We are experiencing tense times in the U.S., with parts of the country barely recognizing one another. Friendliness toward one's neighbors, let alone complete strangers, is harder to find these days than perhaps at any other time in recent memory. But some parts of the country are a bit less warm than others. And after crunching some numbers, we've determined the unfriendliest state of them all.
To figure out which locale is the least welcoming, we analyzed a range of data, including the U.S. Census Bureau's reported population change in each state over the past decade (reflecting how appealing locals seem to find it) as well as the Friendly Ranking according to Big 7 Travel, which drew on survey results from their 2.5 million social media followers. We also looked at the number of volunteer opportunities per 100,000 people, according to VolunteerMatch—reflecting the "community spirit" of the state—and what seemed to be the opposite of "community spirit," the state's violent crime rate, per the latest FBI data. When put through our algorithm, these data points provided us with an Unfriendly Index score for each state. The higher the index, the less friendly you can expect that state to be.
It turns out, the least friendly state of them all might surprise you. Its population grew a middling 1.80 percent over the past 10 years, indicating that people aren't exactly flocking there, and it has a relatively low 9.87 volunteer opportunities per 100,000 residents. But what really hurt this state's reputation is its sky-high violent crime rate.
And while the unfriendliest state in the U.S. is in the Southwest, the 20 least friendly states nationwide run the gamut, from the West Coast to New England, and the Midwest to the Tri-State. Read on to find out the unfriendliest state of them all, and for more state facts, check out The Biggest Star Who's From Your State.
20 Kansas
Population Change in the Past Decade: +2.10 precent
Friendly Ranking: 8
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 439
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 15.31
Unfriendly Index: 61.09
19 New Hampshire
Population Change in the Past Decade: +3.30 precent
Friendly Ranking: 44
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 173.2
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 15.37
Unfriendly Index: 64.45
And if you're willing to put up with some attitude, then head to New Hampshire, which is among The States Where You Can Make the Most Money
18 Pennsylvania
Population Change in the Past Decade: +0.80 precent
Friendly Ranking: 18
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 306
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 14.92
Unfriendly Index: 64.68
17 Illinois
Population Change in the Past Decade: –1.2 precent
Friendly Ranking: 14
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 404.1
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 11.78
Unfriendly Index: 71.63
And to make sure you're not making enemies in Illinois, learn how to say the state's name correctly among The Most Mispronounced States in the U.S.
16 Maryland
Population Change in the Past Decade: +4.70 precent
Friendly Ranking: 27
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 468.7
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 13.17
Unfriendly Index: 72.20
15 Mississippi
Population Change in the Past Decade: +0.30 precent
Friendly Ranking: 23
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 234.4
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 5.85
Unfriendly Index: 74.09
And to see another issue Mississippi has, find it among The Most Obese States in the Country.
14 California
Population Change in the Past Decade: +6.10 precent
Friendly Ranking: 40
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 447.4
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 14.60
Unfriendly Index: 74.64
13 Massachusetts
Population Change in the Past Decade: +5.30 precent
Friendly Ranking: 47
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 338.1
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 12.16
Unfriendly Index: 77.15
And to make sure you don't turn off the locals, get familiar with some Massachusetts hamlets here: The Most Mispronounced Towns in the U.S.
12 Missouri
Population Change in the Past Decade: +2.50 precent
Friendly Ranking: 22
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 502.1
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 14.84
Unfriendly Index: 79.87
11 Louisiana
Population Change in the Past Decade: +2.50 precent
Friendly Ranking: 12
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 537.5
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 6.95
Unfriendly Index: 81.30
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10 Rhode Island
Population Change in the Past Decade: +0.60 precent
Friendly Ranking: 41
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 219.1
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 11.52
Unfriendly Index: 83.39
9 Alabama
Population Change in the Past Decade: +2.60 precent
Friendly Ranking: 21
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 519.6
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 7.67
Unfriendly Index: 87.29
8 New Jersey
Population Change in the Past Decade: +1.00 precent
Friendly Ranking: 46
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 208.1
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 8.93
Unfriendly Index: 87.88
7 Connecticut
Population Change in the Past Decade: –0.20 precent
Friendly Ranking: 38
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 207.4
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 5.82
Unfriendly Index: 88.92
6 Alaska
Population Change in the Past Decade: +3.00 precent
Friendly Ranking: 37
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 885
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 49.35
Unfriendly Index: 96.15
5 West Virginia
Population Change in the Past Decade: –3.30 precent
Friendly Ranking: 30
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 289.9
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 12.83
Unfriendly Index: 97.66
4 Michigan
Population Change in the Past Decade: +1.00 precent
Friendly Ranking: 28
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 449.4
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 1.30
Unfriendly Index: 101.64
3 New York
Population Change in the Past Decade: +0.40 precent
Friendly Ranking: 50
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 350.5
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 4.08
Unfriendly Index: 113.97
2 Arkansas
Population Change in the Past Decade: +3.50 precent
Friendly Ranking: 49
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 543.6
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 6.40
Unfriendly Index: 114.46
1 New Mexico
Population Change in the Past Decade: +1.80 precent
Friendly Ranking: 17
Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 856.6
Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 9.87
Unfriendly Index: 118.79
Alex Daniel A journalist based in Brooklyn, New York.Read moreFiled UnderState FactsRead This NextThe Best and Worst Places in the U.S. to Be LGBTQ
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