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New York ranks among the least patriotic states in US: report

By Alex Meier
Published  June 17, 2024 11:24am EDT
New York
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NEW YORK - The Statue of Liberty, the archetypal symbol of American patriotism, lives within one of the country's least patriotic states, according to a new study.

New York ranks 49th on WalletHub's 2024 Most Patriotic States in America report, released Monday. Only one state, Arkansas, scores lower for red, white and blue pride.

WalletHub scored states based on 13 key indicators of patriotism, which include electoral participation, veterans per capita, volunteerism and other measures of military and civic engagement.

Source: WalletHub

Ranking in the number one spot is Virginia. With close proximity to Washington, D.C., Old Dominion has both high voter turnout and a large military personnel population.

Alaska ranks second, followed by Montana, Maine, Oregon and Colorado. Locally, New Jersey stands in the bottom half of the list at 30, while Connecticut falls to the bottom 20% at number 42. 

New Jersey, however, has the highest share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election. The Garden State's lower rank can be attributed, in part, to being the state with the fewest veterans per capita.

A volunteer wearing a cap, shorts, and T-shirt carries American flags among a sea of flags at Boston Common

A volunteer walks through a field of American flags planted on Boston Common ahead of Memorial Day, Wednesday, May 26, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds) (AP Images)

"Patriotism isn’t concentrated in any one particular area – the top states are located in vastly different geographic regions," according to WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe.

The study also found that blue states tend to be more patriotic, with an average rank of 23.44 compared to red states' average rank of 27.56.

"There are many different ways to express patriotism, from hanging up a flag or attending a parade to voting, joining the military or actively working to improve conditions for your fellow Americans," writes WalletHub's , "Being a patriot means loving your country and its people while also recognizing its flaws and striving to make it the best it can be."