Are the Dakotas more similar to Minnesota or Montana?

[King of Kensington]

Arguments for Minnesota:  most of the population in the Dakotas live in the eastern part, there's a big Scandinavian presence and they're officially considered Midwestern states not Western ones.  On the other hand, Montana is more "Great Plains" than Minnesota is, has a similar share of Native Americans, no big cities and has more similar politics.  

[PragmaticPopulist]

Montana. The Dakotas are similar culturally and politically to Montana.

[King of Kensington]

An argument for Midwestern or "Diet Minnesota":

https://www.vox.com/2016/1/28/10861176/great-plains-midwest

[Kamala]

Really, it depends on whom you ask. People from Fargo or Sioux Falls are much more relatable to Minnesotans than to someone from Missoula or Billings. In SD we've got the division by the Missouri River, and East River is very similar to outstate Minnesota, in culture and economy thanks to fertile soil which lends itself to farming. West River is more rocky and ranch-suitable, plus it's much more reliant on mineral/resource extraction, and is more Montanan in character.

Logically, East and West Dakotas would makes more sense than North and South.

[RINO Tom]

LOL, this is such a political forum; I would easily say - when you must choose the states as a whole - Minnesota.  Look at fan maps and stuff; Minnesota's influence will extend well into the Dakotas.  "Only the eastern parts" is a lame cutoff, as that is still part of both states and where most people live.

[King of Kensington]

How much of Minnesota has an "East Dakota" feel?  How much of Montana has a "West Dakota" feel?

[RINO Tom]

How much of Minnesota has an "East Dakota" feel?  How much of Montana has a "West Dakota" feel?

Not overly helpful with your specific question given the results breakdown, but given your past posts I think you'd find this site interesting:

http://commoncensus.org/maps.php

[Bidenworth2020]

eastern nd is more minnesota. all the rest is montana

[TJ in Oregon]

There is clearly an East/West divide here (gee I wonder why?) but I'd argue that North Dakota is more like Minnesota and South Dakota is more like Montana.

[King of Kensington]

There is clearly an East/West divide here (gee I wonder why?) but I'd argue that North Dakota is more like Minnesota and South Dakota is more like Montana.

Why do you say that?

[TJ in Oregon]

There is clearly an East/West divide here (gee I wonder why?) but I'd argue that North Dakota is more like Minnesota and South Dakota is more like Montana.

Why do you say that?

Fargo is a huge percentage of ND's population whereas SD's is more evenly distributed.

[Kamala]

There is clearly an East/West divide here (gee I wonder why?) but I'd argue that North Dakota is more like Minnesota and South Dakota is more like Montana.

Why do you say that?

Fargo is a huge percentage of ND's population whereas SD's is more evenly distributed.

Uhh, no. Sioux Falls is almost twice as large as Fargo but SD is less than 100k more populated than ND.

[King of Kensington]

The higher Scandinavian presence in North Dakota is also more in line with Minnesota.

[King of Kensington]

The Dakotas and Montana all gained official statehood in November 1889.  In the 1890 census the Census Bureau placed the Dakotas in the North Central region and Montana in the West.

[Adam Griffin]

Western Dakota is more montanally conservative while Eastern Dakota is more minnesotally liberal.

[Keep cool-idge]

All my views on Dakota right here
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LjZLGJ_hqf8

[Keep cool-idge]

All my views on Dakota right here
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LjZLGJ_hqf8

Also this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KSK0bh5BTeA

[All Along The Watchtower]

paging BRTD

[TDAS04]

Lean Minnesota, especially in the case of North Dakota.  The Dakotas are mostly Midwestern, with some Western tendencies.  West of the Missouri River is definitely more Western, and if it were its own state, I'd say it's more like Montana and even Wyoming than Minnesota.

Montana if we're going by politics alone obviously, but the Dakotas are more conservative than either.  Interestingly, there are a lot of Scandinavian-descend people in Montana too.

I'm actually glad that South Dakota has much variety, especially with regard to east vs. west and in other areas.  The fact that my state is clearly not monolithic makes it more interesting.

LOL, this is such a political forum; I would easily say - when you must choose the states as a whole - Minnesota.  Look at fan maps and stuff; Minnesota's influence will extend well into the Dakotas.  "Only the eastern parts" is a lame cutoff, as that is still part of both states and where most people live.

While a map of favorite NFL team by county showed North Dakota to be almost exclusively Vikings country, South Dakota almost evenly bisected down the middle between Vikings fans east of the Missouri River and Broncos fans to the west.  Granted, the great population in the east means there are probably more Vikings fans in the state, (though the Viking fandom is diluted by several Packers fans here in Sioux Falls).

[Kamala]

Another interesting aspect of East vs West Dakota:

The results of the 2016 democratic primaries - Clinton won nearly every county east of the Missouri and Sanders nearly every one west of it. Eastern South Dakota is still more of an "establishment" Minnesota-esque culture while the western half is the more rugged "populist" Montana-like culture. So really, the Dakotas are transitional states in terms of regional culture, divided by the Missouri.

Even Native American counties vote differently:
Oglala Lakota County (94% NA) voted 57% for Bernie
Todd (88% NA) voted 56% for Bernie
Buffalo (84% NA) voted 61% for Hillary
Charles Mix (32% NA) voted 51% for Hillary

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

paging BRTD

The eastern half is more like Minnesota, the western half more like Montana.

This is obvious to anyone who has driven through the states. You don't even have to stop, even the vegetation is different.

[catographer]

North Dakota is basically Minnesota without the Twin Cities.

[TDAS04]

North Dakota is basically Minnesota without the Twin Cities.

Or trees.  

Even without the Twin Cities, Minnesota has Duluth and the Iron Range, which are overwhelmingly DFL (and Duluth is also very liberal.  The Iron Range can be a bit SoCon, but nonetheless staunchly DFL).  North Dakota doesn't have any large area that's particularly Democratic.

[King of Kensington]

Or trees.  

Indeed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_cover_by_state_in_the_United_States