States that seem like pairs

[iceman]

Which states do you see as pairs? Aside from the obvious North Dakota is to South Dakota and North Carolina is to South Carolina.

These states seems to be like pairs and complement each other:


Wisconsin and Minnesota
Washington and Oregon
Alabama and Mississippi
Kansas and Nebraska

anything else?

[ProgressiveModerate]

Missouri and Indiana
Arizona and Nevada

[Hope For A New Era]

Vermont and New Hampshire are a very clear pair.

[Kuumo]

Idaho and Utah
Mississippi and Alabama

[SevenEleven]

Alaska and Hawaii.

Maryland and Virginia.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Missouri and Indiana

They don’t even share a time zone. That’s a weird one.

Anyway,
Connecticut and Rhode Island
Oklahoma and Texas
Arizona and New Mexico
New York and New Jersey
Delaware and Maryland
West Virginia and Kentucky

[iceman]

Tennessee and Kentucky probably too
Ohio and Michigan or Ohio and Pennsylvania

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

VT and NH
AK and HI
OR and WA
NM and AZ
MS and AL
TN and KY

[Goldwater]

Arizona and Nevada

I actually tend to associate Arizona more with New Mexico and Nevada with California.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Missouri and Indiana

They don’t even share a time zone. That’s a weird one.

It's hardly weird. They are both among the most Southern of the Midwestern states, and they tend to vote very similarily likewise (to the extent that presidential voting is considered relevant).

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

New York and it’s little brother New Jersey

Massachusetts and fraternal twin Rhode Island

[Never Made it to Graceland]

Washington and Oregon
Montana and Idaho
Virginia and Maryland
Tennessee and Kentucky
Florida and Georgia
Louisiana and Arkansas
Texas and Oklahoma
California and Nevada

[ultraviolet]

The Dakotas (most obvious answer)
Mississippi and Alabama
Tennessee and Kentucky
Connecticut and Rhode Island
Washington and Oregon

[Del Tachi]

New York and New Jersey
Arizona and New Mexico
Washington and Oregon
Kansas and Nebraska
Alabama and Mississippi

[Wikipedia delenda est]

I've thought a lot about this before, and here is what I came up with for all 50 states (and DC) and why:

Washington and Oregon - Cascadia/Pacific Northwest
California and Nevada - Snug, nicely fitting border
Idaho and Utah - Mormons
Montana and Alaska - Scenic libertarians and Native Americans
Wyoming and Colorado - Square-shaped states
Arizona and New Mexico - Southwestern states with lots of Hispanics
North Dakota and South Dakota - Both Dakotas
Nebraska and Kansans - Both Plains States; came in together with the Kansas-Nebraska Act
Oklahoma and Texas - They just seem like basically the same place
Minnesota and Iowa - Stereotypically "nice"; lots of white people
Arkansas and Louisiana - Ark-La-Tex region
Wisconsin and Michigan - Upper Midwestern states; distinctive peninsular border
Illinois and Indiana - Arguably the most "Midwestern" states
Kentucky and Tennessee - Appalachian border states
Mississippi and Alabama - The heart of the Deep South; very similar state shapes that stand "back to back"
Florida and Georgia - Deep Southern states known for fruit (Florida oranges and Georgia peaches)
South Carolina and North Carolina - Both Carolinas
Virginia and West Virginia - Both Virginias
Washington D.C. and Hawaii - Both liberal "islands", Hawaii literally and DC figuratively so
Maryland and Delaware - States that used to be Southern but aren't anymore; Delaware's borders are basically defined by Maryland
Pennsylvania and Ohio - The heart of the Rust Belt
New Jersey and New York - Lots of Italian-Americans; similar state cultures
Connecticut and Rhode Island - Both sneak in right under the wing of Massachusetts
Massachusetts and Maine - Maine used to be part of Massachusetts
Vermont and New Hampshire - Rural New England states with nearly identical shapes when flipped around and turned upside-down

You'll notice that one state doesn't have a partner - Missouri. Neither entirely North or South and at the very center of America, it is in a category of its own.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

I get why a lot of people associate New Jersey with New York, but I actually couple New Jersey with Connecticut: both wealthy suburban states whose politics (and not only) is heavily defined by containing many suburbs of New York City.

