COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio is among the less patriotic states in the nation, a new ranking has found.
The Buckeye State was ranked 29th in the U.S. and given a score of 43.71 from several indicators of patriotism, measured by WalletHub's 2024 Most Patriotic States in America ranking. Ohio's ranking marks an increase in patriotism compared to last year when the state placed 31st and scored 38.65, and a return to the state's 2022 rank when it also placed 29th while scoring 40.51.
WalletHub ranked each U.S. state across metrics including the average number of military enlistees, veterans per 1,000 adults and the share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election. Each was graded on a 100-point score, with 100 representing the highest level of patriotism.
"The most patriotic states have a lot of residents who serve or have served in the armed forces, high voter turnouts during elections, and a high share of the population volunteering with national or local organizations," said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. "Patriotism also isn’t concentrated in any one particular area -- the top states are located in vastly different geographic regions."
Virginia was again named the most patriotic state in the nation with Alaska in second, Montana in third, Maine in fourth and Oregon in fifth. For the third year in a row, Arkansas was ranked the least patriotic state.
Bordering Ohio, Michigan placed 34th, Indiana placed 45th, Kentucky placed 33rd, West Virginia placed 41st and Pennsylvania placed 40th.
New Jersey, Minnesota and Oregon have the highest percentage of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election while Arkansas, West Virginia and Oklahoma have the lowest. Georgia, Alaska and Texas have the highest average number of military enlistees while North Dakota, Vermont and Rhode Island have the lowest.
WalletHub also found blue states are more patriotic than red states.
