Do Women Prefer Warm Weather Or Cold Weather Guys? We Took A Poll

There is something to be said about how weather affects culture. A prime factor in the difference between Caribbean and Nordic cultures is the cold and the heat because, regardless of the terrain, the weather determines what activities will be possible and popular! The Viking legends would have been very different without their huge fur wraps and roaring bonfires that counter chopping wood and hunting deer in the icy winter snow. Similarly, tropical coastal weather determines the culture of volleyballers and surfer dudes who thrive at the beach, enjoying coconut water and margaritas while working on their tans.

This is not to say that all men who live in warm areas are lazy or effeminate – there are masculine men and lazy men in all areas and all cultures – but it’s not unreasonable to note that certain geographical cultures produce certain types of people (stereotypes are a thing for a reason).

In most of the southern West Coast and Florida, you’re basically in the tropics, and people don’t need to be tough and hardy in the winter because there is no winter! But it’s a known fact that life in the midwestern and northern states gets rough in winter, and you have to be tough to get through it. There’s no time to be lazy when a hailstorm hits your power source or a blizzard might freeze your livestock to death. 

And just think of the different kinds of recreation in those areas: drinking by the beach and lounging by the water versus the hiking and active sports popular in mountain cultures that require more effort and exertion. Which type sounds more manly for the long term? Not to say the beach isn’t great – the ocean is one of the best vacation destinations – but to live day in and day out in an easy vacation mode that requires the least amount of effort does not seem to spell masculinity. 

Granted, in warm-weather areas such as Southern California, Texas, and Florida, some inhabitants have never seen snow outside the TV screen, but there might still be plenty of cowboy-type men, for example, who love their families, guns, and horses (or rider lawn mowers) and who would die to protect their loved ones and their rights. How a man is raised in a certain culture does depend more on just the weather. A man can be from anywhere, but if he doesn’t develop the self-discipline to improve himself and grow in masculine virtues, then the weather is just an excuse. 

Women Want Masculine Men…Groundbreaking?

There has been somewhat of a femininity revolution in the last few years, where women are learning how to lean into their femininity by wearing more dresses, learning more creative arts, stepping away from the #GirlBoss mentality, and allowing themselves the option of being homemakers and fulfilled mothers. With the #cyclesyncing trend and growing awareness of the harmful impacts of synthetic birth control, women are also educating themselves more on their beautifully intricate female physiology and psychology. They’re empowering themselves to choose balanced wellness that enhances their natural femininity by eating and exercising according to their menstrual cycle, instead of remaining chained to the pill or comparing themselves to men in the gym as well as the workplace. With this noticeable shift in social-gender dynamics, many women are trying to lean more into their femininity while desiring men to step more into their masculinity.

82% of women responded that they preferred cold-weather guys, while 18% of women preferred warm-weather guys.

With all the above said, we were curious about the everyday female’s perspective on current masculinity and how that played into attraction. We asked women across the country what they preferred: a cold-weather guy or a warm-weather guy. The large majority of women answered “cold-weather guy.” On a widespread Instagram poll, 82% of women responded that they preferred cold-weather guys and 18% of women said they preferred warm-weather guys. Interesting, to say the least…

Cold-Weather Guys

This poll included women who are single, dating, and married, and I’m sharing their opinions in their own words below. 

Engaged: “Take it from someone who’s lived in North Dakota, New York, and Florida… Midwest men are tough, competent, down to earth, have man skills and family values! Now you want to find one educated and cultured which can be the task but definitely possible!”

Dating: “Personally, I think cold weather people stick around during hard times, aren’t afraid to work and provide, and you can lean on them. They’re usually quieter people but are great to have a good conversation with too.” 

Single: “I would definitely have to say cold weather because having to live and work in four seasons forces more discipline both mentally and physically. Also, I feel like guys who live in warm weather might be lazier and more laid back because of the heat outside which usually makes a person tired.” 

Married: “He was the exact type of person I needed in my life, whose leadership felt strong but whose love felt gentle. He was internally (and externally) admirable.” 

Single: “Because I go for guys who are NOT the party type lol…I want a guy who is responsible and hardworking, someone with good manners and morals…just a family man in general.” 

Single: “I find a lot more like-minded, ambitious, intelligent individuals in cities in the northeast, and conservative even in liberal cities like NYC.” 

Married: “Cold-weather guy means he is more adept at protecting me if SHTF. Plus, intimacy is way better when it’s not hot!” 

