In time for the 2014 midterm elections, Gallup has asked a sample of 600 in each 50 states 14 questions on 14 different issues, ranging from ideology and partisanship via the economy and Obama approval to religiosity. Here I'll rank each state on some of these issues, namely on the following:
1) Partisanship
2) Ideology (conservative minus liberal)
3) Obama approval
4) Religiosity (% very religious)
5) Would like to remain in state (% who does not want to move to another state)
Partisanship (going from most Democratic to least)
1. Massachusetts: +24% (D advantage)
2. Maryland: +22%
3. Delaware: +18%
3. Rhode Island: +18%
5. Vermont: +17%
5. New York: +17%
7. California: +16%
7. Illinois: +16%
9. Hawaii: +15%
10. New Jersey: +12%
10. Connecticut: +12%
12. Minnesota: +8%
12. Michigan: +8%
14. Washington: +7%
14. Pennsylvania: +7%
14. New Mexico: +7%
14. West Virginia: +7%
18. Oregon: +5%
National average: +4%19. Florida: +4%
19. Louisiana: +4%
21. Maine: +3%
21. Nevada: +3%
21. New Hampshire: +3%
24. Wisconsin: +2%
24. Arkansas: +2%
26. Virginia: +1%
26. Iowa: +1%
26. North Carolina: +1%
29. Colorado: 0%
30. Ohio: -1%
31. Georgia: -2%
32. Missouri: -3%
33. Arizona: -4%
33. South Carolina: -4%
35. Texas: -5%
36. Kentucky: -6%
36. North Dakota: -6%
38. Indiana: -7%
38. Oklahoma: -7%
40. Alaska: -8%
41. Nebraska: -10%
41. Mississippi: -10%
43. Tennessee: -11%
44. Kansas: -13%
45. Alabama: -14%
46. Montana: -17%
47. South Dakota: -20%
48. Idaho: -30%
49. Utah: -36%
50. Wyoming: -37% (R advantage)
Ideology (going from least to most conservative)
1. Massachusetts: -8%
2. Hawaii: -4%
3. Vermont: -1%
4. Maryland: +2%
4. New York: +2%
4. California: +2%
7. New Jersey: +3%
7. Washington: +3%
9. Connecticut: +4%
10. Delaware: +5%
11. Illinois: +6%
11. Oregon: +6%
13. Rhode Island: +7%
14. Minnesota: +8%
14. Maine: +8%
14. Nevada: +8%
14. Colorado: +8%
18. New Hampshire: +11%
19. Pennsylvania: 12%
20. New Mexico: +13%
National average: +13%21. Michigan: +14%
21. Florida: +14%
21. Virginia: +14%
21. Iowa: +14%
25. Ohio: +15%
25. Arizona: +15%
27. Wisconsin: +16%
28. North Carolina: +18%
28. Alaska: +18%
28. Kansas: +18%
31. Georgia: +19%
32. Montana: +20%
33. West Virginia: +21%
33. Missouri: +21%
35. Texas: +22%
35. Kentucky: +22%
35. Indiana: +22%
35. Nebraska: +22%
39. Arkansas: +24%
39. South Carolina: +24%
39. North Dakota: +24%
42. Oklahoma: +25%
42. Tennessee: +25%
42. South Dakota: +25%
45. Louisiana: +28%
46. Wyoming: +29%
47. Alabama: +30%
47. Idaho: +30%
49. Utah: +31%
50. Mississippi: +36%
Obama approval1. Massachusetts: 54%
2. Maryland: 52%
2. Hawaii: 52%
4. New York: 51%
4. California: 51%
6. New Jersey: 50%
7. Rhode Island: 49%
7. Illinois: 49%
9. Delaware: 48%
9. Connecticut: 48%
11. Minnesota: 46%
12. Washington: 45%
12. Maine: 45%
12. Michigan: 45%
15. Vermont: 44%
15. Oregon: 44%
National average: 43%17. New Hampshire: 43%
17. Florida: 43%
17. Virginia: 43%
17. Wisconsin: 43%
21. Pennsylvania: 42%
21. Georgia: 42%
23. Nevada: 41%
23. Colorado: 41%
