Potential Romeo and Juliets looking for love in 2017 should heed a new study that looks at which US states are the best for lovers.
The nationwide study of positive relationships – the first of its kind – looked at data from people all across America to see, geographically, which state satisfied the most. Curiosity got the better of you? Read on.
The researchers were curious about how relationships characterize places and whether people’s relationships and relational style vary across geography. In their study, published in the Journal of Research in Personality, they looked at survey data from 127,070 people across all 50 states to measure “attachment anxiety”, how clingy and afraid people are their lover will leave them, and “attachment avoidance”, where people dislike or avoid being close to their partners, and where this occurs.
According to lead author William Chopik, assistant psychology professor at Michigan State University, surprisingly, many of the states actually fit their stereotypes, such as New York, which ranked ninth worst for both.
"When I think of New York, I think of the anxious Woody Allen type, and New York had one of the highest scores for attachment anxiety," Chopik said in a statement. "California, on the other hand, seems like a romantic place with beautiful sunsets, oceans, and warm weather.
The study discovered that the states that ranked the lowest for anxiety and avoidance of partners also had the highest marriage rates and lowest figures of people living in isolation. However, they did point out that secluded mountainous or desert areas, which might be more attractive to those looking to be on their own, might explain some of the findings.
So, the verdict? Virginia may have been claiming it’s for lovers since 1969, but in 2017 it’s Mississippi, Utah, and Wisconsin who are vying for the top spot. Sorry Virginia, you only rated in the middle.
Want to know how your state did? Here’s a quick Top 10 of the most romantic states for your perusal (and possible future job/house-seeking needs).
- 1. Mississippi
- 2. Utah
- 3. Wisconsin
- 4. Vermont
- 5. Alaska
- 6. North Carolina
- 7. Delaware
- 8. Minnesota
- 9. Oregon
- 10. California
And the worst?
- 41. Indiana
42. New York - 43. Colorado
- 44. South Carolina
- 45. Ohio
- 46. Rhode ISLAND
- 47. South Dakota
- 48. Kansas
- 49. Kentucky
- 50. North Dakota
Don't despair, though, if your state doesn't list highly on the desirable scale.
"To a certain degree, positive relationships are found everywhere and transcend time and place," the authors conclude. "After all, home is where the heart is."
