Which U.S. States are Most Patriotic? – 2022 Study Ranks States by Extent of Civic Engagement & Military Engagement – Voice of The Center Majority of Americans

A recent Study conducted by WalletHub ranked the U.S. States from Most to Least Patriotic according to the extent of their Civic and Military engagement.

Most Patriotic States in the U.S.
Ranked by Civic & Military Engagement

The following interactive graph presents the overall rankings of the 50 States. The darker the blue, the higher the state’s ranking.

Source: WalletHub

Notably, as shown further below, most of the Heartland States display a relatively high degree of patriotism on both scales: Civic Engagement and Military Engagement.

In determining their overall rankings, the study authors assigned points to each state based on their overall levels of Civic Engagement (which overall counted for a total of 75 of 100 possible points) and Military Engagement (which overall counted for a total of 25 of 100 possible points). As explained by the Study authors:

In order to determine where Americans have the most red, white and blue pride, WalletHub compared the states across 13 key indicators of patriotism. Our data set ranges from the state’s military enlistees and veterans to the share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election to AmeriCorps volunteers per capita.

Nine of the 13 key indicators of patriotism used by the study authors measured Civic Engagement, and four measured Military Engagement. The points assigned to each State in each category were determined based on data derived from several national databases, as explained further below.

Following are the Rankings presented in Table form:

Most Patriotic States in the U.S. – Overall Rankings:

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Military Engagement	Civic Engagement
1	Alaska	65.57	1	12
2	Montana	61.46	22	1
3	Virginia	58.97	3	13
4	North Dakota	58.43	20	5
5	Oregon	56.42	36	3
6	Maryland	56.25	23	7
7	Hawaii	55.26	2	24
8	Vermont	54.77	43	2
9	New Hampshire	54.23	32	6
10	Iowa	52.76	41	4
11	Washington	52.46	14	14
12	South Dakota	52.21	24	10
13	Colorado	52.05	12	15
14	Delaware	51.35	25	11
15	Maine	50.12	37	8
16	Utah	49.10	38	9
17	North Carolina	46.98	6	32
18	Wyoming	46.75	7	27
19	Idaho	46.03	18	18
20	New Mexico	45.23	10	26
21	Arizona	45.09	17	23
22	Oklahoma	44.58	8	30
23	Kansas	44.34	13	29
24	Georgia	44.20	5	41
25	Missouri	44.00	26	17
26	South Carolina	42.14	4	47
27	Minnesota	41.13	47	16
28	Mississippi	40.68	16	37
29	Ohio	40.51	33	20
30	Nebraska	39.11	28	34
31	Texas	38.51	9	46
32	Illinois	38.46	39	22
33	Nevada	38.29	15	45
34	Wisconsin	37.43	42	21
35	Kentucky	36.98	21	43
36	California	36.61	31	38
37	Michigan	36.05	46	25
38	New Jersey	35.99	48	19
39	Tennessee	35.92	30	39
40	West Virginia	35.44	34	36
41	Louisiana	35.15	27	44
42	Pennsylvania	34.80	44	31
43	Alabama	34.67	11	48
44	Indiana	34.43	35	40
45	Connecticut	34.10	45	33
46	Massachusetts	32.67	50	28
47	Florida	32.13	19	49
48	Rhode Island	31.78	40	42
49	New York	30.95	49	35
50	Arkansas	28.62	29	50

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Rankings by Civic Engagement:

The States are listed below ranked in order of their levels of Civic Engagement:

Most Patriotic States in the U.S. by Civic Engagement

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Military Engagement	Civic Engagement
2	Montana	61.46	22	1
8	Vermont	54.77	43	2
5	Oregon	56.42	36	3
10	Iowa	52.76	41	4
4	North Dakota	58.43	20	5
9	New Hampshire	54.23	32	6
6	Maryland	56.25	23	7
15	Maine	50.12	37	8
16	Utah	49.10	38	9
12	South Dakota	52.21	24	10
14	Delaware	51.35	25	11
1	Alaska	65.57	1	12
3	Virginia	58.97	3	13
11	Washington	52.46	14	14
13	Colorado	52.05	12	15
27	Minnesota	41.13	47	16
25	Missouri	44.00	26	17
19	Idaho	46.03	18	18
38	New Jersey	35.99	48	19
29	Ohio	40.51	33	20
34	Wisconsin	37.43	42	21
32	Illinois	38.46	39	22
21	Arizona	45.09	17	23
7	Hawaii	55.26	2	24
37	Michigan	36.05	46	25
20	New Mexico	45.23	10	26
18	Wyoming	46.75	7	27
46	Massachusetts	32.67	50	28
23	Kansas	44.34	13	29
22	Oklahoma	44.58	8	30
42	Pennsylvania	34.80	44	31
17	North Carolina	46.98	6	32
45	Connecticut	34.10	45	33
30	Nebraska	39.11	28	34
49	New York	30.95	49	35
40	West Virginia	35.44	34	36
28	Mississippi	40.68	16	37
36	California	36.61	31	38
39	Tennessee	35.92	30	39
44	Indiana	34.43	35	40
24	Georgia	44.20	5	41
48	Rhode Island	31.78	40	42
35	Kentucky	36.98	21	43
41	Louisiana	35.15	27	44
33	Nevada	38.29	15	45
31	Texas	38.51	9	46
26	South Carolina	42.14	4	47
43	Alabama	34.67	11	48
47	Florida	32.13	19	49
50	Arkansas	28.62	29	50

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Rankings by Military Engagement:

The States are listed below ranked in order of their levels of Military Engagement:

Most Patriotic States in the U.S. by Military Engagement

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Military Engagement	Civic Engagement
1	Alaska	65.57	1	12
7	Hawaii	55.26	2	24
3	Virginia	58.97	3	13
26	South Carolina	42.14	4	47
24	Georgia	44.20	5	41
17	North Carolina	46.98	6	32
18	Wyoming	46.75	7	27
22	Oklahoma	44.58	8	30
31	Texas	38.51	9	46
20	New Mexico	45.23	10	26
43	Alabama	34.67	11	48
13	Colorado	52.05	12	15
23	Kansas	44.34	13	29
11	Washington	52.46	14	14
33	Nevada	38.29	15	45
28	Mississippi	40.68	16	37
21	Arizona	45.09	17	23
19	Idaho	46.03	18	18
47	Florida	32.13	19	49
4	North Dakota	58.43	20	5
35	Kentucky	36.98	21	43
2	Montana	61.46	22	1
6	Maryland	56.25	23	7
12	South Dakota	52.21	24	10
14	Delaware	51.35	25	11
25	Missouri	44.00	26	17
41	Louisiana	35.15	27	44
30	Nebraska	39.11	28	34
50	Arkansas	28.62	29	50
39	Tennessee	35.92	30	39
36	California	36.61	31	38
9	New Hampshire	54.23	32	6
29	Ohio	40.51	33	20
40	West Virginia	35.44	34	36
44	Indiana	34.43	35	40
5	Oregon	56.42	36	3
15	Maine	50.12	37	8
16	Utah	49.10	38	9
32	Illinois	38.46	39	22
48	Rhode Island	31.78	40	42
10	Iowa	52.76	41	4
34	Wisconsin	37.43	42	21
8	Vermont	54.77	43	2
42	Pennsylvania	34.80	44	31
45	Connecticut	34.10	45	33
37	Michigan	36.05	46	25
27	Minnesota	41.13	47	16
38	New Jersey	35.99	48	19
49	New York	30.95	49	35
46	Massachusetts	32.67	50	28

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Ranking Criteria

As explained by the Study authors:

“To determine the most patriotic states, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key dimensions, “Military Engagement” and “Civic Engagement.”

We evaluated those dimensions using 13 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of patriotism.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Military Engagement – Total Points: 25

Average Military Enlistees per 1,000 Civilian Adults Between 2014 & 2019 (No Prior Service): Triple Weight (~10.71 Points)

Veterans per 1,000 Civilian Adults: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Active-Duty Military Personnel per 100,000 Civilian Adults: Double Weight (~7.14 Points)

Share of Civilian Adult Population in Military Reserves: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Civic Engagement – Total Points: 75

Share of Adults Who Voted in 2020 Presidential Election: Double Weight (~16.67 Points)

Share of Adults Who Voted in 2020 Primary Elections: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)

Volunteer Rate: Half Weight (~4.17 Points)

Volunteer Hours per Resident: Half Weight (~4.17 Points)

AmeriCorps Volunteers per Capita: Half Weight (~4.17 Points)

Peace Corps Volunteers per Capita: Half Weight (~4.17 Points)

Trial- & Grand-Jury Participation per Civilian Adult Population: Double Weight (~16.67 Points)

Share of Residents Who Participate in Groups or Organizations (Civic Life): Full Weight (~8.33 Points)

U.S. History/Civics Education Requirement: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Manpower Data Center, Corporation for National & Community Service, Peace Corps, United Health Foundation, Military OneSource, United States Elections Project, Administrative Office of the United States Courts and The Thomas B. Fordham Institute.”

For more information, see the Study Report, “2022’s Most Patriotic States in America,” on WalletHub’s website at: https://wallethub.com/edu/most-patriotic-states/13680