American heartland
The American heartland refers to the central United States, encompassing the Midwest and Great Plains regions including states such as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, among others, which together cover nearly one-third of the nation's landmass across approximately 19 states.[1][2] This area is defined by its vast agricultural landscapes, rural communities, and industrial heritage, serving as the economic backbone through production of key commodities like corn, soybeans, and livestock that support national food supplies and exports.[3][4] Culturally, the heartland embodies traditional values centered on faith, family, community involvement, and self-reliance, often contrasting with the more urbanized and cosmopolitan coastal regions.[2] Politically, residents exhibit a preference for stability, caution, and conservatism, with recent trends showing stronger support for policies addressing local economic concerns like manufacturing revival and agricultural sustainability amid narratives of post-industrial decline that empirical data suggests are overstated.[2][5][1] Despite prevailing media portrayals emphasizing stagnation, productivity in heartland crop farming has risen substantially, by 64 percent from 1982 to 2012, driven by larger farm scales and technological advances.[3] The region's defining characteristics include its role in fostering national resilience through resource production and a demographic makeup that prioritizes practical, community-oriented living over ideological extremes.Definition and Geography
Geographical Scope and Boundaries
The American Heartland refers to the central interior region of the contiguous United States, emphasizing areas distant from coastal influences and characterized by agriculture, manufacturing, and rural communities. Unlike rigidly defined regions, its boundaries are fluid and context-dependent, often aligning with cultural, economic, or demographic criteria rather than precise geographic demarcations.[6] A core definition corresponds to the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwest region, which encompasses 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. This area spans approximately 1.4 million square kilometers, bounded roughly by the Mississippi River to the east, the Great Plains to the west, the Canadian border to the north, and the Ohio River to the south.[7][8] Broader interpretations extend the Heartland into adjacent territories, incorporating parts of the Great Plains and non-coastal Southern states. Organizations like Heartland Forward define it to include 19 states, adding Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee to the Midwest core, reflecting economic interdependencies in manufacturing, energy, and agriculture. This expanded scope stretches from the Appalachian foothills eastward to the western edges of the Plains, southward to the Gulf Coast watershed influences, but excludes major metropolitan coastal enclaves.[9][10] Geographically, the region's boundaries are often described as lying between the 80th and 105th meridians west, with northern limits around the 49th parallel and southern extents near the 35th parallel, though these vary by usage. Empirical mappings, such as those based on farmland coverage or manufacturing density, consistently highlight the overlap in Midwestern states like Iowa and Kansas as the unchanging nucleus.[6]Physical Features and Climate
The American heartland, primarily comprising the Midwest and Great Plains regions, features expansive flat to gently rolling lowlands shaped by Pleistocene glaciation and fluvial processes.[11] These include the Central Lowland physiographic province, with sections such as the Till Plains and Dissected Till Plains characterized by thick glacial till deposits averaging 50-100 feet deep, supporting highly fertile mollisols.[12] To the west, the Great Plains form a vast, elevated plateau sloping gently upward from the Central Lowlands toward the Rocky Mountains, with surface elevations ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 feet.[13] Major river systems, including the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio, traverse the region, forming the Mississippi River basin that covers approximately 1.2 million square miles and facilitates sediment deposition essential for soil fertility.[13] In the northern Midwest, the Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario—border several states, comprising over 94,000 square miles of surface area and influencing local hydrology through lake-effect precipitation.[14] The landscape historically supported tallgrass prairies, though much has been converted to cropland; remaining native grasslands feature deep loess soils up to 20 feet thick in areas like Iowa and Nebraska.[15] Elevations are generally low, with the highest points in the Ozark Plateau (around 2,500 feet) and scattered moraines adding subtle relief.[11] The heartland's climate is predominantly humid continental (Köppen Dfa/Dfb) in the Midwest, featuring hot summers with average July highs exceeding 80°F (27°C) and cold winters with January lows often below 20°F (-7°C), resulting in high seasonal temperature contrasts of 40-50°F annually.