Most Patriotic States, Pennsylvanians Not Happy With Ranking

Where does your state rank among the most patriotic states? Find out! And for our XTU Nation locals, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware might surprise you.

The Fourth of July is right around the corner and the time of national pride is at its annual highest! The delicious scent of hamburgers and hot dogs, can’t-miss sightings of red, white, and blue, and of course the popping of fireworks create a huge sense of patriotism this time of year.

It’s been nearly 250 years since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence inside Philadelphia’s City Hall in 1776. Does this mean that Pennsylvania ranks highly in a nationwide patriotism report? The answer may shock you.

WalletHub recently completed a comprehensive study using multiple relevant metrics including “Military Engagement” and “Civic Engagement” to rank states from most patriotic to least patriotic. Here’s how Pennsylvania and the rest of the Delaware Valley ranks.

Surprisingly, the birthplace of the United States ranks 40th out of the 50 Most Patriotic States in WalletHub’s patriotism ranking. Receiving a total score of 37.20, the state also ranks 45th in Military Engagement and 29th in Civic Engagement.

The Garden State trumps its Western neighbor, coming in 10 spots higher at #30 with a total score of 43.22. New Jersey falls in the middle of the pack due to some drastic discrepancies within crucial determining metrics. Its Military Engagement rank is 48th, almost dead last, while its Civic Engagement rank is 13th, within the top third of all states in that category. Furthermore, out of all 50 states, New Jersey ranks first in the percentage of adults that voted in the 2020 Presidential Election, but dead last in Veterans per Capita. Nonetheless, it still finds itself more patriotic than Pennsylvania.

Coming in at #16 of the Most Patriotic States, Delaware ranks 25th in Military Engagement and 14th in Civic Engagement, both in the top half. Its total score of 51.02 is thanks in large part to a strong average in all metrics, absenting itself from any extremely low ranks that would bring the average total down. So, with this, the First State also takes home the first-place crown in this three-way battle of the Delaware Valley.

This is according to WalletHub's extensive research into the Most Patriotic States. See the whole list here.