MITCHELL, South Dakota – In  lot of ways, Oklahoma and South Dakota are very similar.

Both states have more registered Republicans than Democrats. Forty-five percent of the registered voters in Oklahoma are Republican while that number is 53% in  South Dakota.

Oklahoma has a conservative Republican governor and so does South Dakota. The GOP overwhelmingly controls the South Dakota Legislature while Republicans rule in Oklahoma City. The congressional delegations in both states are entirely Republican.

Agriculture is big in both states.

Corn, soybeans and hay are the top three crops in South Dakota. That’s one reason why Mitchell, South Dakota, is home of the Corn Palace (the only corn palace in the world).

Winter wheat, hay, corn for grain, peanuts and pecans are the top crops in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is No. 6 among the states in wheat production while South Dakota comes in at No. 8.

Oklahoma is only second to Texas when it comes to beef production The Sooner State has more than 2.2 million cattle. South Dakota is fifth, with 1.8 million cattle. That’s more than Kansas, Montana, Kentucky, North Dakota and Florida.

South Dakota has 38 casinos – including some tribal casinos – with more than 5,000 slot machines. The most are in Deadwood, South Dakota, about 50 miles north of Mount Rushmore. Apparently, there are a lot of businesses that have a few machines that call themselves casinos.

Oklahoma has more than 110 tribal casinos with more than 71,000 slot machines, 4,600 bingo rooms and hundreds of other ways to gamble away a fortune.

Speaking of the tribes, Oklahoma trails only Alaska in terms of the percentage of the population which is American Indian. The percentage in Oklahoma is 17.4% while South Dakota is No. 4 (behind New Mexico) with 12% of its population as American Indians.

The two states are miles apart in terms of overall population. Oklahoma ranks as No. 28 with just under four millions while South Dakota is at No. 47 with just under 900,000 residents. Only Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming have fewer people than South Dakota.

South Dakota is a definite tourist destination with Wind Cave National Park and Badlands National Park. The Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills, established in 1925, is one of the most famous landmarks in America.

Oklahoma can’t match Mount Rushmore but it does have six national parks, including the Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Sulphur; the national historic site in Fort Smith (Oklahoma and Arkansas); the National Memorial in Oklahoma City; the National Historic Trail (Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico); the Trail of Tears national historic trail; and the Washita Battlefield in Cheyenne, Oklahoma.

South Dakota encompasses 77,116 square miles and it is the 17th largest state in land area. It is 380 miles wide and 210 miles deep. The highest elevation is 7,244 (Black Elk Peak).

Oklahoma is the 20th largest state in land area with 69,899 square miles. Oklahoma is 465 miles wide (because of the Panhandle) and 230 miles deep.

South Dakota is 86% Christian, with Lutherans (27%) having the largest denomination. The Baptist number is 4% while Catholics comprise 25% of the Christian population.

About 80% of Oklahoma’s population describe themselves as Christian. The Southern Baptist Convention has more than 880,000 members statewide and the Methodists come in second at about 280,000 members. There are about 175,000 Catholics in Oklahoma.

There is a gap in climate between the two states, at least in terms of temperature. Oklahoma has the No. 11th warmest temperatures at an average of just under 60 degrees. South Dakota comes in at No. 38 with an average temperature of 45 degrees.

Brrrrr.

Why compare these two particular states?

Well, first, we live in Oklahoma.

I feel like we have a lot in common with some surrounding states like Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. There are similarities between Oklahoma and Texas but Texas is so big that it tends to overshadow its northern neighbor plus there is a lot of competitive spirit.

New Mexico seems like a different country. Louisiana is distinctly different than Oklahoma is many ways. Colorado may actually touch the Oklahoma Panhandle but even though it is a marvelous state, we don’t have a lot in common.

But the big common denominator between Oklahoma and South Dakota are the people. Both states are filled with conservative families who work hard, who produce goods and services and who go to church on Sundays.

Visiting either state is like taking a step back into a culture that has been abandoned in some other states.

I have a personal interest because my son-in-law, daughter and two grandchildren live in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Like Oklahoma, South Dakota is a great place to visit. Both states should be on everyone’s bucket list