[15] Precipitation averages 25-40 inches yearly in the east, derived from moist Gulf of Mexico air masses, decreasing to 15-25 inches in the western Plains, where semi-arid steppe conditions (BSk) prevail.[13] The region lies within or adjacent to Tornado Alley, experiencing over 500 tornadoes annually due to clashes between warm, humid southerly flows and dry, cool northerly jets deflected by the Rockies, with peak activity in spring (April-June).[16][17] Severe weather events include blizzards in winter, with historical snowfalls exceeding 20 inches in single storms, and droughts in the Plains, as seen in the 1930s Dust Bowl when precipitation fell below 10 inches in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma.[18] Recent analyses indicate a eastward shift in tornado frequency since the 1980s, with increased activity in states like Indiana and Ohio, potentially linked to drier Great Plains conditions and enhanced Southeast moisture.[19] Long-term data from 1991-2020 show Midwest annual mean temperatures around 50°F (10°C), with variability driven by jet stream oscillations.[18]Historical Evolution
Frontier Settlement and Expansion (19th Century)
The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 acquired approximately 530 million acres of territory from France for $15 million, effectively doubling the size of the United States and opening the Mississippi River basin—including much of the future American heartland—to American settlement.[20] This transaction facilitated westward expansion into regions such as the Midwest and Great Plains, previously dominated by Native American populations and European claims. President Thomas Jefferson's vision emphasized agricultural settlement, spurring migration across the Appalachians into the Ohio Valley and beyond, with early explorations like the Lewis and Clark expedition (1804–1806) mapping viable routes for future pioneers.[21] Settlement accelerated mid-century through federal policies designed to populate the interior. The Homestead Act of 1862, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, granted 160 acres of public land to any adult citizen or intended citizen who would reside on and improve the land for five years, distributing millions of acres primarily in the western territories including Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas—core heartland areas.[22][23] This legislation overcame prior Southern opposition fearing free-soil competition with slavery, enabling over 1.6 million homestead claims by 1934, though many failed due to harsh conditions like droughts and soil challenges on the Plains.[24] Settlers, often farming families from the East or Europe, established homesteads by clearing land and introducing crops suited to prairie soils, transforming nomadic buffalo economies into sedentary agriculture. Railroads were pivotal in enabling mass settlement by connecting the heartland to eastern markets and ports. Following the Civil War, the expansion of rail networks—culminating in the transcontinental railroad's completion in 1869—opened vast interior regions to economic development and immigration, with lines like the Union Pacific facilitating the movement of settlers and goods.[25] By 1900, the U.S. railroad system spanned much of the nation, having spurred the settlement of over 430 million acres in the West between 1865 and the 1890s, far exceeding prior centuries' land claims.[26] This infrastructure not only reduced travel times but also encouraged speculative land grants to companies, which advertised fertile prairies to lure migrants, though it often displaced Native American tribes through forced relocations and conflicts.[27] The interplay of policy, technology, and migration patterns thus solidified the heartland's demographic shift from frontier wilderness to agricultural heartland by century's end.Industrial Growth and World Wars Era (Late 19th to Mid-20th Century)
The expansion of railroads in the late 19th century profoundly facilitated industrial growth in the American heartland, particularly across the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, by connecting raw material sources to emerging manufacturing centers. By 1890, railroad tracks spanned nearly every corner of the United States, enabling the efficient transport of coal, iron ore, and agricultural products to factories in cities like Chicago, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, while distributing finished goods to markets.[28] This infrastructure boom consumed the majority of U.S. iron and steel output before 1890, spurring steel production which surged from 1.25 million tons in 1880 to over 10 million tons by 1900.[29][30] In the Midwest, industrialization accelerated between 1870 and 1910, transforming the region into a core of the American Manufacturing Belt through heavy industries like iron, steel, and machinery, often intertwined with agricultural processing in what has been termed an agro-industrial revolution.