Residents In Montana, Alaska Have Most State Pride In U.S.

People living in Montana and Alaska have the most state pride according to a poll released by Gallup, USA TODAY reported.

In the survey, 77 percent of residents in both states said their state was the best to live in or among the best states to live in.

According to the poll, the top 10 states to live in are Montana, Alaska, Utah, Wyoming, Texas, Hawaii, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Colorado, and Vermont.

The top 10 worst states to reside in are Rhode Island, Illinois, Mississippi, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, New Jersey, Maryland, Missouri, and Connecticut.

Residents who hold a lot of state pride "generally boast a greater standard of living, higher trust in state government, and less resentment toward the amount they pay in state taxes," the poll said.

Additionally, data shows a correlation between positive attitudes and the state's location in a mountainous region with cold weather. It also demonstrates a relation between negative outlook and the state's location east of the Mississippi River or bordering it.

Texas residents were most likely to say their state was the very best one to live in, USA TODAY said, while most residents in other states were more likely to say their state was "one of the best."

The poll was conducted from June to December 2013 and included interviews with at least 600 people in each state.

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