Virginia ranked first in a study of the most patriotic states.

Virginia: The Most Patriotic State

In a recent study conducted by WalletHub, Virginia emerged as the most patriotic state when military and civic engagement were taken into account. The study analyzed all 50 states across 13 categories, including the number of active military personnel, veteran population, voters, and volunteers, among others, to determine their patriotism ranking.

Virginia received the third-highest score for military engagement, boasting the second-most veterans per capita. Additionally, it secured the eighth-highest score for civic engagement, being home to the fourth-most Peace Corps volunteers per capita.

The Top 10 Patriotic States

1. Montana
2. Alaska
3. North Dakota
4. Maine
5. Vermont
6. Oregon
7. Colorado
8. Wyoming
9. New Hampshire

Last year, Alaska claimed the title of the most patriotic state, according to the same firm. However, this year, Georgia reported the highest number of military enlistees, surpassing North Dakota by three times. New Jersey had the highest percentage of adults who voted in 2020, twice as much as Arkansas, which ranked last. Utah had the highest volunteering rate, three times greater than Florida, which had the lowest rate of volunteering.

Interestingly, when the states were categorized as Republican or Democratic based on their voting patterns in the 2020 election, Democratic states were found to be slightly more patriotic than Republican ones. For instance, Hawaii, a state won by President Joe Biden, ranked fifth in terms of veterans and military enlistees. Similarly, Maine had the fourth-highest volunteering rate.

The 10 Least Patriotic States

1. New Jersey
2. Connecticut
3. Pennsylvania
4. Alabama
5. Wisconsin
6. Indiana
7. Florida
8. New York
9. Rhode Island
10. Massachusetts
11. Arkansas

Surprisingly, New Jersey, despite having the highest voter turnout by percentage, reported the second smallest veteran population per capita. Massachusetts ranked in the bottom five for military enlistees and veteran population. WalletHub’s study in 2022 revealed that Wisconsin, which was not among the bottom ten last year, experienced a drop in patriotism this year.

According to WalletHub, a staggering 87% of Americans will gather on July 4 to celebrate the holiday.

Click here to read more from The Washington Examiner.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases