The Unfriendliest State In The United States Has Been Revealed
New Yorkers are known for being gruff and abrupt, even those who live upstate. Living in the big city means people are in a rush, so for many, they seem unfriendly, so much that people often claim New York is the unfriendliest state. Ah, but not so fast. There's a state that's considered the least friendly, and it's not New York. Or New Jersey. It's nowhere near the Tri-State area. According to Best Life, based on a number of factors and data, including population change, volunteer opportunities, friendliness perception, and the state's violent crime rates, the unfriendliest state is one you might least expect: New Mexico. New York isn't even the second-unfriendliest state. That's Arkansas.
It's quite shocking, but Best Life pointed out that a friendly state is more than just the perception of outsiders. States that attract newcomers while keeping their locals are considered friendly. Having plenty of volunteer opportunities in the state shows how it fosters community. The rate of violent crime speaks for itself. Best Life took data from Big 7 Travel's Friendliest State rankings, population change data from the U.S. Census Bureau, information on volunteering per state from Volunteer Match, and FBI Crime Rate figures.
Based on that algorithm, New Mexico just doesn't have the numbers to make it as a friendly state. While it fares well on some indexes, like the Big 7 Travel rankings, the state did not perform as well on the other data points.
The top three least friendly states represent different geographic areas
Best Life said New Mexico ranked 17th in Friendliest State rankings, but its very high violent crime rate and relatively low volunteer opportunities really hurt its chances. Plus, its population hasn't changed much in the past 10 years — it only grew 1.8 percent in that time, which Best Life said indicates people are not exactly flocking to live in the state. The popular series Breaking Bad was set there, but maybe fans didn't want to live where their favorite show was located. New Mexico, despite having towns with interesting names, has an unfriendly rating of 118.79.
Coming in a close second as the least-friendly state is Arkansas. Many visitors already feel unwelcome in Arkansas, wrote Big 7 Travel. The state also offers fewer outlets for volunteerism and has a robust crime rate. But it seems people tend to move to Arkansas.
The third least-friendly state is the one you expect. New York's very low friendly ranking, pretty low population change, and its middling crime rate make for a dire picture. The New York Times reported that while New York City's population gets boosted by people arriving from other countries, New Yorkers make up the bulk of people moving to other cities.
So which is the friendliest state?
Big 7 Travel did point out that while New York the state comes off as unfriendly, the city is a melting pot of different cultures, so stay long enough, and you'll feel a sense of community in your neighborhood. The state also has plenty of volunteer opportunities.
Even though the least friendly state is in the Southwest of the U.S., Best Life said the 20 least friendly states are not concentrated on one area alone. Even Midwestern states, which people often believe are very friendly, make an appearance. At least being unfriendly isn't defined only by geography.
We know what the unfriendliest state is; what about the friendliest one? Which state feels the most welcoming, fosters a sense of community, and offers security? According to Best Life, that honor belongs to Idaho. In the past 10 years, Idaho has seen incredible population growth and provides various volunteer opportunities within the state. No Northeastern state cracked the top 10 friendliest states.
If you're considering a move elsewhere, maybe consider the state's friendly rankings in your planning. Of course, these rankings do not mean people are not nice in these states; it just offers a general idea of what it could be like there based on certain factors. The best way to really experience a state is to actually go there. But try to be polite. In case they really aren't that friendly.