Have you ever wondered which U.S. states resemble countries more closely than others? The Country – US State Comparisons are designed to quantify just that — measuring how similar each U.S. state is to different countries around the world relative to the United States. This index provides a data-driven way to make those comparisons. It equally weights five major factors: demographics, culture, politics, technology, and geography. Over 1,000 different data points are used to generate the results.
Top 10 Countries More Similar to Kentucky than the US
Kentucky is more religious and politically conservative than the United States overall. It is also not as developed. The state has a mix of lush forests and farmlands. Although it is landlocked, it has a lot of shipping infrastructure as well. Four of the five countries more similar to Kentucky than the United States overall are in Eastern Europe.
- Bosnia & Herzegovina‘s rolling hills and river valleys especially resemble Kentucky. Both grow a lot of corn. Hunting is a common recreational activity in these places too. The median age of their people is similar as well. Furthermore, a similar percentage of their people believe in religion.
- Central African Republic is a landlocked country in the middle of Africa. There is no overall public ban of smoking in either Kentucky or Central African Republic. In addition, their taxes are extremely low. Another similarity is that Central African Republic and Kentucky do not restore the right to vote to people after they have been incarcerated.
- Serbia borders Bosnia & Herzegovina. Serbia and Kentucky have a similar climate in between continental and temperate. Furthermore, a high percentage of their people own guns. Both allow their citizens to have hand guns and long guns. In addition, neither Serbia nor Kentucky is highly urbanized. They also do not allow marriage to cousins.
- Moldova is located between Ukraine and Romania. Moldova and Kentucky have a lot in common. The country is relatively conservative, especially on social issues, much like Kentucky. They also create most of their electricity from coal power. Both regions have a strong history of manufacturing.
- North Macedonia combines mountainous terrain with fertile valleys, echoing Kentucky’s natural diversity. Both regions have mixed economies centered on manufacturing, agriculture, and mining. In fact, both have many coal, iron, and lead mines. Their populations tend to hold traditional views as well.
- Montenegro, 7. Liberia, 8. Burkina Faso, 9. Vanuatu, 10. Togo
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to Kentucky than the US
Interestingly enough, four of the five nations with significantly fewer similarities to Kentucky than the United States overall are located in the Western Hemisphere. These countries have a lot of coastline and are less politically conservative than Kentucky.
- Canada and Kentucky are far different politically, since Canada’s laws are much less conservative. Canada has has vast coastlines on three different oceans, in contrast to landlocked Kentucky. Canada’s population is also more diverse.
- Australia has a much drier climate than Kentucky. Politically, Australia is more liberal on environmental policies and social issues compared to Kentucky. It is also less densely populated than Kentucky and has a lower percentage of forested land.
- Mexico is located directly south of the United States. Mexico’s long coastlines on both oceans the contrast sharply with landlocked Kentucky. Mexico has a warmer climate overall, with deserts, tropical regions, and mountain ranges.
- Argentina is a Spanish-speaking country in South America. Politically and socially, Argentina leans more liberal on issues like same-sex marriage and abortion, contrasting with Kentucky’s more conservative policies. It has a lower percentage of forested land than Kentucky too.
- Chile borders Argentina and is quite similar. It has a massive amount of coastline, in contrast to Kentucky. In addition, Chile’s climate varies dramatically from north to south, while Kentucky has a temperate climate.
- New Zealand, 7. Japan, 8. Italy, 9. Spain, 10. Russia
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to Kentucky than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.