WalletHub Study: Red States More Likely Than Blue States to Be on Top 20 Most Patriotic List

People wave American flags as they ride through 4th of July Parade in Alameda, California
GABRIELLE LURIE/AFP/Getty Images

Just in time for the Fourth of July, the credit and financial website WalletHub is reporting on the most patriotic states in America and found overall that “red states” are more patriotic than “blue states.”

“Expressions of American patriotism come in many forms — from setting off fireworks during the Fourth of July and buying American-made goods to paying taxes and serving in the armed forces,” WalletHub wrote of its study. “But some states are better than others at showing their national pride.”

WalletHub compared all of 50 states based on 13 key indicators of patriotism, including how many in each state are enlisted in the military, who voted in the 2016 presidential election, and who volunteered with large volunteer organizations like AmeriCorps.

On a broader scale, the subcategories to earn points were voter turnout, civic education requirements, jury duty participation, and active-duty military personnel.

But while conservative states won out over leftist states for patriotism, the individual states that are most patriotic based on WalletHub’s metrics are more counterintuitive.

The Top Ten most patriotic states are, from one to ten, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Vermont, Utah, Idaho, Wisconsin, Alaska, South Carolina, Missouri, and Minnesota.

Rounding out the Top 20 are North Dakota, Montana, Maine, Virginia, Colorado, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Alabama, and Florida.

The states ranking at the bottom of the list for patriotism — 46 to 50 — are, in order, Texas, West Virginia, California, New York, and New Jersey.

Some other statistics from the study include:

  • Alaska has the most veterans per 1,000 civilian adults, 127, which is 2.4 times more than in New York, the state with the fewest at 54.
  • Maine has the highest share of adults who voted in the 2016 presidential election, 72.68 percent, which is 1.5 times higher than in Hawaii, the state with the lowest at 47.27 percent.
  • Utah has the highest volunteer rate, 51.00 percent, which is 2.2 times higher than in Florida, the state with the lowest at 22.80 percent.

You can view the full report here:

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