Which state comes to mind as having the most polite residents?
If you guessed Georgia, you are out of luck.
Online language learning marketplace Preply set out to see if stereotypes such as southern hospitality and rude New Yorkers were accurate.
Preply conducted their research by surveying Americans in all 50 states and asking them questions to determine how important “polite” actions were to them. Responses were scored on a scale of 0 to 100, with Preply adjusting the score accordingly.
Preply determined that a state was more polite if its rank was close to 100.
Reality vs Perception
In addition to ranking the most polite states in America based on questions about the importance of polite gestures, Preply directly asked participants to rate their state’s politeness.
These were the results.
1: Arkansas
Arkansas is America’s most polite state, with a politeness score of 99.3 out of 100.
Almost 75% of Arkansas participants in Preply’s study said it was “very important” to hold the door for others.
Arkansas residents appear to value polite culture; they scored 90.8 on the perceived politeness question, ranking second after Minnesota.
2: Georgia
Georgia scored 98.9 on the politeness scale. Sixty-two percent of Georgians said it’s “very important” to respect someone’s preferred titles or pronouns, which helped Georgia earn a high ranking.
Meanwhile, Georgians’ perceptions of the politeness of their state ranked 14th.
3: Alabama
Alabama’s 98.6 politeness score was boosted in large part by nine out of ten Alabamian participants agreeing that giving up their seat on public transportation to someone in need is critical.
How polite do they perceive their current situation to be?
Alabama finished in sixth place, tied with Kentucky.
4: South Carolina
If you aren’t convinced that Southern hospitality has a solid foundation, South Carolina might do the trick.
The Palmetto State received a politeness rating of 98.5. Although residents do not view their state as particularly polite, their 88.9 perceived politeness score placed them fourth.
5: Tennessee
Tennessee ranks fifth among the most polite states in the United States, with a politeness score of 98.0.
Tennessee residents, on the other hand, do not appear to see themselves in the same way, ranking ninth in terms of perceived politeness.
6: Kentucky
Kentucky not only breeds horses, but also polite people.
The Bluegrass State is the sixth most polite state in America, with a politeness score of 97.6. That ranking is consistent with Kentuckians’ perceived politeness, which places them sixth overall.
7: Kansas
Kansans scored 97.6 in Preply’s politeness study.
What’s the problem?
Kansans do not consider themselves to be overly polite; they rank thirteenth in terms of self-reported perceived politeness in their state.
8: Louisiana
The residents of the Pelican State are polite, with a politeness score of 97.3.
Louisianans have a higher perceived politeness score than Americans in other states (sixth place), but they do not consider themselves ultra-polite, as their perceived politeness score is only 87.5.
9: North Carolina
North Carolina residents received a 97.1 score after answering politeness questions.
However, the Tar Heel State had the greatest difference in perceived politeness up to this point, coming in 22nd.
10: Michigan
Michigan completes the top ten most polite states in the United States.
The Wolverine State received an even 97.0 for politeness. Nonetheless, Michiganians ranked 30th with a perceived politeness score of 76.9.
11: Minnesota
Minnesota joins Michigan as a polite state that is not in the southern United States.
Preply gave Minnesotans a politeness score of 96.8, but locals appear to think they are far more polite: Minnesota ranked first for perceived politeness.
12: Ohio
Ohio is only 0.1 points lower than Minnesota in terms of politeness.
However, Ohioans do not think highly of their state’s politeness; they ranked 28th in the self-assessed perceived politeness survey.
13: Mississippi
Returning south, Mississippi receives a 96.4 for politeness.
Many Mississippians, however, disagree with the Magnolia State’s 13th-place ranking; it ranked fifth in terms of perceived politeness when compared to the rest of the country’s perception of their states’ politeness.
14: Utah
Utah scored a solid 96.0 for politeness. The Beehive State doesn’t view itself in such a good light, though.
They ranked in 21st place for perceived politeness, with a score of 80.3.
15: Virginia
Virginia’s politeness score of 95.5 indicates that visitors can expect to be greeted with a variety of polite gestures.
However, given that Virginians ranked 26th in terms of perceived politeness, a mixed politeness experience for travellers may be a more accurate expectation.
16: West Virginia
West Virginia is tied with Virginia, with a politeness score of 95.5.
Unlike Virginians, West Virginians place their state’s politeness higher, ranking tenth in perceived politeness.
17: Iowa
The Hawkeye State received a 95.4 on Preply’s politeness survey.
That’s significantly higher than Iowa’s 86.1 perceived score, despite the fact that it ranks as the eleventh most perceived polite state in the United States.
18: Nebraska
Nebraska is just a hair behind Iowa, with a politeness score of 95.3.
Although residents of the Cornhusker State do not perceive themselves to be as polite (89.5), they ranked third in terms of perceived politeness.
Uncovering Southern Hospitality
According to professor and author Anthony Szczesiul, the term “Southern hospitality” originated in the 1820s or 1830s.
It was a way for white Southerners to defend their slavery-dependent lifestyle and political system as slavery debates raged across the country.
Digging Into Politeness
According to research, politeness—and the ability to manage varying levels of politeness—is an important part of integrating into society.
A lack of politeness does not always indicate that a person is acting inappropriately; it can also indicate that you are close to someone.
A case in point?
Saying, “Hey, Jane,” instead of “Hello, Ms. Jane.”