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Why These States Have More Men Than Women
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Mar 31, 2025
In most countries there are typically more women than men. This is certainly true for the United States! But within the United States are a whole clump of states where men outnumber women, bucking the gender trend. So why are states in the Mountain West generally more amenable to... well men?
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There are about 3.5 million more women than men in the United States
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And this means that, on a state level, there are also usually more women than men
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But in one region of the country, primarily the Mountain West, many states have more men than women
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which leads to some curious population trends and funny nicknames such as Menver instead of Denver
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But why are there more men in this region when women live longer than men on average
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We're going to have some fun today, mostly because who doesn't love a good showdown between the sexes
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In most countries, women have the upper hand in terms of sheer numbers
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due to a combination of factors. But in a few states, men have managed to outnumber women
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and that's very unusual. And as usual, geography explains it all. Oh, and stick around till the end
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because I've given each state that's part of today's video a fun new nickname based on their manly population
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with the help of some of you on Threads, of course. Generally, throughout the world
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it's more common to find a higher ratio of women to men. While this may seem unusual at first glance
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especially considering that more male babies are born than female babies, over time, women become the dominant biological gender
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For example, in the United States, there are approximately 105 male births for every 100 female births
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This shift in population ratios is primarily due to the differences in life expectancy between men and women
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Historically, men have had a lower life expectancy than women, a trend influenced by various factors, such as men fighting in long, protracted wars
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During both world wars, for example, the global ratio of men to women dipped considerably as men
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mostly younger and in their prime reproductive stages, were killed. But also, beyond wartimes, men have also been employed in occupations with higher risks of injury or death
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Industries such as mining, resource extraction, and construction have traditionally been male-dominated
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and are known for their hazardous working conditions. These jobs come with higher casualty rates, contributing to the lower life expectancy observed among men
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particularly as it relates to health later on. Inhaling coal dust all day every day, for example, wreaked havoc on miners' lungs
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Now, all that said, biological factors play a role as well, with some studies suggesting that men may be more susceptible to certain diseases and health conditions
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Lifestyle choices and behaviors also contribute significantly. Men are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as smoking, heavy drinking, and reckless driving, which can lead to higher mortality rates
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To add on top of all of that, studies show that men are less likely to seek medical attention when needed and often delay visits to health care providers
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This reluctance to seek timely medical care can result in progression of untreated health issues
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leading to higher rates of preventable diseases and conditions. All of this leads to a scenario where, broadly
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women outnumber men by the time they reach the age of 50, at least in the United States
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Which makes it weird when you see one state, let alone a whole clump of them
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that have more men than women. So what's going on in these states that's attracting so many men
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Oh hey, I hope you're having fun so far. And if you are, consider subscribing and liking the video
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The states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming are
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characterized by their rugged, mountainous terrain and expansive, often harsh, landscapes. This physical geography has significantly influenced the types of cities that were founded in these
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states and the reasons behind their establishment. In many of these states, the Rocky Mountains
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and their various sub-ranges dominate the landscape. These mountains, with their imposing
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peaks and vast forests have historically attracted adventurers, explorers, pioneers, and those seeking opportunities in mining and resource extraction. The lure of gold
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silver, and other valuable minerals led to the establishment of numerous mining towns in the
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1800s. Cities like Denver in Colorado and Boise in Idaho began as mining settlements
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quickly growing as the promise of wealth drew people from across the country. The challenging geography of these states also made them prime locations for ranching and
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agriculture, albeit in a rugged and often unforgiving environment. The vast plains and
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high-altitude pastures provided ideal conditions for raising sheep and cattle. Towns such as
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Billings in Montana and Cheyenne in Wyoming developed as centers of the ranching industry
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catering to the needs of ranchers and their families. The harsh winters, high altitudes
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and remote locations of many of these cities further contributed to their predominantly male
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populations. Cities like Salt Lake City in Utah and Missoula in Montana were often isolated
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requiring a hardy and self-sufficient populace to endure challenging conditions. Finally, the development of these states was largely dependent on the construction of railroads
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and it was this need to connect the east and west coasts of the United States
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that led to the establishment of numerous railroad towns. These towns, such as Ogden in Utah and Fargo in North Dakota
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became bustling centers of activity, drawing workers for the construction and maintenance of the railroads
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The physical geography of these states, with their mountains, plains, and remote locations
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has undeniably played a significant role in shaping their demographics. The industries that arose from this geography—mining, ranching, agriculture, railroads, and oil—were male-dominated
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leading to cities and towns where men outnumbered women. The rugged terrain and climate, coupled with the challenging living conditions of the time
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simply created an environment that historically was more likely to attract men than women
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But that was over 100 years ago. So what's going on in these states today
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Right now, the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming
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all have far more men than they do women. And while there were historic reasons for this
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those same rules also apply to the states of Oregon, Washington, California, and Arizona
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all of which have pretty normal gender distributions today. So there must be something that is continuing this trend in this area, right
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Well, let's try and figure this out. First off, North Dakota is probably the easiest to explain
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The recent boom in the partial oil fields turned North Dakota into one of the top oil-producing
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states in the country. The allure of high-paying jobs in the oil industry led to a surge in male workers moving
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to the area. Towns like Williston saw rapid growth, with men arriving from all over the country in
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hopes of landing one of these jobs. This also occurred during the same time as the Great Recession, and because of this boom, North Dakota was relatively unscathed by the economic event
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And while there are women who work in this industry the physically demanding and often hazardous nature of oil extraction jobs means that it tends to attract a predominantly male workforce contributing significantly