[31][32] The early 20th century saw the rise of the automotive sector as a dominant force in heartland economies, centered in Detroit, Michigan, which became synonymous with mass production techniques. By the 1910s, as many as 125 automobile companies operated in Detroit, fueling rapid urban and economic expansion that positioned Michigan as a leader in per capita wages nationwide.[33] The industry's growth created widespread job opportunities, drawing migrant labor and sustaining prosperity through the 1920s by integrating with steel, rubber, and parts manufacturing across Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.[34] This era's innovations, including assembly line efficiencies pioneered by Henry Ford, not only boosted output but also reshaped regional demographics and infrastructure, with Detroit's factories exemplifying the heartland's shift toward high-volume consumer goods production.[35] During World War I, heartland industries pivoted to wartime production, with Michigan's manufacturers, including Ford plants, producing Liberty Engines, ambulances, and other equipment critical to Allied efforts, leveraging pre-war automotive expertise for rapid scaling.[36] Chicago's factories contributed significantly to steel, food exports, and naval training at Great Lakes facilities, underpinning economic booms that exported materials to Europe and mitigated domestic labor shortages through increased female and minority employment.[37][38] In World War II, the region's mobilization intensified, with Great Lakes-area plants converting to output aircraft, tanks, and munitions; overall U.S. military equipment production escalated from $8.5 billion in 1941 to $60 billion in 1944, much of it from heartland facilities that absorbed wartime contracts and reduced unemployment from Great Depression levels.[39] This period solidified the Midwest's role as an industrial powerhouse, though it also strained resources and foreshadowed post-war shifts, with facilities like those in Detroit and Cleveland driving GDP contributions through government-driven expansions.[40][41]Post-Industrial Transitions (1970s Onward)
The American Heartland, encompassing Midwestern manufacturing hubs and agricultural plains states, underwent significant economic restructuring beginning in the 1970s, marked by sharp declines in traditional industries. Manufacturing employment, a cornerstone of the industrial Midwest, peaked nationally at 19.6 million jobs in 1979 before contracting to 12.8 million by 2019, with the Heartland's industrial core—states like Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana—experiencing acute losses due to recessions, automation, and import competition.[42] From 1979 to 1983 alone, the industrial heartland shed 1.2 million manufacturing positions, exacerbating unemployment and slowing transitions to service-sector growth in affected metropolitan areas.[43] These shifts were compounded by policy decisions, including trade liberalization under agreements like NAFTA in 1994, which accelerated offshoring, though productivity gains from automation also contributed to fewer but higher-output factories.[44] Parallel to industrial contraction, the agricultural sector faced a severe crisis in the 1980s, driven by high interest rates, falling commodity prices, and overleveraged debt from the 1970s expansion. Farmland values in Midwestern states plummeted, with Iowa's cropland dropping 61% from 1981 to 1987, leading to widespread foreclosures—over 33% of farmers reported serious financial distress—and the closure of rural banks, stores, and schools.[45][46] This triggered rural depopulation, particularly in the Great Plains, where 1970s-era outmigration accelerated, reducing populations in nonmetropolitan counties and hindering community infrastructure.[47] Consolidation followed, with farm numbers halving nationally from 1970 to 2020 as operations scaled up via mechanization, shifting employment from family-run units to agribusiness and leaving smaller towns economically hollowed.[48] By the 1990s and 2000s, the Heartland's economy pivoted unevenly toward services, healthcare, and logistics, but rural and deindustrialized areas lagged, with manufacturing's share of regional employment falling from around 25% in 1970 to under 10% by 2016.[49] Population stagnation persisted in remote rural counties, which grew only about 20% less than urban areas from 1970 to 2017, fueling social challenges like labor force contraction and reliance on federal transfers.[50] Despite pockets of adaptation—such as advanced manufacturing clusters in select metros—these transitions exposed vulnerabilities to global trade shocks, with over 5 million jobs lost to imports since 1979 per some analyses, underscoring the Heartland's incomplete shift to a post-industrial model.[51]Economic Pillars
Agriculture and Natural Resources
