Just In Time For The 4th of July! How Patriotic Is South Dakota?

When you hear South Dakota, people almost automatically think of Mount Rushmore.  The national monument is just one of many symbols that represents freedom and liberty for all Americans.  Based on my personal experience, I am confident most Americans feel an unbelievable sense of patriotism and pride when they stand in front of Mount Rushmore.  However, this historic sculpture doesn't apparently mean that South Dakota is patriotic.

Even though Americans tour the Black Hills and fill the streets of Rapid City, South Dakota admiring past presidents, WalletHub has determined South Dakota is really not all that patriotic. \ A new survey from WalletHub, unfortunately, ranks the Mount Rushmore state in the bottom third of the list.

According to the researchers at WalletHub, this "data set ranges from the state’s military enlistees and veterans to the share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election to AmeriCorps volunteers per capita."  Well, one would think these criteria would have launched South Dakota right to the top.  Instead, it's the complete opposite.

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WalletHub's "Most Patriotic States in America" survey indicates that South Dakota sits at the 36th spot on the list...wow.  Apparently, the state is really deficient in its number of Peace Corps volunteers only to be followed by Alabama, Arkansas, Louisana, and Mississippi. But that's not the only reason why the state is near the bottom of the list.  Our state was one of five states with the lowest percentage of adults who voted in the 2020 election. Yikes!

Despite this disappointing news, three Midwestern states cracked the Top 20 including our neighboring state Minnesota. WalletHub identified these states as the 20 most patriotic states in the nation:

Although South Dakota did not score high in this study, WalletHub did conclude that Red states are more patriotic than Blue states.

One can guess this study obviously doesn’t reflect South Dakota’s true patriotic spirit. It’s certainly been my experience that South Dakotans radiate patriotism!