23. North Carolina: 41%
26. Arizona: 40%
26. Louisiana: 40%
26. Mississippi: 40%
29. Ohio: 39%
29. South Carolina: 39%
31. New Mexico: 38%
31. Iowa: 38%
31. Texas: 38%
34. Nebraska: 35%
35. Missouri: 34%
35. Alaska: 34%
35. Indiana: 34%
35. Tennessee: 34%
39. Arkansas: 33%
39. Alabama: 33%
41. Kansas: 32%
41. South Dakota: 32%
43. North Dakota: 31%
43. Oklahoma: 31%
45. Kentucky: 29%
45. Montana: 29%
47. Utah: 28%
48. Idaho: 25%
49. West Virginia: 24%
50. Wyoming: 19%
Religiosity (from least to most
very religious)
1. Vermont: 19%
2. Maine: 22%
3. New Hampshire: 25%
4. Massachusetts: 27%
5. Oregon: 29%
6. Washington: 30%
6. Connecticut: 30%
8. Nevada: 31%
9. New York: 33%
9. Colorado: 33%
11. Hawaii: 34%
11. California: 34%
11. Rhode Island: 34%
14. Alaska: 35%
14. Montana: 35%
14. Wyoming: 35%
17. New Jersey: 36%
18. Arizona: 37%
19. Florida: 38%
20. Maryland: 39%
20. Illinois: 39%
20. Michigan: 39%
20. Pennsylvania: 39%
20. Ohio: 39%
20. West Virginia: 39%
20. Kansas: 39%
27. Delaware: 40%
27. Minnesota: 40%
27. New Mexico: 40%
27. Iowa: 40%
27. Wisconsin: 40%
27. North Dakota: 40%
27. South Dakota: 40%
National average: 41%34. Idaho: 42%
35. Virginia: 43%
35. Missouri: 43%
37. Indiana: 44%
38. Nebraska: 46%
39. Texas: 47%
40. Oklahoma: 48%
41. Georgia: 49%
41. Kentucky: 49%
41. Tennessee: 49%
44. North Carolina: 51%
44. South Carolina: 51%
46. Louisiana: 53%
47. Arkansas: 54%
48. Alabama: 58%
48. Utah: 58%
50. Mississippi: 60%
Would like to stay in state (from least to most)
50. Connecticut: 48%
49. Illinois: 49%
48. Maryland: 51%
47. Nevada: 55%
45. New York: 56%
45. Rhode Island: 56%
43. New Jersey: 58%
43. Massachusetts: 58%
41. Mississippi: 59%
41. Arizona: 59%
40. Louisiana: 60%
38. Indiana: 61%
38. Georgia: 61%
35. Pennsylvania: 62%
35. Delaware: 62%
35. Virginia: 62%
31. Michigan: 63%
31. Kansas: 63%
31. New Mexico: 63%
31. North Carolina: 63%
29. Ohio: 64%
29. California: 64%
National average: 65%26. Missouri: 65%
26. Alaska: 65%
26. South Carolina: 65%
25. Washington: 66%
21. Kentucky: 67%
21. Arkansas: 67%
21. Tennessee: 67%
21. Florida: 67%
20. Nebraska: 68%
13. Vermont: 69%
13. Wisconsin: 69%
13. Oklahoma: 69%
13. Alabama: 69%
13. Idaho: 69%
13. Utah: 69%
13. North Dakota: 69%
12. Iowa: 70%
11. South Dakota: 71%
9. West Virginia: 72%
9. Wyoming: 72%
7. Minnesota: 73%
7. Colorado: 73%
6. Texas: 74%
3. New Hampshire: 75%
3. Montana: 75%
3. Hawaii: 75%
1. Maine: 76%
1. Oregon: 76%
Apparently, Oregon and Maine are the most attractive states in the US to live in.
One very rapid-growing state and one with a stagnant population.
And Massachusetts clearly is still the most Democratic/liberal/progressive/academic/scientific state in the nation. It's harder to pick out the most Republican/conservative/dogmatic/religious one. Utah is perhaps a better candidate than Wyoming, due to Wyoming hardly being very religious at all.
Link to the Gallup pages:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/174620/california-scorecard.aspx