The American Heartland's agriculture relies on vast expanses of fertile prairie soils, particularly mollisols, which feature dark, nutrient-rich topsoil with high organic matter content, enabling high-yield crop production across the Midwest and Great Plains.[52] These soils, developed from glacial deposits and grassland decomposition, support the region's role as a primary supplier of feed grains and oilseeds, with corn and soybeans dominating cultivated acreage. In 2024, U.S. corn production reached a forecast of 15.1 billion bushels, predominantly from Heartland states including Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, and Ohio, which collectively account for over 80 percent of national output. Iowa led as the top producer, harvesting yields that underscored the area's mechanized, large-scale farming practices.[53] Soybean production complemented corn, totaling 4.37 billion bushels in 2024, with average yields of 50.7 bushels per acre, driven by similar Heartland dominance in states like Illinois and Iowa. Wheat cultivation prevails in the northern and western Plains portions, such as Kansas and North Dakota, contributing to diversified rotations that maintain soil health amid intensive tillage. Livestock operations, integral to the sector, feature extensive hog farming in Iowa—which held about 31 percent of U.S. inventory as of recent assessments—and cattle rearing in Nebraska and Kansas, leveraging corn for feed.[54] These activities generate over $152 billion in annual agricultural output for the Heartland, bolstering rural economies through exports and domestic supply chains.[55] Natural resources extend beyond agriculture to include substantial mineral deposits, notably bituminous coal in the Illinois Basin spanning Illinois, Indiana, and western Kentucky, which supplies a significant share of U.S. reserves.[56] Oil and natural gas extraction occurs in the northern Plains, particularly North Dakota's Williston Basin, part of the Bakken Formation, yielding billions of barrels amid hydraulic fracturing advancements.[57] Additional resources encompass limestone, sand, gravel, and potash, supporting construction and fertilizer industries that indirectly enhance agricultural productivity. Groundwater aquifers, such as the Ogallala in the southern Plains, provide irrigation critical for sustaining yields in semi-arid zones, though depletion poses long-term challenges.[58] Overall, these assets underpin the Heartland's economic resilience, with agriculture and extractive industries employing millions and contributing disproportionately to national food and energy security.[59]Manufacturing and Energy Sectors
The manufacturing sector remains a cornerstone of the American Heartland's economy, particularly in states such as Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, where it employs over 4.3 million workers across the broader Midwest region as of 2024.[60] Key industries include motor vehicle assembly and parts production, concentrated in Michigan (home to major facilities for General Motors and Ford), Ohio, and Missouri, which together account for a substantial share of U.S. employment in this subsector.[61] Fabricated metals, industrial machinery, and transportation equipment also dominate, with Ohio ranking among the top states for output in these areas, supported by its export-oriented firms.[62] The regional workforce exceeds 2.5 million, including over 410,000 in Illinois alone, drawn by skilled labor pools and logistics advantages like proximity to rail and water transport.[63] Historical declines from the 1970s onward, driven by offshoring to lower-wage countries and rising domestic labor costs, reduced manufacturing's GDP share in Heartland states, though it still contributes disproportionately—nationally around 10% of GDP, higher in industrial Midwest hubs.[64] Recent recovery signals emerged post-2020, with approximately 86,000 new jobs added in Rust Belt areas between January 2021 and May 2023, fueled by supply chain repatriation amid U.S.-China trade tensions and incentives like the CHIPS and Science Act.[65] Midwest production occupations outpace the national average by 1.5 times, bolstering resilience, though sustained growth depends on automation adoption and energy cost stability rather than protectionist policies alone.[66] In the energy sector, the Heartland produces significant volumes of fossil fuels and biofuels, leveraging geological resources in states like North Dakota (Bakken shale oil and gas) and traditional coal basins in Ohio and Illinois, though output has waned with national shifts away from coal.[67] Biofuels, tied to agricultural feedstocks, are prominent, with the Midwest hosting about 25% of U.S. ethanol capacity; Illinois and Indiana rank third and sixth nationally in production as of 2024.[68] Electricity generation in the region relies heavily on natural gas (over 40% in many states), coal (declining but still 15-20% in Midwest grids), and growing wind power in Iowa and the Dakotas, which contribute to renewables comprising around 20% of regional supply.[69] Fossil fuels underpin industrial energy needs, accounting for roughly 84% of U.S. primary production in 2023, with Heartland states exporting coal and natural gas to support manufacturing while facing regulatory pressures that have accelerated mine closures—U.S. coal production fell to historic lows by 2024.[67] Nuclear plants in Illinois and Michigan provide baseload stability, but the sector's competitiveness hinges on abundant, low-cost natural gas from Appalachian pipelines and domestic shale, rather than subsidized renewables that require intermittency backups.[70] Overall, energy production supports manufacturing density but contends with infrastructure aging and policy-driven transitions favoring intermittent sources over reliable dispatchable power.[71]Emerging Industries and Resilience
