Kansas stereotypes may be that way for a reason, but that doesn’t mean they’re 100% true. Outsiders often get wrong what we’re about, and we need to clear the air about some of the assumptions made about our state and its residents. These stereotypes about Kansas and its residents will hopefully be laid to rest for a long time after we’ve cleared them up.
- They think Kansas is flat and empty when in reality we have plenty of rock formations, hills, and more.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr The Gypsum Hills, Flint Hills, Arikaree Breaks, and Castle Rock/Monument Rocks Badlands all prove that wrong.
- They think we’re all hokey, country people who say y’all and ain’t every other word like in the movies. In reality, who speak a variety of Midwestern slang and words or phrases we’ve pulled from every corner of the country.
eric wittman/Flickr You can find people of every shape, size, color, and background here, both born Kansans and people who have fallen in love with our state.
- Sometimes, they even think everything is Sepia toned like in the Wizard of Oz, which is just absurd.
GPA Photo Archive/Flickr Yes, I’ve actually heard this from multiple people. I have no idea what they’re thinking.
- Some claim there’s no good food here, which we heavily beg to differ. We’ve got formal dining in high class restaurants and small town diners where they serve a cake of the day, with plenty options in between.
Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution/Flickr Not only do we have plenty of options, they’re also delicious to boot!
- They think Kansas City is either part of Kansas or part of Missouri. Most of them aren’t aware we both have a Kansas City, separated only by the state line.
Hey Paul Studios/Flickr It’s both one big city and two cities living really, really close to each other.
- They believe we must love the Wizard of Oz just because it’s iconic, but the reality is that we’re mostly sick of hearing the bad jokes all the time.
Insomnia Cured Here/Flickr Dorothy’s face is all of our reactions to hearing a Wizard of Oz joke start.
- They think we aren’t wild about sports because we don’t have a professional football or basketball team. In reality, we’re just insanely proud of our college sports, and we’d rather borrow the Broncos or the Chiefs when we want to root for a professional team.
brent flanders/Flickr Not having a home team means we have so many more options!
- In addition to thinking we go around saying y’all, they also think most of us are farmers just because we have so much farmland. In reality, only around 2% of Kansans are farmers.
Ultimate Horsements Challenge/Flickr Farmland percentage doesn’t equal farmer percentage, even if Dodge City is the Cowboy Capital.
- For some reason, they really think we tip cows over as a fun shenanigan. We know cows are not only expensive, but dangerous, and not often tame or used to being close to people.
Jake Bellucci/Flickr If you tried to tip a cow, you could have something broken by a flying hoof, and that something could even be your face.
- They believe we all listen to country music or old rock when in reality we have just as much a varied taste in music as any other state.
Åsa Hagström/Flickr We’ve got metalheads, rap fans, and more.
- They shockingly think we’ve copied our BBQ style from somewhere else. Kansas City BBQ is all our own, and something we couldn’t be more proud of.
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que Facebook Even better, it’s the best type of barbecue created. At least in our opinion.
What other things are people from out of state getting wrong about Kansas when they visit? Let us know in the comments what you hear in your neck of the woods. Speaking of our food, make sure you visit these signature Kansas restaurants for some of our best dishes.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr
The Gypsum Hills, Flint Hills, Arikaree Breaks, and Castle Rock/Monument Rocks Badlands all prove that wrong.
eric wittman/Flickr
You can find people of every shape, size, color, and background here, both born Kansans and people who have fallen in love with our state.
GPA Photo Archive/Flickr
Yes, I’ve actually heard this from multiple people. I have no idea what they’re thinking.
Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution/Flickr
Not only do we have plenty of options, they’re also delicious to boot!
Hey Paul Studios/Flickr
It’s both one big city and two cities living really, really close to each other.
Insomnia Cured Here/Flickr
Dorothy’s face is all of our reactions to hearing a Wizard of Oz joke start.
brent flanders/Flickr
Not having a home team means we have so many more options!
Ultimate Horsements Challenge/Flickr
Farmland percentage doesn’t equal farmer percentage, even if Dodge City is the Cowboy Capital.
Jake Bellucci/Flickr
If you tried to tip a cow, you could have something broken by a flying hoof, and that something could even be your face.
Åsa Hagström/Flickr
We’ve got metalheads, rap fans, and more.
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que Facebook
Even better, it’s the best type of barbecue created. At least in our opinion.
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