Drew Wilson
Virginia, Alaska and South Carolina topped the “2016 Most Patriotic States” list released Tuesday by website WalletHub, while Florida came in below the Mendoza line.
The list ranks states on both military engagement and civic engagement, with heavy emphasis put on how many residents joined the military in 2014, the percentage of the electorate that made it to the polls in 2012 and how much residents volunteer.
Scoring also includes metrics such as how frequently a state’s residents Google search images of the American flag – worth 1.61 points out of a possible 100 in the final score.
In the final tally, Florida came in at No. 28 with an overall “patriotism score” of 44.67 points, a measly 0.08 points off No. 27 Kentucky and nearly 25 points below No. 1 Virginia.
Florida’s military engagement numbers were the tenth best on the list, boosted by a top-5 performance in military enlistment, though the Sunshine State’s civic engagement score placed a lowly 44th due to a bottom-5 performance in volunteering.
Overall, WalletHub found GOP-leaning states fared better in scoring, with the average red state ranking around 22nd while the average blue state came in at 28th.
For a full rundown of scoring methodology, and to see the top- and bottom-5 states in each category, check out the full list.