[tschandler]

Not bordering but Alabama and South Carolina are closer matches to each other.

[Sol]

Not bordering but Alabama and South Carolina are closer matches to each other.

Ehhh, not really. SC is pretty obviously NC's twin, and aside from that Alabama has a lot more Appalachian areas than South Carolina, which has the fewest highland zones of any Southern state besides Louisiana.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Not bordering but Alabama and South Carolina are closer matches to each other.

Ehhh, not really. SC is pretty obviously NC's twin, and aside from that Alabama has a lot more Appalachian areas than South Carolina, which has the fewest highland zones of any Southern state besides Louisiana.

An argument can be made for Mississippi being the closest pair to the Palmetto State. It would depend heavily on the consequences of both being majority black all the way until the 1930s, though.

[SInNYC]

These (though a bit dated since its based on stats through 2008):
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/state-similarity-scores/

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

These (though a bit dated since its based on stats through 2008):
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/state-similarity-scores/

Wow, this really shows its age.
WV's top three is KY, NC, and MO.
MO's top three is OH, NC, and SC.
VA's top three is DE, CO, and MO.

[Suburbia]

I've thought a lot about this before, and here is what I came up with for all 50 states (and DC) and why:

Washington and Oregon - Cascadia/Pacific Northwest
California and Nevada - Snug, nicely fitting border
Idaho and Utah - Mormons
Montana and Alaska - Scenic libertarians and Native Americans
Wyoming and Colorado - Square-shaped states
Arizona and New Mexico - Southwestern states with lots of Hispanics
North Dakota and South Dakota - Both Dakotas
Nebraska and Kansans - Both Plains States; came in together with the Kansas-Nebraska Act
Oklahoma and Texas - They just seem like basically the same place
Minnesota and Iowa - Stereotypically "nice"; lots of white people
Arkansas and Louisiana - Ark-La-Tex region
Wisconsin and Michigan - Upper Midwestern states; distinctive peninsular border
Illinois and Indiana - Arguably the most "Midwestern" states
Kentucky and Tennessee - Appalachian border states
Mississippi and Alabama - The heart of the Deep South; very similar state shapes that stand "back to back"
Florida and Georgia - Deep Southern states known for fruit (Florida oranges and Georgia peaches)
South Carolina and North Carolina - Both Carolinas
Virginia and West Virginia - Both Virginias
Washington D.C. and Hawaii - Both liberal "islands", Hawaii literally and DC figuratively so
Maryland and Delaware - States that used to be Southern but aren't anymore; Delaware's borders are basically defined by Maryland
Pennsylvania and Ohio - The heart of the Rust Belt
New Jersey and New York - Lots of Italian-Americans; similar state cultures
Connecticut and Rhode Island - Both sneak in right under the wing of Massachusetts
Massachusetts and Maine - Maine used to be part of Massachusetts
Vermont and New Hampshire - Rural New England states with nearly identical shapes when flipped around and turned upside-down

You'll notice that one state doesn't have a partner - Missouri. Neither entirely North or South and at the very center of America, it is in a category of its own.

Why shows that Missouri's politics is sad.....it was a bellwether to Josh Hawley running the state's views.

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

Not bordering but Alabama and South Carolina are closer matches to each other.

South Carolina and Alabama seem like southern states in opposite directions if that makes sense. They are similar, but most of the similarities seem superficial.

[AGA]

I'm not sure if New York has a clear "twin." New Jersey and Connecticut are clear contenders, but Illinois might be one as well despite being in a different region.

[Left Wing]

Just a few:
WA and OR
CA and NV
ID and UT
MT and WY
CO and NM
TX and OK
NE and KS
AR and LA
MS and AL
GA and FL
TN and KY
MD and DE
OH and PA
IN and IL