https://www.citylab.com/life/2014/03/doz...nomy/8575/

I might look into the details of the study later, but while the findings and comparisons are interesting the concept of an 'economic region' seems a bit loose. The Boston to DC corridor blends together and certainly is connected through cultural and financial means, but I don't think people in Providence and Baltimore would consider themselves in the same sphere as New York. Likewise, you can drive a few hours through boring farmland between Chicago and Minneapolis or Detroit, let alone to Pittsburgh. It's an interesting exercise off course to measure general trends and put the US in perspective, but only goes so far. Which you don't seem to claim anyways, but it's worth pointing out.

(10-14-2019 08:58 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  I might look into the details of the study later, but while the findings and comparisons are interesting the concept of an 'economic region' seems a bit loose. The Boston to DC corridor blends together and certainly is connected through cultural and financial means, but I don't think people in Providence and Baltimore would consider themselves in the same sphere as New York. Likewise, you can drive a few hours through boring farmland between Chicago and Minneapolis or Detroit, let alone to Pittsburgh. It's an interesting exercise off course to measure general trends and put the US in perspective, but only goes so far. Which you don't seem to claim anyways, but it's worth pointing out.

I think the point is that they are economically tied whether they consider themselves part of the sphere or not.

Houston and South Louisiana are definitely tied economically. So are Atlanta, Greenville and Charlotte.

Chi-Pitts is much bigger than that. If you're defining broadly enough to include Minneapolis, then you also have to include Louisville, St. Louis, Des Moines, and Sioux Falls. And probably Omaha, Kansas City, and Wichita.

Close links to Chicago is a large part of what defines an area as part of the Midwest rather than Southern or Eastern.

The Midwest is basically 6 economic spheres:

Lake Michigan / Chicago - A major world financial hub, with some Rust Belt manufacturing. From South Haven, MI and South Bend in the East around Lake Michigan to Milwaukee & Green Bay. Currently shrinking due to too many years of corrupt politics.
Rust Belt - Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit are the big cities, also includes central Michigan, Grand Rapids, Fort Wayne, and Northern Ohio. Manufacturing, blue collar. The most populous region, but nearly every city is shrinking as manufacturing declines in importance. Also economically tied to Ontario and Upstate New York.
Southern Midwest - Columbus, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Louisville. Also includes Dayton and Lexington by default. About 2 hours of corn fields separate this subregion from Chicago, Cleveland, and Toledo. White collar jobs like consumer analytics, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, finance. Growing faster than national average.
Greater Minneapolis - Twin Cities & a lot of small towns like Fargo, Sioux Falls, and most of Wisconsin's land area. White collar jobs; consumer analytics and the brains behind the shale oil boom. Wealthiest region in America after adjusting for cost of living.
Corn Belt - Iowa and Central Illinois. Closely tied to Chicago. The rural areas of Northern Indiana, Northern Missouri, Southern Wisconsin, and Northeastern Ohio also are part of this region. No large cities. Economy is food production, tractor manufacturing, financial hubs, and college towns. Des Moines and Bloomington-Normal IL have the highest % of financial workers of any metropolitan area in the country. Has the most educated population of any region in the country other than DC.
Plains cities - Kansas City, Wichita, Omaha. Diverse economy. This area is also closely linked to Oklahoma, but it's closer in culture and economics to the Midwest because it was settled by Midwesterners and doesn't have any oil.

There's also St. Louis, which fits into both Plains Cities and greater Chicago economically but is on a geographical island.

Rough population of each region:
Lake Michigan / Chicago - 12-14 million
Rust Belt - 16-18 million
Southern Midwest - 10-12 million, depending on how far into Kentucky is included
Greater Minneapolis - 8 million
Corn Belt - 7-12 million, depending on extent of definition
Plains Cities - 3-4 million ( if you include St. Louis this increases to 7 million)

Minor areas that are more closely linked to the Midwest than other regions:
St. Louis - 3 million
Wheat Belt - less than 1 million
Boundary Waters - Northern Michigan, Minnesota - less than 1 million
Little Egypt (i.e., Southern Illinois) & Southern Indiana - 2 million
Missouri Ozarks - less than 1 million
Appalachian Ohio River (OH, western WV) - 2 million