New York has been identified as one of the least patriotic states in the United States, according to a recent study by WalletHub. The analysis, released in honor of Independence Day, ranked states based on military and civic engagement.
New York received an overall patriotism score of 28.96 out of a possible 100, placing it second to last among the 50 states. The study did not specify the exact reasons for New York's low ranking, but noted a particularly poor performance in military and civic engagement metrics. The state had the lowest number of veterans per capita among all states.
The WalletHub survey evaluated states across two primary dimensions: Military Engagement and Civic Engagement. These were further broken down into 13 metrics, each weighted on a 100-point scale. Key indicators included the average number of military enlistees per 1,000 adults from 2017 to 2022, the share of adults who voted in the 2024 Presidential Election, and the number of AmeriCorps Volunteers per capita. States were scored based on a weighted average of these metrics.
Virginia emerged as the most patriotic state with a score of 70.07. The state excelled in military turnout, ranking third nationally with approximately 1,761 active-duty military personnel per 100,000 civilians. Virginia also has the second-highest number of veterans per capita, with 103 veterans for every 1,000 civilians. Furthermore, Virginia reported a high voter turnout rate, with 72.9% of residents voting in the 2024 presidential election, surpassing the national average of 66%.
Montana secured the second spot with a patriotism score of 67.9, driven by a strong voter turnout. The state saw 69.2% of its eligible residents vote in the 2024 presidential election and achieved the highest primary election turnout in the nation at nearly 46% in 2020.
Vermont ranked third with a score of 66.56, notably having the highest number of residents per capita who served on juries over the past year and the most AmeriCorps volunteers per capita.
At the other end of the spectrum, Arkansas was ranked last with a score of 28.23. The state performed poorly in voter turnout, coming in last for the percentage of adults who voted in the 2024 election.
The study also suggested that, contrary to some assumptions, blue states were generally found to be more patriotic than red states according to its metrics.