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to the higher male population in North Dakota. For the other nearby states of Idaho, Montana
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South Dakota, and Wyoming, there's a similar, if less pronounced, trend. The agriculture and resource extraction sectors
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across these states play a crucial role in the male population imbalance. The labor-intensive nature of farming and ranching
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again, has traditionally been male-dominated. Tasks such as cattle ranching, farming, and
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operating heavy machinery in and around mines has led to a higher number of men moving to these
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states for jobs. At the same time, however, women also tend to leave these states for a variety of
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reasons. And certainly in the last couple of decades, women have been going to college at
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rates far higher than men. So while these states aren't necessarily drawing in an abundance of men
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due to a single resource boom, like with North Dakota, they do lose populations of women who
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move away for college and then gravitate towards larger urbanized areas for work once they graduate
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thus leading to fewer women overall. But here's where things get really interesting because
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Colorado also has a very pronounced demographic trend of men outnumbering women. So much so that
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Denver has been given the nickname of Menver. But Colorado has a major urban center with plenty of
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universities and a thriving economy. In many ways, you'd expect the state to mirror that of Washington
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and Oregon, but it doesn't. So what's going on? From what I can tell, Colorado's rugged mountains
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and outdoor sports culture have simply made it a magnet for men who enjoy that kind of lifestyle
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particularly men who don't really have that kind of lifestyle where they currently live
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Recent data has shown that the states providing most of Colorado's transplants have come from
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Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois. Many Californians have also moved to Colorado
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but Californians move everywhere. And while these are all high-population states, Colorado's well-known reputation for ski resorts and mountain sports makes it an attractive
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destination, particularly for younger men. Towns such as Aspen, Vail, and Breckenridge are not only popular tourist destinations
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but also hubs for seasonal employment that attract this exact population. In fact, if we look a little bit closer at the data, the Rocky Mountain counties all
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have far more men than women. Likewise, the proximity of Colorado's front-range cities such as Denver, Fort Collins, and Colorado
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Springs to this kind of lifestyle encourages these same adventure-seeking men to live and
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work nearby where they can also have their fun. And this isn't to say that women don't like these
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activities too, but maybe this kind of lifestyle simply doesn't have quite the same pull for women
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And after a couple decades of this trend, the population has shifted. Oh, and I didn't forget
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about Utah. There's just not an easy answer for this specific state, because while you might think
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the gender imbalance is due to the Mormon church, there's actually more registered Mormon women than
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there are men. So I don't really know, and my research hasn't given me any solid answers
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Best I can guess is that some combination of the outdoorsy lifestyle, combined with a robust tech
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industry, has contributed to this gender imbalance. Overall, these states combined are home to about
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14.2 million people, of which 7.2 million are men and 7 million are women. North Dakota
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with its booming oil fields, has an excess male population of 21,816. Meanwhile, Colorado has an
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excess male population of 84 But all of these states show similar trends Idaho has an excess male population of 13 Montana has 15 more men South Dakota has 13 more men Utah has 46 more men And Wyoming has 13 more men than
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women. When all is said and done, there's about 210,000 more men in this region than women
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While that might not seem like a huge difference, when you're a man trying to find a date in one of
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these areas, it can feel a little challenging. And of course, this is taking into account men
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and women of all ages. When only factoring in prime dating ranges, the male-female ratio gets
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even more pronounced. But while this region is largely alone in its overflow of men
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one other state, unlike any of these, also shows this same trend. Hawaii
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Hawaii, known for its warm, sunny, and tropical climate, stands in stark contrast to the rugged
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and resource-heavy states often associated with higher male populations. Yet despite its idyllic
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and alluring climate, Hawaii has more men than women. Out of its total population of 1.5 million
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people, there are 13,531 more men than women. That's not a huge amount. But again, here's a
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state that's bucking a natural trend that probably shouldn't be. So why is this? Well, it likely comes
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down to a single factor, the U.S. military. Hawaii is home to several major military installations
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including joint-based Pearl Harbor Hickam and Schofield Barracks. The military, still heavily
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male-dominated today, brings a substantial number of young service members to the islands, and this
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influx skews the gender ratio towards men. And the reason we can say with a fair amount of certainty
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that this trend is caused by the military is because when you look at the gender ratio
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for each of Hawaii's islands, only Oahu shows this population imbalance, the very same island that houses the vast majority
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of Hawaii's military population. All other islands have more women. All told, there are about 45,000 active
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U.S. military personnel stationed in Hawaii today and an additional 20,000 civilian military personnel
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That's not as high as other states such as Washington, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia
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but when you factor in the relative isolation of Hawaii, you can start to understand why people of all genders love to visit Hawaii
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but fewer actually want to move there. If you're a woman looking for an active dating life
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I've heard great things about Denver, and the numbers back that up as well. If you're a man looking for an active dating life
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and you live in any of these states, it's going to be a little tougher than if you lived almost anywhere else
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This has been a really fun episode, and I promised you a funny new nickname for each of these states
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so here we go. let's start with the Dakotas, now better known as the Dude-Cotas. And of course, right next door
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is Montana, or should we say, Man-tana. Just south of both are Idaho and Wyoming
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now better known as Ida-Bro and Guy-o-ming. Then there's Utah, or perhaps Y-ta, for like
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you know, the Y chromosome. And finally, Colorado, which I'm now calling Fellerado
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though I do like Menver for Denver. Thanks for watching. If you want to support me
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you can get all of these states as beautiful maps for your walls. Just head on over to my map store
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and check them out. I hope you had some fun with today's video. It was a little bit lighter than my
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usual affair, but I enjoyed pulling it together. If you did like it, subscribe to my channel
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And of course, please check out some of my other content as well. Thanks for watching. See you next week
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