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A farmer harvests crops in Burlington, IA.
- The Midwest has a rep for friendly people, cheap land, and a stress-free lifestyle that differs dramatically from other US regions.
- Many people are flocking to the Midwest because of its affordable cost of living, open spaces, and relaxed pace of life.
- Here are 6 ways the Midwest is different than the rest of the country.
There's only one place in the US where traffic jams are often caused by tractors on the road and weekends consist of floating down rivers and modeling clothes through the aisles of Walmart.
Middle America has long been classified as a "flyover country," comprised of more corn fields than major metropolises and mom-and-pop shops than Fortune 500 companies, but the 12 states that constitute the Midwest have a richer culture than many people give it credit for - take it from me, a native of small-town Ohio myself.
In my hometown, "porch sitting" is a perfectly sound and popular pastime, the parking lot of our only supermarket is a common meeting place, and Friday nights out usually include a high school football game.
About 21% of the nation's population call this region - North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio - home, according to the 2017 US Census, and that number is growing. The Daily Beast reported that lately, Millennials are kissing big city dreams goodbye to seek lower housing costs in cities like Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis instead.
But while this influx of 20- and 30-somethings is proof that America's "breadbasket" is undergoing significant change, some Midwest traditions are simply ingrained. Here are six ways the Midwest differs from the rest of the country.