Is Wisconsin better grouped with Minnesota or Illinois/Michigan?

[King of Kensington]

Thoughts?  It has several "rust belt" characteristics and is part of the Census Bureau's "East North Central" region but also shares a lot of similarities with Minnesota.

[Gass3268]

Cut the state in half. The Eastern half is more like Illinois/Michigan and the Western Half is more like Minnesota. More people live in the Eastern half so Illinois/Michigan is appropriate.

[muon2]

Cut the state in half. The Eastern half is more like Illinois/Michigan and the Western Half is more like Minnesota. More people live in the Eastern half so Illinois/Michigan is appropriate.

I agree. As another measure of similarity Milwaukee and Chicago rank as the 1st and 3rd most segregated cities in the US from a recent Brookings report. Detroit is 4th and Cleveland is 5th, so four of the top five cities on the list fall in the Great Lakes/East North Central region.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Personally, I'd say Minnesota, or at least that's what the stereotype would have you believe.

[muon2]

Personally, I'd say Minnesota, or at least that's what the stereotype would have you believe.

If you spent any time in the population centers along Lake Michigan you would see that the stereotype is inaccurate. The sparsely populated vacation lands north and west of Madison fit that stereotype, but land is not people. I've lived in IL and MN and spent most of my life near and through WI with family there as well.

[Ban my account ffs!]

but yeah.. the eastern part of the state is more like Chicago.

[James Bond 007]

They all belong together really.  I've never been there but guessed Minnesota.

[jimrtex]

but yeah.. the eastern part of the state is more like Chicago.

How Fargo will she?

[King of Kensington]

Wisconsin is 9% Polish ancestry and 8% Norwegian ancestry - reflective of the transition from Minnesota to rust belt. 

[Green Line]

The Chicago and Minnesota accents are very similar.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I've long held that if you want to divide the states by "culture", then the western Dakotas should be lumped in with Montana and Wyoming, the eastern Dakotas lumped in with western Minnesota, (basically up until about the St. Cloud area), eastern Minnesota (not just the Twin Cities but St. Cloud, Duluth, Rochester and Mankato, though not west of there) should be lumped in with western Wisconsin including Madison, and eastern Wisconsin in with Chicago and the Rust Belt.

[King of Kensington]

I've long held that if you want to divide the states by "culture", then the western Dakotas should be lumped in with Montana and Wyoming, the eastern Dakotas lumped in with western Minnesota, (basically up until about the St. Cloud area), eastern Minnesota (not just the Twin Cities but St. Cloud, Duluth, Rochester and Mankato, though not west of there) should be lumped in with western Wisconsin including Madison, and eastern Wisconsin in with Chicago and the Rust Belt.

This interestingly lines up closely with the boundaries of Manitoba.

[Ban my account ffs!]

You also have the "lakes" areas of Minnesota that BRTD largely missed and includes my hometown.  You have Brainerd Lakes, Bemidji Lakes, Alexandria Lakes, Park Rapids Lakes, the Detroit Lakes lakes area (the town is called Detroit Lakes).  These areas were once dominated by logging/lumber though that has declined dramatically.  Bemidji still has 2 lumber mills, but they had 4 as late as the late 90s.

These areas are dominated today by tourism and lake/cabin culture (fishing, ice fishing, boating, swimming.. but most people have a resort they go to each year or have a cabin on the lake.. a very Scandinavian thing actually).  They are also now home to many small/medium size manufacturers that make everything from 4-wheelers to garage doors to windows, window shades/upholstery, security systems, and fishing tackle.  

This "culture" also spreads into Wisconsin where they've taken it to a higher level because of proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities.  Wisconsin Dells is a pretty massive operation.

[King of Kensington]

This "culture" also spreads into Wisconsin where they've taken it to a higher level because of proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities.  Wisconsin Dells is a pretty massive operation.

Seems like Chicagoans are more likely to venture into Wisconsin than downstate Illinois!

[muon2]

This "culture" also spreads into Wisconsin where they've taken it to a higher level because of proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities.  Wisconsin Dells is a pretty massive operation.

Seems like Chicagoans are more likely to venture into Wisconsin than downstate Illinois!

This is quite true.

[Gass3268]

This "culture" also spreads into Wisconsin where they've taken it to a higher level because of proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities.  Wisconsin Dells is a pretty massive operation.

Seems like Chicagoans are more likely to venture into Wisconsin than downstate Illinois!

