3 Reasons Illinois Dubbed ‘Most Hated’ State in America

Discover the surprising results of a study ranking Illinois as the most hated state in America. You'll also see the three factors that contributed to it.

There is no denying some people dislike the state they live in and Illinois residents are no different. Lack of job opportunities, high cost of living, or low-quality recreation, all of these factors lead to where a state landed on this list.

Of course, some states also make lousy neighbors. Or (as the study authors put it)

[...] practice “outreach” with smug sports teams and bad drivers cutting off unfortunate drivers nationwide.

The Most (And Least) Hated States in America

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Illinois is at the very top of this list. It's not good. Not good at all. Even worse, are the three reasons the state got there.

Before we get to the bad news, let me give you a few highlights from the study, done by Zippia, a career-building company.

• The state most hated by other states is California, as 9 states say it’s the worst.
• No states hate Colorado
• 77% of Alaskans have pride in their state, more than any other state
• Residents of New Jersey hate this state just as much as outsiders.
• Much of the hatred toward Alabama is because of its college football teams

What I found interesting is how the authors of this study were able to take people's hatred and turn it into data that could be used to come up with this list. It's much more than just asking people on the street,

Hey, why do you hate Illinois so much?

Here's how Zippia turned hate into a science, as they put it.

They looked at the percentage of residents who told a Gallup poll their state is the “worst possible state to live in.", the states with the biggest decrease in population, and lastly, nationwide how many other states say they hate another state the most?

Top 5 Most Hated States in America

1. Illinois

2. New Jersey

3. New York

4. West Virginia

5. California

How did Illinois make it to the top of this list?

The 3 Reasons Illinois is the Most Hated State in America

• % Of Residents Who Say ILLINOIS Worst State: 25% (WOW. 1 out of every 4 people)
• Illinois Population Decrease: -0.54% (While it's only half of a percent, it's still greater than any other state)
• States That Hate Illinois: 1

The study did not say what state said they hate Illinois, but if I was a betting man, I'd say it was Wisconsin. Our neighbors to the north tied at #31 on the list with our neighbors to the east, Indiana.

Head to Zippia to see where other states finished.