The American heartland has experienced expansion in renewable energy sectors, particularly wind power, leveraging consistent wind resources across the Midwest and Plains states. Installed wind capacity in the Midwest tripled from 8.6 gigawatts in 2011 to 26.9 gigawatts in 2020, accounting for a significant portion of national growth.[72] Iowa generates 31.3% of its electricity from wind, followed by South Dakota at 25.5% and Kansas at 23.9%, positioning these states as leaders in utility-scale wind development.[73] Advanced manufacturing has reemerged as a pillar through reshoring initiatives, driven by supply chain vulnerabilities and automation advancements. Investments in semiconductors, electric vehicle factories, and data centers have surged, with global firms committing billions to heartland facilities amid efforts to diversify from overseas production.[74] Reshoring has spurred a small business boom in Midwestern states, enhancing local supply chains and filling gaps exposed during global disruptions.[75] Automation and high-tech integration have made domestic production more competitive, particularly in regions with established manufacturing bases like Illinois and Indiana.[76] Agritech innovations, including precision agriculture and biotechnology, are bolstering traditional farming by improving efficiency and yields. Venture capital inflows reached at least $6.9 billion in agriculture-related technologies during 2014-2015, fostering startups in rural heartland areas that address soil health, data analytics, and sustainable practices.[77] These developments have spurred entrepreneurship and economic diversification in agricultural-dependent communities, countering historical reliance on commodity crops. Economic resilience in the heartland manifests through robust post-pandemic recovery and adaptive growth in micropolitan areas. Capital expenditure in heartland states grew faster than the national average from 2020 to 2023, outpacing coastal regions by emphasizing manufacturing and energy assets.[78] Heartland Forward's 2024 analysis identified dynamic micropolitans with low unemployment in growth sectors like manufacturing and tourism, alongside high upward mobility in middle-skill jobs.[79] Talent migration trends have accelerated toward heartland cities, supporting sustained vitality amid national shifts.[80] This adaptability underscores the region's capacity to integrate emerging industries with existing strengths, mitigating vulnerabilities from industrial transitions.[81]Cultural and Social Fabric
Traditional Values and Community Life
The American heartland, encompassing rural and small-town communities in the Midwest and Great Plains states such as Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas, emphasizes traditional values centered on family stability, religious faith, and mutual support among neighbors. In these areas, marriage rates among older adults remain notably high; for instance, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa rank among the top states for the percentage of adults aged 55 and older who are married, with figures exceeding 60% in several cases.[82] This reflects a cultural prioritization of long-term family commitments over transient relationships prevalent in urban coastal regions. Religious observance plays a central role in heartland community life, with church attendance and affiliation rates surpassing those in more secular coastal areas. According to Pew Research Center data, only 30% of Midwest adults identify as religiously unaffiliated, lower than the national average, and states like those in the Plains exhibit higher weekly service attendance compared to the Northeast and West Coast.[83] Local churches often serve as hubs for social gatherings, youth programs, and charitable initiatives, fostering intergenerational bonds and moral frameworks rooted in Judeo-Christian ethics. Community involvement manifests through high levels of informal and formal volunteering, particularly in rural settings where residents assist neighbors with tasks like caregiving or errands at rates around 54% nationwide but elevated in heartland locales due to geographic proximity and shared responsibilities.[84] Rural Midwesterners report greater participation in volunteer activities than urban dwellers, contributing to resilient social networks that emphasize self-reliance and collective problem-solving during challenges like agricultural hardships.[85] Annual events such as county fairs, 4-H clubs, and VFW meetings reinforce patriotism and civic duty, with heartland residents displaying stronger national pride aligned with conservative values of individual liberty and communal solidarity.[86]Demographics and Diversity
