NY Among The Least Patriotic States In The Country: Study

NEW YORK — Well, at least we're more patriotic than Arkansas, which had the dubious distinction of coming in last on the list of most patriotic states in the U.S.

Just in time for the Fourth of July, WalletHub has released its list of the most patriotic states in the U.S. The new survey ranked the Empire State second to last on the list of most patriotic states in the country.

Americans overall have felt their patriotism waning in the past few years, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a 44 percent increase in hate crimes in major cities and a drastic increase in homicide rates and violence across the country, according to the just-released study. This July Fourth, however, is expected to be a little closer to normal, because of widespread COVID-19 vaccinations.

As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day, the personal finance website determined the most and least patriotic states based on 13 indicators, including the numbers of military enlistees and veterans, the percentage of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election, the number of AmeriCorps volunteers per capita, civics education requirements and jury duty participation. The rankings are based on figures from a range of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Elections Project.

Of course, there are plenty of other, less quantifiable ways to gauge patriotism, but WalletHub's study revealed a few interesting trends:

• Blue states are more patriotic, with an average ranking of 24.92, compared with 26.08 for red states (1 = Best).
• Alaska has the most veterans per 1,000 civilian adults, 137, which is 2.7 times more than in New York, the state with the fewest at 51.
• Utah has the highest volunteer rate, 51.20 percent, which is 2.0 times higher than in New York, the state with the lowest at 25.00 percent.

The full list of U.S. states, from most patriotic to least is as follows:

1. Alaska
2. Montana
3. Virginia
4. North Dakota
5. Oregon
6. Maryland
7. Hawaii
8. Vermont
9. New Hampshire
10. Iowa
11. Washington
12. South Dakota
13. Colorado
14. Delaware
15. Maine
16. Utah
17. North Carolina
18. Wyoming
19. Idaho
20. New Mexico
21. Arizona
22. Oklahoma
23. Kansas
24. Georgia
25. Missouri
26. South Carolina
27. Minnesota
28. Mississippi
29. Ohio
30. Nebraska
31. Texas
32. Illinois
33. Nevada
34. Wisconsin
35. Kentucky
36. California
37. Michigan
38. New Jersey
39. Tennessee
40. West Virginia
41. Louisiana
42. Pennsylvania
43. Alabama
44. Indiana
45. Connecticut
46. Massachusetts
47. Florida
48. Rhode Island
49. New York
50. Arkansas