No state is more patriotic than New Hampshire, with its early voting primary and "Live Free or Die" attitude. At least, that's what a new WalletHub study on the most patriotic states in America says.
The ranking is not based on the sheer firepower of any state or city's July 4th celebrations, sadly.
Because in that case, San Diego 2012 had the most patriotism of ALL TIME.
The data-crunching personal finance site took data points from all 50 states, using what it calls "13 key indicators of patriotism." The indicators include military-related markers, like average number of enlistees, veteran population, active-duty population and reservists. Those make up the "military engagement" part of the calculation
The site also included other forms of patriotism, like voting, volunteering, civic participation and the emphasis schools put on civic education. These factors (and others) make up the "civic engagement" part of WalletHub's calculation.
Without further ado, here are America's most and least patriotic states.
The Most Patriotic
1. New Hampshire
We talked about this. The granite state is as hard-core patriotic as they come. True to the foundations of the United States, New Hampshire once threatened to secede from the Union in protest of what it saw as the federal government's overreach in taxation and personal freedoms. In 2016.
2. Wyoming
If it seems like the least populous states tend to be at the top of the "most patriotic" list, you aren't wrong. As of January 2020, Wyoming was No. 50 in terms of population in America, but still produced the ninth most troops as a percentage of population -- and the fifth most veterans.
3. Idaho
The 39th most populous state is the third most patriotic, according to WalletHub. No small potatoes.
4. Alaska
The home of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, along with dozens of separate units from the Army, Air Force and Coast Guard, Alaska boasts thousands of military personnel. It also boasts the most military veterans per capita and the second most number of military enlistees. The Great North also invites veterans to come get a share of oil profits.
5. Maryland
Maryland, home of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, is the fifth most patriotic state on the list. Unlike some of the other states at the top of the list, Maryland is full of people, the 19th most populous state in the Union. It also produces the fifth most Peace Corps volunteers.
The Least Patriotic
To name the states that are "least patriotic" isn't to say that they aren't patriotic at all or that the people who live there don't love their country. It simply means that they aren't as active in the 13 areas WalletHub measured as a barometer of patriotism.
46. West Virginia
West Virginia sits atop the bell curve when it comes to military engagement but is close to the very bottom when it comes to voting in presidential elections. Maybe the mountains have something to do with it!
47. Texas
Don't @ me, Texas. I didn't come up with this study or its metrics. But while Texas sits at No. 11 for its military engagement (because of course it does, it's Texas), its weighted civic engagement rating is all the way down at No. 49. If Troy Aikman told you to go vote, would you do it?
48. California
Despite being home to the U.S. Navy's base in San Diego, the Marine Corps' base at Camp Pendleton, and a slew of other military bases, the sheer number of people in California makes it difficult for the state to rise to the top of the list of veterans per capita. The Golden State also has one of lowest numbers of volunteers per capita.
Maybe if we put a drug legalization referendum on the ballot, California's voter participation will skyrocket.
49. New York
The Empire State has the fewest veterans per capita, which is hardly surprising, given how many people are in New York -- and New York City, especially. The state also ranks below California on the volunteerism spectrum. It seems unfair to the rest of New York State, to be weighed down by the City, but the home of the 10th Mountain Division sits solidly at No. 49.
50. New Jersey
The state that saw George Washington cross the Delaware to MDK German mercenaries in their sleep on Christmas is now one of the states with the fewest veterans per capita, as the 11th most populous state. It's also sitting at the bottom of the "military engagement" spectrum and somewhere near the bottom of the "civic engagement" spectrum.
Find out where your home state sits on the list of most patriotic states by visiting WalletHub and learning how it came up with the rankings. Once more, before I hand out my email address and Twitter handle, I'm not calling your home state "unpatriotic." I'm just the messenger, reminding you to go vote.
-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.
Want to Learn More About Military Life?
Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.
