The Friendliest States & the Least Friendliest States... How did your state rank?

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We've spent a lot of time in Arkansas and just about everyone has been very kind. I don't get why they see Arkansas in that way.

I know some central AR girls;they would actually more agree with the assessment on the article.

They are very sweet girls (and very traditional too) but they have said more than once that it's kinda a different vibe towards outsiders. If you met these girls you would know they take very seriously their 'southern hospitality' but hospitality has different levels of genuineness.

Purely one take though on their ranking.

 

[mnrose]

Why am I not surprised that Minnesota is number 1. We are known as "minnesota nice" for a reason. People here are great, which helps make up for our obnoxious winters.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Well I have lived in one of the top friendly states - Texas
I presently live in the least friendliest state - New York and I am from another least friendly state - New Jersey.
all very accurate

 

[Cubbiecakes]

KS-#8 I think I would agree with the description from the article: "The famous Kansas friendliness can come as a surprise for visitors from other states, so be prepared to engage in random conversations with just about everyone you meet here. Local’s nosy prying towards strangers makes the state such a nightmarish hellhole to visit."

From an introvert's perspective, I fixed that statement for you.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

From an introvert's perspective, I fixed that statement for you.

Um ok..

I know there was a thread about talking to strangers already somewhere in the Community Board. You can go find that if you truly care for all the discussion regarding social cues and all that in respects to talking to strangers

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I’m a native of Tennessee but have lived or done work gigs a ton of places. People are only friendly because they are nosey as all get out. It is surface friendly. Give me New Yorkers any day.

Is that a West TN thing? I grew up in North Carolina & know many people from East TN & South Carolina. I know what you mean about people being nosy, which is one of the reasons I wanted to moved from there. That said, they do genuinely care about people. There's nothing surface or fake about it.

 

[AustinMommyofThree]

I work with several people from Minnesota (both who have relocated to Austin and who are still based in Minnesota) and they are all super nice and genuine. And, I joke, as proud of their state as Texans are of ours. I call it the I-35 effect, since the highway is about the only thing we have in common.

Texans are also very friendly, until you cross us. Woe to those who cross us. That's probably why we weren't #1!

 

[Katie Dawn]

She says people in the Volunteer State are only "surface friendly," & making actual new friends has been hard for her family & that they haven't been able to develop any new, meaningful relationships. She says Texas, on the other hand is completely different, and people are more accepting of new people & genuinely welcome new people into their circles. She says southerners are surface-friendly & "chatty" - but suspicious of actually welcoming people into their circles & making any kind of meaningful connections w/ newcomers.

I'm from Tennessee also, and this is interesting about your friend. One thing I wonder: how long had she lived in Texas? Did she grow up there? Did she make most of her friends when she was younger? It seems like building friendships is much smoother/natural when you're younger. As you get into adulthood I think many people already have their support network so aren't interested in building additional friendships.

Or did she make friends with people who shared a mutual friend... That is a totally different scenario than making friends with a stranger.

I haven't lived anywhere else so can't say for sure how friendly we are. There certainly are people who act friendly by saying hello in the hallway but don't have any actual interest in talking to you. And some people are fake, but I figure that's everywhere.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

#47

I don't actually perceive Massachusetts as unfriendly, though.

Then again, I grew up in NY, so 47 beats 50, right? - Seriously, though, I lived far from the city, and "tiny town where everybody knows your grandparents" probably overrides any state ranking.

I think people here are more tentative about starting up a conversation than in some places I've traveled, but you can definitely find people willing to chat. And they do turn out to help in an emergency.

I don't know where you live in MA, but you seem like a really nice person. The negative feeling toward people in MA may come from experiences with Bostonians. My DH has worked with many Bostonians in his professional career. They don't seem to realize they have a very distinct accent & are quick to make fun of other accents. Out of all the people I've encountered with my southern accent, they have been the most condescending. Needless to say, most people find that offending.

 

[amberpi]

Is that a West TN thing? I grew up in North Carolina & know many people from East TN & South Carolina. I know what you mean about people being nosy, which is one of the reasons I wanted to moved from there. That said, they do genuinely care about people. There's nothing surface or fake about it.

I’m from middle tn, it’s not really fake just very surface.

 

[mjkacmom]

45th?! This was written by stupid morons.

 

[NYCgrrl]

#47

I don't actually perceive Massachusetts as unfriendly, though.

Then again, I grew up in NY, so 47 beats 50, right? - Seriously, though, I lived far from the city, and "tiny town where everybody knows your grandparents" probably overrides any state ranking.

I think people here are more tentative about starting up a conversation than in some places I've traveled, but you can definitely find people willing to chat. And they do turn out to help in an emergency.

I find people from the NE friendly to the "proper" degree- meaning my comfort level. As for the residents of NYS, methinks the creator of this list seems to be confusing NYC for NYS.
Issue-less regarding the level of friendliness people from other states or countries have. The way I see it everyone has their own customs and manners of social interaction until proven otherwise.

 

[robinb]

Im surprised that Wisconsin is so far down on the list.

I do have to agree with #1. “Minnesota Nice” is a real thing.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I don't know where you live in MA, but you seem like a really nice person.

Aww, thanks!

 

[Hrhpd]

I grew up in NJ, northern Bergen County to be exact. I went to school in and then stayed in one of the friendliest states. I agree with the assessment 100%.

DH has had opportunities to relocate to NJ for work. Nope, not happening, not going back ever. I made sure our kids were raised in my new, adopted home state.

 

[Music City Mama]

Both my home state (FL) and my husband's (AR) are on the least friendly list. I think they can be friendly or unfriendly depending what part of those states you're in (or any state for that matter). We have lived in one of the "friendliest" (TN) for almost 20 years -- yeah, I guess it's pretty friendly. I still plan on leaving in a few years and going back to my unfriendly state of FL, though!

My boss went on a trip this summer with his family of 6 -- the big cities they visited were Philly, NYC and Boston. He said by far of those 3, Boston was actually the friendliest which he was surprised about.

 

[fla4fun]

I don’t think Florida deserves to be so low. All of the native Floridians I have met are very friendly. Transplants can be a different story, depending on where they are from, and how well they acclimate to Florida. I loved it from the moment I got here, but not everyone does, and that can create a more transient population as people are constantly moving in and moving out. It can be hard to keep friends here for that reason as well. You take the time to make a new friend and after a few months they move back to where they came from and you never see them again. That can be tough. I have had better luck making friends with people born and raised here.

 

[Hikergirl]

I think it's more dependent on cities/towns than states. States are too big to categorize all of it into 1 ranking. Especially NY which for most people seems to translate to "NYC Metro area" and forgetting there's the whole rest of the state. I think Buffalo is generally pretty friendly.

I also think parts of Maryland are plenty friendly and others not so much.

I guess generally I think this ranking thing by state is sort of lame, ha.

I agree. I live in downstate NY, but grew up upstate, and I agree that if you use the southern part of the state (lower Dutchess, Orange Counties and south there is a much less friendly vibe than in upstate.
Tennessee is by far the friendliest state I have ever been too, but I've only been to one area there.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I think it can be over generalized, a lot of it depends on what part of a state or which city you are in. I live in IN which is #6. I guess overall we are pretty friendly, but it varies by location. I lived in IL for a long time, it varies a lot by location. I have also lived in SD, which rated further down the list, but seems much friendlier than most of IL.

 

[tex1989]

I am a sixth generation Texan and everyone I have ever met that moved to Texas says it's one of the friendliest places they have been. After all Texas derived from Tejas means friend. Our state motto is "Friendship".