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 New York than the US
The countries that resemble New York much more than the United States overall are all located in Europe. Not only do these countries have a similar climate to New York, but they also share many political and economic characteristics.
- France‘s progressive politics, strong labor protections, and global influence in finance, art, and fashion also align closely with New York’s values and international character. Furthermore, their demographics have similarities. Both have a high level of diversity with many people with African and Middle Eastern ancestry.
- Lithuania‘s climate is similar to the New York’s. It has a continental climate closer to New York’s four-season weather than much of the U.S. Lithuanians and New Yorkers are famous for their love of basketball. They have many laws in place to protect the rights of workers. Both have banned smoking in public places as well.
- Latvia is located just to the north of Lithuania. Both Latvia and New York have a mix of Protestants, Catholics, and atheists. In addition, they tend to have many Olympians in both the summer and winter games. Latvia has positioned itself as an economic and bridge between Western and Eastern Europe, particularly through its major ports.
- Slovenia combines vibrant cities with access to nature, much like New York State’s balance of New York City and the Adirondacks. They are mostly forested and mountainous, but have some cornfields as well. Politically, Slovenia tends to have liberal laws, like New York. Both have banned capital punishment and allow same sex marriage.
- Belgium functions as a global hub for governance and international affairs, much like New York’s role in finance and diplomacy. Belgium’s liberal politics and robust social welfare system align closely with New York’s diverse, progressive character, distinguishing it from the United States overall.
- Moldova, 7. Hungary, 8. Luxembourg, 9. Germany, 10. Czechia
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to New York than the US
The top 5 countries with less traits in common with New York than the United States overall are all predominately Muslim nations. As a result, these countries have more conservative governments and are also quite religious as well. Furthermore, their climates tend to be hotter and drier. As a result, their landscapes are not as forested.
- Iraq has a hot desert climate, frequent political instability, and low gender equality. Its infrastructure is recovering from decades of conflict. It is also deeply religious nation. These characteristics are all very different from New York’s liberal values.
- Yemen also has very little in common with New York. Its extremely hot and arid climate. It is also one of the least developed nations in the world. Yemen’s conservative, highly religious culture contrasts strongly with New York’s secular, diverse society.
- Saudi Arabia is another country on the Arab peninsula on this list. Saudi Arabia’s gender roles and restrictions on personal freedoms make it one of the least similar societies to liberal New York. Saudi Arabia relies on the oil and gas industry, unlike New York.
- Egypt has a hot, dry climate with limited forested areas, very different from New York’s more temperate and wooded landscape. Religion plays a dominant role in daily life. Its conservative values and economic struggles stand in stark contrast to New York’s.
- Iran borders Iraq. It enforces strict religious laws, while New York has more liberal laws. Its climate is generally arid or semi-arid, lacking the greenery of New York State, and its conservative cultural norms clash with New York’s openness and diversity.
- Pakistan, 7. Turkey, 8. Syria, 9. Jordan, 10. Oman
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to New York than the US
All data accurate as of 2025.