Do you think the residents in your state have a lot of state pride? Americans turned to an online forum to share their opinions on which states have the least state pride.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
1: Rhode Island
An American born and raised in Rhode Island claims the Ocean State has the least state pride. Apparently, they aren’t alone. “Many people I knew growing up thought that their scenic, seaside state with relatively good education and healthcare, low crime, and easy access to the major cities of the Northeast was the worst possible place to live.”
Reference Point
A Rhode Island resident counters Rhode Island having the least state pride in the US. “We are actually really obsessed with ourselves & our state & its weird culture.” They point to a reason why some fellow residents might not think it’s so great. “We also don’t travel outside of New England much so we just assume all other states are much nicer because Massachusetts & Connecticut are our only reference points.”
2: Connecticut
The Nutmeg State didn’t get a lot of love in the comments. “I don’t ever hear anyone brag about being from Connecticut,” observed a resident. Another commenter echoed this and the Rhode Island prideless sentiment. “I don’t think I have heard anyone emphasize being from, or show pride being from, Connecticut or Rhode Island.”
State for Thought
“Sometimes I say we are like an anti-texas,” reflects a Connecticut local. They explain that similar to how Texas acts like the biggest state even though they aren’t, many people treat Connecticut like the smallest (and, thus, terrible) state even though it isn’t. “There’s a bunch of stuff that we should be proud of, but for some reason, we act like we have nothing.”
3: Illinois With a But
There’s “not a lot of Illinois pride or identity,” says one commenter. The exception? “People have a lot of Chicago pride.” They joke that “having a great city flag helps.”
Yup, Exactly
“Was gonna say this,” adds a Chicago native. “Chicagoans are a group who define themselves by city rather than state.” They explain, “compare this a lot to New York, who also seem to identify a lot with their city to the point where the state is identified as the city to others.”
4: Nevada
A former Las Vegas resident suggests Nevada has the least state pride. They describe Las Vegas being “the center of the universe” and “the rest of the state cramps their style.” In their opinion, “If somebody seriously proposed that Clark County secede and become its own city-state, it would not be an unpopular proposition.”
Duh
“There’s only like 5 cities in Nevada to begin with and the three biggest make up Metro Vegas,” responds a commenter to the concept of Nevada not having much state pride. “It makes sense that Reno-Carson City would have more ‘Nevada’ pride when that’s where the state capital and the U of Nevada are.”
5: Missouri
Missouri is the number one state with the least state pride, according to several commenters. “Missouri is where all the other parts of the country run into each other.”
Smaller Identities
A Missouri local says, “I think people here usually just identify with something smaller than the state. Probably a town or region.” They explain, “I know plenty of folks that would say they’re proud to be from the Ozarks but don’t give a d*mn about Missouri as a state.”
6: Washington
“There’s basically no statewide pride” in Washington, a commenter observes. However, they urge people to take note of the “statewide” part. “There’s plenty of regional pride in various parts of Washington State.” They cite “huge differences between the western and eastern halves of the state” that make it seem like Washington as a whole doesn’t have pride.
Forced Pride
A Californian implies the Cali state pride that locals carry could largely be fake. “I feel like California is forced to be prideful since so many folks refer to us as some kind of evil epicenter.”
State Says Who?
A New Hampshire native remembers hearing someone say “that bragging about where you’re from was ‘for Texans and New Yorkers.'” From their point of view, the question should be which region of the US has the least pride, not which state. “Most of the New England states seem to be on that model.”
By the Numbers
According to a Gallup poll, only 18% of Rhode Islanders reported their state as the “best or one of the best possible states to live.” Illinois followed closely as a state where residents had little pride, with only 19% saying it’s among the best states to live in the US.
Cream of the Crop
According to the same Gallup poll, Montana and Alaska tie for having the most perceived state pride. A massive 77% of Montanans and Alaskans reported their state is the “best or one of the best possible states to live.”
Source: Reddit.
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