Dating: “From my experience, they’re tougher. I’m from the Caribbean, and there are many nice guys, but many aren’t as hard-working or driven as Midwest men. They also tend to be more ‘mama’s boy’ in the bad sense of the word and players. I hate to label like this, but that’s been my experience. Now I’m dating a Slavic man, and I think he’s the manliest thing I’ve ever seen. The day he cleared the snow off my car with his bare hands while I was sitting in the heated car, I was sold.”

Married: “Omg 10000%! I’ve been saying this forever – men raised in warm weather seem softer to me. There’s a certain level of suffering that those raised in cold weather experience, and I think it creates a stronger character. I thought I was the only one who noticed this! Note: I happily married a warm-weather guy – virtue covers all, so that’s the important thing!” 

Single: “Yes, cold-weather men are more masculine and driven, and I feel like the stereotype of warm-weather, beach guys being somewhat soft and not as driven is real. I think, since I am Latina and live in Miami, I mostly do see those guys who move here specifically for the weather and partying and chill lifestyle. All the guys I’ve met here have filled more of that stereotype. Versus when I would visit elsewhere – let’s say Denver – just in one weekend, I met more quality guys.” 

Single: “Midwest and country guys just seem tougher, more active, and more masculine to me, yet very respectful and gentlemanly. It’s just a different caliber of men than I’ve experienced in my East Coast city.” 

Engaged: “Definitely cold-weather guys – beach boys are soy boys! The guys I’ve met (including my fiancé) from areas with the seasons and cold weather, like Illinois and Tennessee, are more driven and more masculine and seem to be good providers and protectors, whereas guys from coastal California, Florida, or the Caribbean just seem much more soft and politically liberal, which plays into their family values and ability to be a good husband and father.”

Married: “I suppose a case for tropical ‘dark and handsome’ types could be made for warm-weather guys (Latinos, Italians), but it would be a turn off if my man constantly complained about the weather, lol.”

Single: “People go to the beach for vacation, to rest and relax. But when you always live near the beach, there’s a lot of temptation to simply always be in chill and hang mode like a beach dude who’s the same as he was 6-8 years ago without much noticeable personal growth, like several guys I knew from the Gulf Coast. My mom always said she and her friends growing up on the West Coast swore they’d never marry a beach boy because they wanted to just play all the time and weren’t very cultured or driven for success. Cold weather toughens you up. Plus, you feel the passing of time more with seasons; with year-round warmth and tropical weather, I think it’d be easy to get lax about personal goals or aspirations for the future.” 

Single: “I just don’t like the city gym bros whose idea of masculinity is just obsessing about their muscles, especially in warm-weather areas where you don’t have to toughen up for the weather. I would never want to date a guy from a tropical area with no seasons.”

Single: “There’s just a different type of guy in colder and country areas that’s more masculine and hardier. It’s been so refreshing when I’ve met guys from the Midwest areas; they are gentlemanly and sweet and also such fun, down-home, masculine guys around whom I feel safe and protected. My standards for men have been raised so high after meeting said guys.” 

Warm-Weather Guys

There were a few women who voted “warm-weather guy,” and one married woman said: “I married a quiet, Southern gentleman who’s ambitious, hard-working, God-fearing, and family-oriented. The classic South can have some quality country men, but I also see the perspectives of the lazy boys too.” Again, the classic Southern gentleman is a different breed than the beach boy, who can seem to be similar to an overgrown man-child (not always, but often). 

Google Agrees

Apparently, even an internet search agrees that it’s a general consensus among women that some of the most attractive men in the U.S. are in the Midwest and northwest areas of the States, especially states such as Montana and the Dakotas. Now you know where to move if you’re looking for a cowboy hunk!

Studies also show that some of the smartest people with the highest IQs come from areas such as northern Europe – like the Nordic cultures of Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Switzerland – as well as Japan. Again, cold weather. Research confirms what we’ve all observed, that exposure to the sun makes you tired and slows your thinking and response time, whereas the cold weather keeps you sharp and your body has to stay active to keep warm and survive.

Closing Thoughts 

This is not meant to bash any specific area, state, or culture – there can be masculine men in the heart of Seattle and smart men in the Shanghai tropics – but it’s just to serve as an observation of what many women have voiced and what certain geographic dynamics might entail for men. There are good and not so good men everywhere, but certain areas might have general tendencies in the male population that many women do not find attractive, regardless of a man’s appearance or income.

All of this to say that if you’re looking for a traditionally masculine-looking, intelligent man with down-home values and conservative politics, it seems that the consensus is that it can never be a bad idea to hit up a Midwest rodeo or enroll in a school in Montana.