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Most patriotic states in America revealed ahead of July 4

By
FOX Local
Lifestyle
Published June 15, 2026 3:57 PM EDT
Published June 15, 2026 3:57 PM EDT
America250 brings celebrations across the U.S.
America250 brings celebrations across the U.S.

America250 brings celebrations across the U.S.

The United States is celebrating 250 years and America250 is leading the way when it comes to celebrations across the country. LiveNOW from FOX's Adam Llorens is joined by America250 Chair Rosie Rios to talk about what we can expect.

The Brief

    • A WalletHub study measuring patriotism across 13 indicators found that Virginia is the most patriotic state in the U.S., followed by Montana and Vermont.
    • Virginia ranked first due to its strong military presence, large veteran population, and high civic engagement.
    • The study concluded that patriotic states tend to have high rates of military service, voting, and volunteering.

As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day with parades, fireworks, and flag displays, new data finds that patriotism extends far beyond July 4 festivities. 

In order to determine where Americans have the most red, white and blue pride on the Fourth of July and during the rest of the year, financial data company WalletHub evaluated all 50 states across 13 indicators of patriotism, including military enlistment rates, veteran populations, voter participation, and volunteer service. 

Virginia is most patriotic state

By the numbers:

According to the data, Virginia ranked as the most patriotic state largely because of its strong military presence and civic participation. The state boasts nearly 1,761 active-duty military personnel for every 100,000 civilians, the third-highest rate in the nation. It also has nearly 103 veterans per 1,000 civilians, ranking second nationally.

A man wearing a pair of Wrangler jeans with a small American flag in the front pocket enjoys a Fourth of July holiday celebration in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Credit: Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

Civic engagement further strengthened Virginia's position. Nearly 73% of residents voted in the 2024 presidential election, significantly above the national average of 66%. The state also ranks fifth in the country for Peace Corps volunteers per capita and requires a standalone civics course for high school graduation.

Montana ranked second on the list, driven by exceptional voter participation and community service. Vermont ranked third.

What they're saying:

"The most patriotic states have a lot of residents who serve or have served in the armed forces, high voter turnouts during elections, and a high share of the population volunteering with national or local organizations," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said in a statement. "Patriotism also isn’t concentrated in any one particular area – the top states are located in vastly different geographic regions."

Most patriotic states in US

  1. Virginia
  2. Montana
  3. Vermont
  4. Colorado
  5. Oregon
  6. North Dakota
  7. Washington
  8. Maryland
  9. Minnesota
  10. New Hampshire

See the full report here.

The Source: The information for this story was provided by WalletHub. Data used to create these rankings was collected as of May 18, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Manpower Data Center, Peace Corps, Military OneSource, United States Elections Project, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, AmeriCorps and iCivics. This story was reported from Los Angeles.

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