For those of us here in and around Fort Bragg, it seems obvious that North Carolina would easily be one of the most patriotic states in the country.
But it turns out, maybe overall, the Tar Heel State isn’t quite the red-white-and-blue hotbed we thought it was.
According to a recent study by our friends over at WalletHub, North Carolina comes in toward the middle of the pack, at 17th in patriotism. North Carolina had high marks in military engagement, coming in at 6th overall, but low marks in civic engagement, coming in at 32.
WalletHub measured 13 key patriotic indicators for the study, including military enlistees, veteran population, voting percentages, and even AmeriCorps volunteer numbers.
“A good patriot loves his or her country and supports it in the face of challenges,” Russ Crawford, history professor at Ohio Northern University, said in the study. “That does not mean unquestioning love, but deep regard that motivates making one’s nation the best it can be.”
Here’s the way that WalletHub measured everything to determine this list. Take a look below for the full rankings.
Military Engagement – Total Points: 25
- Average Military Enlistees per 1,000 Civilian Adults Between 2014 & 2019 (No Prior Service): Triple Weight (~10.71 Points)
- Veterans per 1,000 Civilian Adults: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Active-Duty Military Personnel per 100,000 Civilian Adults: Double Weight (~7.14 Points)
- Share of Civilian Adult Population in Military Reserves: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Civic Engagement – Total Points: 75
- Share of Adults Who Voted in 2020 Presidential Election: Double Weight (~16.67 Points)
- Share of Adults Who Voted in 2020 Primary Elections: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)
- Volunteer Rate: Half Weight (~4.17 Points)
- Volunteer Hours per Resident: Half Weight (~4.17 Points)
- AmeriCorps Volunteers per Capita: Half Weight (~4.17 Points)
- Peace Corps Volunteers per Capita: Half Weight (~4.17 Points)
- Trial- & Grand-Jury Participation per Civilian Adult Population: Double Weight (~16.67 Points)
- Share of Residents Who Participate in Groups or Organizations (Civic Life): Full Weight (~8.33 Points)
- U.S. History/Civics Education Requirement: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)
1. Alaska
U.S. flag flying in front of Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. (Sherri Cassel / Getty Images)
Total Score: 65.57
Military Engagement: 1
Civic Engagement: 12
11. Washington
Fireworks as seen from across Elliott Bay at Seacrest Park in West Seattle, WA. (paulacobleigh / Getty Images)
Total Score: 52.46
Military Engagement: 14
Civic Engagement: 14
17. North Carolina
It does not get much more patriotic than Major League Baseball being played at Fort Bragg. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Total Score: 46.98
Military Engagement: 6
Civic Engagement: 32
21. Arizona
Veterans Day memorial in Tempe, AZ. (John James / Getty Images)
Total Score: 45.09
Military Engagement: 17
Civic Engagement: 23
31. Texas
Everything is bigger in Texas. (Smederevac / Getty Images)
Total Score: 38.51
Military Engagement: 9
Civic Engagement: 46
41. Louisiana
Flag of the United States at the Parade Ground at Louisiana State University. (Roberto Michel / Getty Images)
Total Score: 35.15
Military Engagement: 27
Civic Engagement: 44
