wyoming and colorado are so high? like nah bro ur j west. also ohio being lower than illinois is nuts. maybe a lot of people in the appalachia region bc here in toledo we know where we are.
my best guess is people who live in the appalachia region bring the percentage down. it is a stunningly gorgeous, non-midwesty-looking part of the state
My bet with Wyoming is that most of the (admittedly small) population is in the Eastern part of the state, like Cheyenne and Laramie, if kinda makes sense they'd see themselves as more "Midwest"
From the driver's seat of a semi, Colorado feels like bits and pieces of its neighboring states smooshed together. You got Utahrado, New Mexirado, Wyomirado, and, yes, Nebraskarado, which is probably where the Midwestern Coloradans live. The only part where I really feel like I'm in a distinct state is the high mountain forests that shoot down the middle of the state.
Denver is probably where it is because it's right at the intersection of quite a few of these biomes. I wouldn't be surprised to learn it's been a major trading center for about as long as humans have roamed the continent.