Study Finds NC is One Of Nation's Most Patriotic States

NORTH CAROLINA — The Tar Heel State has one more reason to celebrate this Independence Day, according to financial website WalletHub, which says North Carolina is among the most patriotic states in the U.S.

WalletHub analyzed 13 indicators of patriotism in all 50 states, including variables such as "military engagement" and "civic engagement" to determine which states were the most patriotic. North Carolina ranked 9th overall, 6th in military engagement and 21st in civic engagement.

North Carolina also came in first for its number of active-duty military personnel per 100,000 civilian adults, and first in the category of civics education.

Here is the list of the top 10 most patriotic states in the U.S., according to WalletHub:

1. Virginia
2. Alaska
3. Wyoming
4. South Carolina
5. Idaho
6. Colorado
7. Hawaii
8. Washington
9. North Carolina
10. Georgia

Which states are the least patriotic? According to the study, they are:
46. New York
47. Illinois
48. Rhode Island
49. New Jersey
50. Massachusetts

In order to calculate a state's military engagement, WalletHub factored the number of residents who enlisted in the military between 2011 and 2016, the number of veterans per 100,000 residents, the share of civilian adult population in military reserves and the number of active-duty military personnel per 100,000 residents.

To calculate a state's civic engagement, WalletHub took into account the percentage of residents who voted in the 2016 presidential election, the number of peace corps volunteers per 100,000 residents, the state's total volunteer rate, the number of Google searches for American flags and the state's civic education requirements.

You can find more detail about the WalletHub study here.

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