This Is the Unfriendliest State in the U.S.

No, it's not New York or New Jersey. The least friendly state nationwide is sure to surprise you.

We are experiencing tense times in the U.S., with parts of the country barely recognizing one another. Friendliness toward one's neighbors, let alone complete strangers, is harder to find these days than perhaps at any other time in recent memory. But some parts of the country are a bit less warm than others. And after crunching some numbers, we've determined the unfriendliest state of them all.

To figure out which locale is the least welcoming, we analyzed a range of data, including the U.S. Census Bureau's reported population change in each state over the past decade (reflecting how appealing locals seem to find it) as well as the Friendly Ranking according to Big 7 Travel, which drew on survey results from their 2.5 million social media followers. We also looked at the number of volunteer opportunities per 100,000 people, according to VolunteerMatch—reflecting the "community spirit" of the state—and what seemed to be the opposite of "community spirit," the state's violent crime rate, per the latest FBI data. When put through our algorithm, these data points provided us with an Unfriendly Index score for each state. The higher the index, the less friendly you can expect that state to be.

It turns out, the least friendly state of them all might surprise you. Its population grew a middling 1.80 percent over the past 10 years, indicating that people aren't exactly flocking there, and it has a relatively low 9.87 volunteer opportunities per 100,000 residents. But what really hurt this state's reputation is its sky-high violent crime rate.

And while the unfriendliest state in the U.S. is in the Southwest, the 20 least friendly states nationwide run the gamut, from the West Coast to New England, and the Midwest to the Tri-State. Read on to find out the unfriendliest state of them all, and for more state facts, check out The Biggest Star Who's From Your State.

20
Kansas

springtime view in downtown Topeka, Kansas, USA
iStock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +2.10 precent

Friendly Ranking: 8

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 439

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 15.31

Unfriendly Index: 61.09

19
New Hampshire

waterfront town with a harbor and boats at sunset
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +3.30 precent

Friendly Ranking: 44

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 173.2

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 15.37

Unfriendly Index: 64.45

And if you're willing to put up with some attitude, then head to New Hampshire, which is among The States Where You Can Make the Most Money

18
Pennsylvania

Philadelphia
iStock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +0.80 precent

Friendly Ranking: 18

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 306

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 14.92

Unfriendly Index: 64.68

17
Illinois

down galena illinois main street
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: –1.2 precent

Friendly Ranking: 14

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 404.1

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 11.78

Unfriendly Index: 71.63

And to make sure you're not making enemies in Illinois, learn how to say the state's name correctly among The Most Mispronounced States in the U.S.

16
Maryland

church street in frederick maryland, most common street names
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +4.70 precent

Friendly Ranking: 27

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 468.7

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 13.17

Unfriendly Index: 72.20

15
Mississippi

Jackson, Mississippi, USA skyline over the Capitol Building.
iStock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +0.30 precent

Friendly Ranking: 23

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 234.4

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 5.85

Unfriendly Index: 74.09

And to see another issue Mississippi has, find it among The Most Obese States in the Country.

14
California

hollywood sign in los angeles california
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +6.10 precent

Friendly Ranking: 40

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 447.4

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 14.60

Unfriendly Index: 74.64

13
Massachusetts

salem massachusetts
Terry Kelly / Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +5.30 precent

Friendly Ranking: 47

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 338.1

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 12.16

Unfriendly Index: 77.15

And to make sure you don't turn off the locals, get familiar with some Massachusetts hamlets here: The Most Mispronounced Towns in the U.S.

12
Missouri

columbia missouri
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +2.50 precent

Friendly Ranking: 22

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 502.1

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 14.84

Unfriendly Index: 79.87

11
Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +2.50 precent

Friendly Ranking: 12

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 537.5

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 6.95

Unfriendly Index: 81.30

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10
Rhode Island

Light house and cliff
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +0.60 precent

Friendly Ranking: 41

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 219.1

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 11.52

Unfriendly Index: 83.39

9
Alabama

huntsville alabama skyline
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +2.60 precent

Friendly Ranking: 21

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 519.6

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 7.67

Unfriendly Index: 87.29

8
New Jersey

Newark is the largest city in New Jersey. Newark is one of largest rail and air hubs in the nation. Newark is known for its glamorous performing arts venues, premium outlet mall, museums, and the argest collection of cherry blossoms.
iStock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +1.00 precent

Friendly Ranking: 46

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 208.1

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 8.93

Unfriendly Index: 87.88

7
Connecticut

Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. Hartford is known for its attractive architectural styles and being the Insurance capital of the United States
iStock

Population Change in the Past Decade: –0.20 precent

Friendly Ranking: 38

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 207.4

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 5.82

Unfriendly Index: 88.92

6
Alaska

Sunset from the coast in Ketchikan, Alaska. Landscape coastal view along the ocean with buildings along the bay and mountain in background as the evening sun colors the cloudy/ overcast autumn sky.
iStock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +3.00 precent

Friendly Ranking: 37

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 885

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 49.35

Unfriendly Index: 96.15

5
West Virginia

charleston west virginia skyline
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: –3.30 precent

Friendly Ranking: 30

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 289.9

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 12.83

Unfriendly Index: 97.66

4
Michigan

skyline of detroit michigan
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +1.00 precent

Friendly Ranking: 28

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 449.4

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 1.30

Unfriendly Index: 101.64

3
New York

times square in new york city
Shutterstock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +0.40 precent

Friendly Ranking: 50

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 350.5

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 4.08

Unfriendly Index: 113.97

2
Arkansas

Little Rock is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas.
iStock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +3.50 precent

Friendly Ranking: 49

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 543.6

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 6.40

Unfriendly Index: 114.46

1
New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
iStock

Population Change in the Past Decade: +1.80 precent

Friendly Ranking: 17

Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people): 856.6

Volunteer Opportunities (per 100,000 people): 9.87

Unfriendly Index: 118.79

Alex Daniel
A journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. Read more
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