Americans across the country look forward to the 4th of July as a day to celebrate the freedom and liberty afforded to us in this country. To commemorate the occasion, we often don red, white, and blue, gather with loved ones, enjoy the outdoors, and gaze upon fireworks.
But beyond celebrating Independence Day, what makes one patriotic? The Oxford Dictionary defines Patriotism as “devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country.”
WalletHub analyzed all 50 states to determine who ranked amongst the most patriotic. States were analyzed on a number of factors:
- Military engagement, including active-duty members, resident veterans, and more
- Civic engagement, including trial and jury participation, volunteer rate, U.S. history requirements in education, and voter turnout from the most recent presidential election
Cassandra Happe, an analyst with WalletHub, shared in a statement:
“The most patriotic states have a lot of residents who serve or have served in the armed forces, high voter turnouts during elections and a high share of the population volunteering with national and local organizations.”
She added that the findings revealed that the top patriotic states were largely spread out rather than concentrated in one geographic area.
Is your home state among the most patriotic? Read on to see the top 10!
10. Hawaii
9. Maryland
8. Washington
7. New Hampshire
6. Colorado
5. Oregon
4. Maine
3. Montana
2. Alaska
1. Virginia