Growing up outside of Madison, you did not want to be going south on the interstate on Sunday (or Monday on a major holiday weekend) in the summer.

Also John Hughes wrote a movie about it.

[Kingpoleon]

Politically? It's most like Michigan, as an inelastic state. Culturally? Chicago is Milwaukee on steroids. Sure, it has the rural Minnesota vibe in the west, but I'd say IL/MI.

[Mr. Illini]

This "culture" also spreads into Wisconsin where they've taken it to a higher level because of proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities.  Wisconsin Dells is a pretty massive operation.

Seems like Chicagoans are more likely to venture into Wisconsin than downstate Illinois!

This is quite true.

Very true.

As for OP, Wisconsin has elements of each. It is, in my opinion, more like Minnesota in total. But it shares many similarities with my state as well.

[muon2]

This "culture" also spreads into Wisconsin where they've taken it to a higher level because of proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities.  Wisconsin Dells is a pretty massive operation.

Seems like Chicagoans are more likely to venture into Wisconsin than downstate Illinois!

This is quite true.

Very true.

As for OP, Wisconsin has elements of each. It is, in my opinion, more like Minnesota in total. But it shares many similarities with my state as well.

If measured in land area it is more like MN. If measured in population it is more like IL. If a Chicagoan drives to vacation in WI they pass mostly through the MN-like area. Only if they vacation in Door county would they pass mostly through the population-rich IL-like area.

[Mr. Illini]

This "culture" also spreads into Wisconsin where they've taken it to a higher level because of proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities.  Wisconsin Dells is a pretty massive operation.

Seems like Chicagoans are more likely to venture into Wisconsin than downstate Illinois!

This is quite true.

Very true.

As for OP, Wisconsin has elements of each. It is, in my opinion, more like Minnesota in total. But it shares many similarities with my state as well.

If measured in land area it is more like MN. If measured in population it is more like IL. If a Chicagoan drives to vacation in WI they pass mostly through the MN-like area. Only if they vacation in Door county would they pass mostly through the population-rich IL-like area.

Trust me, I am well-traversed in Wisconsin. The areas that you speak of, however, such as Milwaukee area, Sheboygan, and Green Bay, have always seemed to me to really be a hybrid of us and the Minnys. Maybe it is simply because I grew up in Chicagoland and are therefore more prone to notice the differences, but that is how I view it.

[muon2]

This "culture" also spreads into Wisconsin where they've taken it to a higher level because of proximity to Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities.  Wisconsin Dells is a pretty massive operation.

Seems like Chicagoans are more likely to venture into Wisconsin than downstate Illinois!

This is quite true.

Very true.

As for OP, Wisconsin has elements of each. It is, in my opinion, more like Minnesota in total. But it shares many similarities with my state as well.

If measured in land area it is more like MN. If measured in population it is more like IL. If a Chicagoan drives to vacation in WI they pass mostly through the MN-like area. Only if they vacation in Door county would they pass mostly through the population-rich IL-like area.

Trust me, I am well-traversed in Wisconsin. The areas that you speak of, however, such as Milwaukee area, Sheboygan, and Green Bay, have always seemed to me to really be a hybrid of us and the Minnys. Maybe it is simply because I grew up in Chicagoland and are therefore more prone to notice the differences, but that is how I view it.

I was born in Chicago from German descendants, and part of the family was in Sheboygan. Sheboygan, like Milwaukee and NW Chicago all had a very similar feel due to the German roots. I grew up in the Twin Cities, and the heavy Scandinavian influence made MN seem very different from the cities along Lake Michigan.

[King of Kensington]

Besides Springfield (state capital) and Urbana-Champaign (flagship university) what are the big draws for Chicagoans downstate?

[Mr. Illini]

Besides Springfield (state capital) and Urbana-Champaign (flagship university) what are the big draws for Chicagoans downstate?

The only one is Starved Rock, which is still far north (and considered technically to be in the Chicago metro area, but that is quite a stretch in my opinion). Chicagoans don't care much about Springfield unless it is because their eighth grade kid is taking a field trip there. Many think well of Champaign-Urbana because of the flagship university. They either went there for college or visited friends there in college.

[Illiniwek]

Tough. Really could go either way. But I guess this is the right response:

Cut the state in half. The Eastern half is more like Illinois/Michigan and the Western Half is more like Minnesota. More people live in the Eastern half so Illinois/Michigan is appropriate.