North Dakota Love Check: Are We Really One of the Least Romantic States?

Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it, and according to the internet (which, as we all know, is never wrong), North Dakota has a little romantic ground to make up. In fact, according to Innerbody, the Peace Garden State has been ranked the 7th least romantic state in the country. Ouch. That’s not exactly the title you want to put on a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

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Love on the Plains: Our Neighbors Aren’t Helping the Romance Rankings

But wait — it gets better… or worse, depending on how you look at it. When you zoom out and look at our neighbors, the Northern Plains are basically a romance dead zone. South Dakota checks in as the 4th least romantic state, Montana lands at 2nd least romantic, and Wyoming takes the top spot as the least romantic state in the entire union. Somewhere out there, a candlelit dinner just blew out from a strong prairie wind.

Meanwhile, sitting proudly at the opposite end of the list is Alabama, crowned the most romantic state in America. Yes, Alabama. So apparently sweet tea, porch swings, and slow dancing to country music are beating snowbanks, Carhartts, and ice scrapers in the romance department.

Read More: Petty, Purr-fect, and Proud: Williston North Dakota’s Funniest Valentine’s Fundraiser Is Here

But before we hang our heads and blame winter, let’s remember this: North Dakotans show love differently. We don’t do over-the-top gestures. We do practical romance. Romance here looks like warming up the truck for someone before work. It’s sharing the last piece of lefse. It’s clearing the snow off their windshield before your own. That’s love — Midwest style.

Still, with February 14th approaching, maybe it’s time to step things up just a notch. Light a candle. Use the good plates. Put the phone down and actually talk during supper. Maybe even splurge on name-brand chocolates instead of whatever’s on sale at the checkout lane.

We’ve got time to climb this romance ranking. We don’t need to beat Alabama. Let’s be realistic, but surely we can out-romance Wyoming. So grab some flowers, write a note, plan a date (indoors, preferably), and let’s prove that North Dakota isn’t unromantic… we’re just quietly, flannel-clad romantics waiting for spring.