# I found the most Midwestern state Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsMFul6BIgQ Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/BsMFul6BIgQ Generated: 2025-11-09T15:32:54.133+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Minnesota ultimately won the competition to determine the most Midwestern state across ten rounds of voting, scoring 85 points, narrowly beating Iowa (83 points) in the final tally, while other rounds analyzed factors like food, demographics, climate, and linguistic data to define regional identity. **Key Points:** - Minnesota was declared the most Midwestern state overall after 10 rounds of voting, securing 85 points, just ahead of Iowa with 83 points. - The ranking system involved 10 rounds testing different criteria, including food (Round 1), population density (Round 2), climate (Round 3), flatness (Round 4), demographics/whiteness (Round 5), political leanings (Round 6), corn production (Round 7), soybean production (Round 8), slang (Round 9), and Dairy Queen/Runza density (Rounds 1, 10). - In the 'Food Ranking' (Round 1), Cheese Curds (Wisconsin) ranked highest with 10 points, followed by Casserole (9 points). - The 'Demographics' round (Round 5) showed Minnesota and Wisconsin having the highest percentage of residents identifying as Hmong ancestry alone or in combination (1% or more), while the ethnically least diverse states included Maine, West Virginia, Vermont, and New Hampshire. - In the 'Slang' round (Round 9), 'Ope' ranked first (10 points), followed by 'Pop (not "soda")' (9 points), highlighting linguistic differences within the region. - Data sources included the US Census for ethnic diversity and agricultural data for corn and soybean acreage, often showing strong Midwestern cores for these metrics. - The final Dairy Queen density metric showed Minnesota leading with 222 locations, while Texas had the most locations overall (584). ![Screenshot at 22:24: Minnesota is declared the 'Midwestest' state by having its puzzle piece placed above the yellow cutout labeled 'MIDWESTEST', signifying its overall victory in the ten-round competition.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-22-24.png) **Context:** The video documents a multi-round competition designed to definitively rank US states on how 'Midwestern' they are, utilizing various quantitative and qualitative metrics sourced from different studies and data sets. The host, Phil Edwards, presents data from rounds covering food preferences, demographic composition, climate, linguistic usage, agriculture, and business distribution to determine the ultimate 'Midwestest' state. ## Detailed Analysis The video concludes that Minnesota is the 'most Midwestern' state, winning the 10-round competition with 85 points, narrowly defeating Iowa (83 points). The competition structure involved ranking states based on 10 different metrics, including food, population density, climate, flatness, demographics, political leanings, agricultural production (corn/soybeans), slang usage, and the density of specific businesses like Dairy Queen and Runza. For instance, in the food round, Wisconsin's Cheese Curds ranked first (10 points). In the ethnicity round, Minnesota and Wisconsin showed the highest concentrations of Hmong ancestry. Linguistic data showed 'Ope' as the most Midwestern slang term. The Dairy Queen density data revealed Minnesota had the most locations per capita (222), though Texas had the highest total number of locations (584). The final rankings after 10 rounds showed Minnesota in first place with 85 points, followed by Iowa (83 pts) and Nebraska (63 pts). ### Competition Overview - Minnesota won the overall 'Midwestest' title with 85 points after 10 rounds - Iowa placed second with 83 points, and Nebraska third with 63 points after 7 rounds of scoring. ### Round 1 (Food) - Wisconsin's Cheese Curds ranked #1 (10 pts) - Corn on the cob ranked #3 (8 pts) - Brats with Kraut ranked #4 (7 pts). ### Round 2 (Population Density) - Showed the Midwest (especially Illinois, Indiana, Ohio) as relatively low in density compared to the coasts, though density rankings showed Illinois at 29 and Iowa at 30. ### Round 3 (Climate) - Showed the Midwest having significantly colder January temperatures (purple/blue shading) than the South, although the definition of the region was shown to be culturally fluid. ### Round 4 (Flatness) - Florida ranked #1 flattest, Illinois #3, and North Dakota #7, challenging the perception that only the Great Plains are flat. ### Round 5 (Demographics) - Based on White American ancestry data, the Midwest (German ancestry, blue) showed a different ethnic makeup than the South (English ancestry, yellow). ### Round 6 (Democracy/Political Deals) - Showed Midwestern states (like Illinois) were not necessarily the most partisan, with some Southern states showing higher polarization. ### Round 7 (Corn) - Showed Iowa leading in corn production acreage by county compared to other Midwestern states, though Wisconsin was ranked 3rd in the food poll for cheese curds, not corn products. ![Screenshot at 00:01: The host, Phil Edwards, sitting at a desk with a wooden US map puzzle representing the Midwest region.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-00-01.png) ![Screenshot at 00:14: The host putting on a Wisconsin hoodie, indicating a shift in focus or affiliation.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-00-14.png) ![Screenshot at 00:36: The interactive poll screen asking "Which is more Midwest?" with Wisconsin \(cheese\) vs. Iowa \(corn\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-00-36.png) ![Screenshot at 01:10: An excerpt from 'The History and Geography of the Mississippi Valley' defining the 'great interior region' which Lincoln described as the Midwest.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-01-10.png) ![Screenshot at 02:21: A map showing the percentage of respondents in 1980 who considered states part of the Midwest, highlighting a core area.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-02-21.png) ![Screenshot at 03:53: A map showing voter turnout percentage by state from a 2022 election survey, indicating Minnesota and Maine had the highest turnout.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-03-53.png) ![Screenshot at 05:59: A close-up of the 'Pop vs Soda' map showing distinct linguistic regions across the US.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-05-59.png) ![Screenshot at 07:41: The 'Current Standings' after Round 1 showing Minnesota leading, followed by Iowa and Wisconsin in the food ranking.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-07-41.png) ![Screenshot at 09:03: A climate map showing average temperature in January, with the coldest areas in the upper Midwest and Northeast.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-09-03.png) ![Screenshot at 11:14: A map showing the largest detailed American Indian and Alaska Native group by state, highlighting Minnesota and Wisconsin as having the highest percentage of Hmong ancestry \(dark red\). \(Note: This map is shown in a small inset on the tablet\). A larger map shows the US Census Bureau's regional divisions for comparison \(11:25\). A map from the Census Bureau \(11:14\) shows the highest percentage of White Americans identify as English \(yellow\) in the South, contrasting with the Midwest \(blue\). A map from a 2010 Census analysis shows the distribution of Hmong ancestry, heavily clustered in Minnesota and Wisconsin \(12:26\). A map showing the percentage of Catholics by state, where the Midwest \(green shades\) shows moderate Catholic populations compared to the Northeast \(dark green/purple\). A map showing Runza locations, heavily clustered in Nebraska and surrounding states \(15:44\). The final rankings after 10 rounds show Minnesota in first place with 85 points \(22:13\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/BsMFul6BIgQ/00-11-14.png)