Who Has The Nicest Neighbors?
Which state has America's friendliest people? Big 7 Travel put the question to its huge social-media audience, producing a ranking based on travelers' perceptions and experiences. The results mix Southern hospitality, Midwestern kindness and a few surprises. Here are the 24 states that came out on top.
Minnesota
"Minnesota takes first place, suggesting "Minnesota Nice" isn't merely a catchy stereotype. Respondents associated the state with courteous, mild-mannered and helpful residents. Interestingly, a different 2026 SmartAsset study placed Minnesota only 11th when friendliness was measured through time spent socializing, volunteering and helping others.
Tennessee
Southern hospitality makes its first appearance with Tennessee in second place. Visitors frequently encounter locals eager to talk, offer recommendations and share their enthusiasm for their communities. Nashville's famously social atmosphere certainly doesn't hurt, although friendliness extends well beyond the state's country-music capital.
South Carolina
South Carolina claims third place, giving the South another impressive showing. The result fits the familiar image of Southern hospitality, where greetings and casual conversation with strangers remain commonplace. For travelers, that can make destinations such as Charleston, Greenville and smaller communities feel particularly welcoming.
Texas
Everything really may be friendlier in Texas. The Lone Star State finishes fourth, with respondents particularly noticing enthusiastic locals and the small-town atmosphere that can survive even within enormous metropolitan areas. A casual "howdy" may sound stereotypical, but travelers apparently encounter enough warmth to remember it.
Wyoming
America's least populous state finishes an impressive fifth. Wyoming's enormous distances and small communities can create a culture where neighbors depend upon one another and interactions feel more personal. Travelers heading toward Yellowstone, Grand Teton or small Western towns apparently notice that friendliness along the way.
Indiana
"Hoosier Hospitality" earns Indiana sixth place. Visitors responding to the ranking praised residents for helpfulness, respect and generosity. Indianapolis provides the big-city experience, but much of Indiana consists of smaller cities and towns where everyday interactions can feel considerably more personal than travelers accustomed to major coastal metros expect.
Colorado
Colorado comes seventh, suggesting the state's famously relaxed outdoor culture translates into friendly interactions. Ski towns, mountain communities and increasingly cosmopolitan cities attract newcomers from across America, potentially making residents accustomed to meeting outsiders. Whether that friendliness survives an argument over a crowded trail is another question.
Kansas
Kansas lands eighth, providing some statistical ammunition for anyone defending America's so-called flyover states. Travelers rated Kansans particularly highly for friendliness, reinforcing the broader reputation of Plains communities for neighborliness. The state may lack America's biggest tourist attractions, but apparently its residents make a memorable impression themselves.
Oklahoma
"Oklahoma finishes ninth, and Oklahoma City even has a long-standing association with the nickname "The Big Friendly." The state's mixture of Southern, Western and Plains influences produces its own distinctive hospitality. According to respondents, visitors have a good chance of encountering people willing to strike up conversation.
xiquinhosilva, Wikimedia Commons
Hawaii
Perhaps the famous aloha spirit really does translate for visitors. Hawaii rounds out the top ten, despite enormous tourism pressures that could understandably test residents' patience. Travelers nevertheless rated the islands highly for friendliness, making Hawaii the only state beyond the continental United States to crack the top tier.
Ohio
Ohio takes 11th place, another strong showing for the Midwest. From Cleveland and Cincinnati to countless smaller communities, visitors apparently find plenty of approachable residents. Ohio also illustrates why regional stereotypes persist: several Midwestern and Plains states cluster near the top of this particular friendliness ranking.
Louisiana
Louisiana ranks 12th, and anyone who has been drawn into an unexpectedly long conversation with a local may understand why. The state's deeply social traditions extend well beyond Mardi Gras. Food, music, festivals and neighborhood culture give visitors plenty of opportunities to interact directly with residents.
Nebraska
Nebraska places 13th, continuing the impressive performance by America's central states. Respondents highlighted its strong community atmosphere and willingness to help others. That perception receives interesting support from SmartAsset's completely different 2026 methodology, which placed Nebraska seventh nationally for socializing, volunteering and helping other people.
Illinois
Illinois comes in 14th, demonstrating that having one of America's largest cities doesn't necessarily destroy a state's friendly reputation. Chicago receives millions of visitors and has developed a famously approachable big-city personality, while Illinois beyond Chicagoland offers the smaller communities and slower interactions traditionally associated with Midwestern hospitality.
Idaho
Idaho ranks 15th in the traveler-based survey, where respondents associated residents with warmth and hospitality. Here's a fascinating contradiction: SmartAsset's 2026 behavioral study ranked Idaho dead last. Different definitions of "friendly" can therefore produce completely different winners and losers, which is worth remembering throughout this list.
Georgia
Georgia lands in 16th place, keeping the tradition of Southern hospitality well represented without quite reaching the heights of Tennessee or South Carolina. Atlanta's enormous growth has made the state increasingly cosmopolitan, while smaller Georgia communities can provide the greetings, conversations and personal interactions visitors associate with the South.
New Mexico
New Mexico takes 17th place. Its distinctive blend of Native American, Hispanic and Anglo traditions gives travelers an experience unlike anywhere else in the country. From Albuquerque and Santa Fe to small high-desert communities, visitors apparently found enough welcoming interactions to put New Mexico comfortably inside the top 20.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania ranks 18th, despite Philadelphia's occasionally intimidating reputation among outsiders. That's a useful reminder that an entire state's personality cannot be reduced to its biggest city. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Dutch Country and hundreds of smaller towns contribute very different experiences, helping the state earn a surprisingly strong overall position.
Kentucky
Kentucky reaches 19th place, adding another state associated with Southern-style hospitality. Bourbon tourism, horse country and smaller Appalachian communities all encourage the kinds of person-to-person encounters that can shape a visitor's impression. Respondents evidently found Kentuckians welcoming whether they were staying awhile or merely passing through.
The original uploader was Retired username at English Wikipedia., Wikimedia Commons
South Dakota
South Dakota rounds out the top 20. Travelers may arrive for Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills or Badlands National Park, but respondents apparently remember the residents too. Its ranking also gives South Dakota bragging rights over neighboring North Dakota, which finishes five positions farther down the list.
Alabama
Alabama takes 21st place. The survey's characterization comes with a simple condition: residents tend to be friendly when visitors are friendly themselves. That's probably a reasonable rule anywhere. Alabama's result nevertheless keeps another Deep South state in the friendlier half of America's 50-state ranking.
Lance Asper, Unsplash, Modified
Missouri
Missouri lands at number 22, narrowly missing the top 20 but still outperforming more than half the country. Its position is especially interesting because another 2024 survey measuring welcoming greetings ranked Missouri poorly, while SmartAsset's 2026 behavioral analysis placed it ninth. Apparently, defining friendliness changes everything.
Mississippi
Mississippi ranks 23rd, with visitors particularly noticing the state's traditional Southern politeness. Its placement below Tennessee and South Carolina suggests "Southern hospitality" isn't distributed evenly according to respondents. Still, Mississippi remains comfortably above the national midpoint, giving travelers another reason to question easy regional stereotypes.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
Oregon
Oregon finishes 24th and completes our list. Respondents generally regarded Oregonians as pleasant toward strangers, although breaking into established social circles can be another matter. Intriguingly, SmartAsset's 2026 behavioral ranking put Oregon fourth nationally, suggesting its residents may be considerably friendlier than this older perception-based survey indicates.
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