, though honestly I think Alberta is more like Idaho/Montana/Wyoming.

I agree with the Ontario/Ohio comparison.  Ontario is pretty similar culturally and demographically to the lower American Midwest, including much of Ohio.

For the Maritimes/New England comparison, New Brunswick and Maine are especially similar.

[Mr. Smith]

Nunavut and Alaska?

Both are disproportionately large compared to the rest of the provinces/states, isolated, far North, good-sized native population?

Granted I have no idea if Nunavut is leftwards or rightwards...but still, seems like a case could be made?

[bagelman]

Nunavut and Alaska?

Both are disproportionately large compared to the rest of the provinces/states, isolated, far North, good-sized native population?

Granted I have no idea if Nunavut is leftwards or rightwards...but still, seems like a case could be made?

Based on past election results at the federal level, Nunavut seems to be a swing province, voting lib in '15 and '05 and con in '08 and '11. (for some reason I deleted this when I edited this comment )

I agree with the Ontario/Ohio comparison.  Ontario is pretty similar culturally and demographically to the lower American Midwest, including much of Ohio.

I'm intrigued by this, but I also think Toronto has more in common with Chicago than Cleveland.

[King of Kensington]

Toronto is a kinda like a Chicago-Queens NY hybrid.  It's certainly the "odd man out" among Great Lakes cities IMO.

I think Michigan is the Midwestern state that most closely resembles Ontario (it's more Great Lakes-dominated and has a lake-y/woodsy northern zone).

Also, Ontario has very weak ties to Ohio.  

But most of the population of Ontario lives above New York State and demographically looks more NYS than any other US state IMO.

[King of Kensington]

Also, keep in mind that "swing province" is quite different from "swing state": given that Canadian politics is much more swing-y, and that there are two "Democratic" parties.

[TDAS04]

Atlantic Provinces: Maine
Ontario: Combination of New York and Michigan
Manitoba: Illinois
Saskatchewan: Iowa
Alberta: Colorado
BC: Washington
Quebec: Tough one. Maybe Louisiana or New Mexico

[TDAS04]

Maine is a lot like the Maritimes, but the other New England states may not work so well, at least not the crowded, urban southern New England states.  (The Atlantic Provinces are by far the most rural provinces in Canada).

[bagelman]

Ontario: Combination of New York and Michigan

As I perceive it, this makes more sense than comparing the province to Ohio.

[King of Kensington]

New Brunswick/Maine strike me as the most similar provinces/states that border each other, followed by BC/Washington.  

Alberta: Hard to say.  Montana with cities?  Some sort of Montana/Wyoming/Colorado/Utah hybrid?
Montana also a stronger history of industrial unionism in the west, more like the Kootenays in BC, that Alberta really lacks.

Saskatchewan:  North Dakota.  Prairie/Great Plains province/state with a history of progressive populism and now seeing a resource boom.

Manitoba is kind of an oddball.  I see the Iowa comparison (surprisingly "progressive" rural state), not the Illinois one.  Minnesota is probably the closest as it is both lakey/woodsy with some "prairie" but Manitoba has a more of a Prairie/Plains "essence."  Few consider Minnesota a Plains state.

The Dakotas themselves are seen as quite split by the Missouri River - and it's at about the same longitude as the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border.  However the western Dakotas are very thinly populated.  

Would Ontario be considered a Northeastern state if part of the US?  Would Saskatchewan be in the "Midwest" with North Dakota and Manitoba or in the "West" with Montana and Alberta?

[Sol]

New Brunswick/Maine strike me as the most similar provinces/states that border each other, followed by BC/Washington.  

Alberta: Hard to say.  Montana with cities?  Some sort of Montana/Wyoming/Colorado/Utah hybrid?
Montana also a stronger history of industrial unionism in the west, more like the Kootenays in BC, that Alberta really lacks.

Saskatchewan:  North Dakota.  Prairie/Great Plains province/state with a history of progressive populism and now seeing a resource boom.

Manitoba is kind of an oddball.  I see the Iowa comparison (surprisingly "progressive" rural state), not the Illinois one.  Minnesota is probably the closest as it is both lakey/woodsy with some "prairie" but Manitoba has a more of a Prairie/Plains "essence."  Few consider Minnesota a Plains state.

The Dakotas themselves are seen as quite split by the Missouri River - and it's at about the same longitude as the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border.  However the western Dakotas are very thinly populated.  

Would Ontario be considered a Northeastern state if part of the US?  Would Saskatchewan be in the "Midwest" with North Dakota and Manitoba or in the "West" with Montana and Alberta?

I suspect that Ontario would be viewed as Midwestern; sometimes people even call the Buffalo area midwestern.

[King of Kensington]

But Ontario stretches about as far east as Albany.

[Citizen Hats]

One thing that a lot of these Alberta comparisons miss is that Alberta actually has large cities.  Edmonton and Calgary are each about Montana-sized, and while Albertans might play up the country-boy image, Alberta is far, far more urbane than any of Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho. 

[Hatman 🍁]

BC - Washington
Alberta - Colorado
Saskatchewan - Kansas
Manitoba - Minnesota
Ontario - New York (though, some parts are more like the Midwest)
Quebec - Louisiana is the closest, I guess... but it's too unique
NB - Maine
Nova Scotia - Massachusetts
PEI - Rhode Island
Newfoundland - Tough call.... Alaska or Maine maybe?

[King of Kensington]

One thing that a lot of these Alberta comparisons miss is that Alberta actually has large cities.  Edmonton and Calgary are each about Montana-sized, and while Albertans might play up the country-boy image, Alberta is far, far more urbane than any of Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho. 

Yeah, I see the Colorado comparison for sure.  Denver and Calgary seem similar in a lot of ways, though Denver isn't a conservative city by US standards.  Not sure what "Edmonton" is though.

Colorado/Montana hybrid maybe?

[jimrtex]

BC - Washington
Alberta - Colorado
Saskatchewan - Kansas
Manitoba - Minnesota
Ontario - New York (though, some parts are more like the Midwest)
Quebec - Louisiana is the closest, I guess... but it's too unique
NB - Maine
Nova Scotia - Massachusetts
PEI - Rhode Island
Newfoundland - Tough call.... Alaska or Maine maybe?

Quebec - Puerto Rico
New Brunswick - Louisiana
Newfoundland - Maine
Yukon - Alaska
Nunavut - Guam
Northwest Territory - US Virgin Islands

[King of Kensington]

Northwest Territory - US Virgin Islands

There was actually an NDP MP in the 70s who wanted Canada to annex the Turks and Caicos Islands.

[King of Kensington]

One thing that a lot of these Alberta comparisons miss is that Alberta actually has large cities.  Edmonton and Calgary are each about Montana-sized, and while Albertans might play up the country-boy image, Alberta is far, far more urbane than any of Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho. 

Yes very true.  I find it odd that some say Alberta is our "Texas" because of all the cowboys, when in reality it is about as "cowboyish" as Colorado.