The American heartland, primarily the U.S. Census-defined Midwest region spanning Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, had a population of 69,596,584 in 2023, accounting for 20.5% of the national total.[87] This area features a greater rural-urban divide than the national average, with rural counties comprising a significant share of land and hosting about 20% of the U.S. rural population, though metro areas like Chicago and Detroit concentrate much of the urban density.[88] [89] Racial and ethnic demographics reflect historical European settlement and limited large-scale immigration, resulting in lower diversity relative to coastal regions. Non-Hispanic Whites form the majority at approximately 74-75% of the population, Blacks about 11%, Hispanics or Latinos around 7%, Asians 2.5%, and other groups including Native Americans under 1%, based on 2020 Census distributions with modest shifts from internal migration.[90] [91]| Racial/Ethnic Group | Approximate Percentage (Midwest, recent data) |
|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 74% |
| Black | 11% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7% |
| Asian | 2.5% |
| Other/Multiracial | 5.5% |
Representations in Media and Identity
Media representations of the American heartland frequently emphasize stereotypes of rural backwardness, economic stagnation, and cultural homogeneity, often originating from coastal urban perspectives in Hollywood and national outlets. Films such as Napoleon Dynamite (2004) have influenced portrayals of Midwestern life as quirky and isolated, reinforcing a template for depicting heartland residents as socially awkward or out of touch with modern cosmopolitanism.[95] These depictions contrast with empirical data showing diverse economic growth in heartland states, where job and output expansion have been steady since the 2010s, challenging narratives of perpetual decline.[1] Such portrayals reflect a broader coastal disdain for "flyover country," as noted by filmmakers who argue Hollywood underestimates the market potential of heartland audiences while prioritizing urban-centric stories.[96] Positive representations are rarer in mainstream media but appear in select independent films and local journalism that highlight resilience and community values. For instance, documentaries and features focusing on farming communities aim to bridge rural-urban divides by showcasing authentic experiences of labor and tradition, countering mistrust fostered by sensationalized coverage.[97] Rural-focused outlets emphasize achievements like workforce expansion needs amid prosperity, rather than deficits, providing a corrective to national media's tendency to homogenize the region as white and impoverished despite increasing diversity.[98][99] Critiques from heartland journalists highlight how urban reporters often misrepresent local dynamics, perpetuating myths that ignore cultural traditions, faith, and adaptive economies.[100] In terms of identity, the heartland embodies core American values of self-reliance, faith, and community cohesion, serving as a cultural anchor for national ethos often termed "Main Street" Americana. Residents identify with a regional ethos rooted in agricultural heritage and mid-20th-century expansions, viewing themselves as stewards of practical individualism amid diverse demographics that include growing non-white populations.[101][102] This self-conception contrasts with elite dismissals, positioning the heartland as a bastion of traditional patriotism and economic realism, influencing broader debates on national character through electoral and cultural persistence.[103][2] Such identity fosters resilience against media stereotypes, with locals prioritizing verifiable local successes over abstracted narratives from biased institutions.[104]Political Dynamics
Electoral Patterns and Conservatism
The American heartland, primarily comprising Midwestern states such as Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri, has shown a consistent pattern of Republican dominance in presidential elections since the early 2000s, with occasional competitiveness in Rust Belt swing states. In the 2000 election, George W. Bush secured victories in Ohio and Iowa, while Al Gore won Michigan and Wisconsin narrowly.[105] This trend intensified under Republican candidates emphasizing economic nationalism and cultural traditionalism; Barack Obama carried Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa in 2008 and 2012, but Donald Trump flipped Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa in 2016, alongside solid wins in Ohio.[106] By 2020, Trump retained Ohio and Iowa decisively but lost the narrow margins in Michigan and Wisconsin; however, in 2024, Trump recaptured all these states, contributing to his sweep of battleground regions including the Midwest.[107]| State | 2000 Winner | 2004 Winner | 2008 Winner | 2012 Winner | 2016 Winner | 2020 Winner | 2024 Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Bush (R) | Bush (R) | Obama (D) | Obama (D) | Trump (R) | Trump (R) | Trump (R) |
| Michigan | Gore (D) | Kerry (D) | Obama (D) | Obama (D) | Trump (R) | Biden (D) | Trump (R) |
| Wisconsin | Gore (D) | Kerry (D) | Obama (D) | Obama (D) | Trump (R) | Biden (D) | Trump (R) |
| Iowa | Bush (R) | Bush (R) | Obama (D) | Obama (D) | Trump (R) | Trump (R) | Trump (R) |