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 West Virginia than the US
West Virginia is more rural and religious than most states. It is also mountainous but densely forested. A high percentage of its people have European ancestry. The nations that resemble West Virginia much more than the United States overall have many of these same characteristics. Four of the five are countries that were once part of Yugoslavia.
- Bosnia‘s geography is similar to West Virginia. It is mountainous and densely forested. Furthermore, the majority of their people have European ancestry. The median age of their people is also much higher than average. Both have a relatively high rate of gun ownership. Coal power creates much of the electricity in Bosnia and West Virginia as well.
- Serbia borders Bosnia and has many traits in common with West Virginia. Both have relatively religious populations. Coal is also an important source of electricity in both places. Like West Virgina, Serbia is rural and has a relatively low population density outside major cities. Although their populations have predominately European ancestry, they are not very wealthy.
- North Macedonia also has several characteristics of West Virginia. Both are landlocked, have mountainous terrain, and extensive forests. Christianity is the dominant religion in both, and most people have European ancestry. Coal also plays an important role in electricity generation in both places. Their relatively older populations are another point of similarity.
- Montenegro is another mountainous, heavily forested country that resembles West Virginia. Both have predominantly European populations and a strong Christian presence. Their mountainous terrain creates isolated rural communities, while coal is also an important source of electricity. Montenegro also has a relatively low population density, like West Virginia.
- Vanuatu is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. It mirrors many of West Virginia’s defining traits. Both are densely forested and mountainous. Religion plays a central role in life, just as in West Virginia, and the majority of their people are Protestant Christian. Infrastructure is underdeveloped, like some of Appalachia’s isolated communities.
- Croatia, 7. Eswatini, 8. Guinea, 9. Zambia, 10. Romania
Top 10 Countries Less Similar to West Virginia than the US
The countries with significantly fewer similarities to West Virginia than the United States tend to have a lot of coastline and are more developed as well. In addition, their laws are significantly more liberal, with more protections for workers.
- Mexico has a large Catholic and Spanish speaking population. Compared to the rest of the United States, West Virginia’s Latino population is quite low. Furthermore, the vast majority of people in West Virginia are Protestant Christian.
- Canada is a highly urbanized, developed country with strong public infrastructure and universal healthcare, in contrast to West Virginia. Its population is less religious and more socially liberal than West Virginia’s.
- Chile has much more coastline than West Virginia. It also has more diverse geography, including deserts and polar regions. Its population is predominantly Catholic, unlike West Virginia’s largely Protestant population. Chile also has stronger labor protections and more extensive social welfare.
- Singapore is a densely populated tiny island, while West Virginia is sparsely populated and rural. Its demographics are highly diverse, with large Chinese, Malay, and Indian communities, compared to West Virginia’s overwhelmingly White population.
- Argentina also has a much larger coastline, a more urbanized population, and a predominantly Catholic culture. Argentina’ also has a more diverse landscape. Argentina’s labor laws provide stronger protections for workers, and its social policies are generally more liberal.
- Brazil, 7. Colombia, 8. Peru, 9. Australia, 10. Costa Rica
Full Ranking of Countries and Territories More Similar to West Virginia than the US
All data accurate as of 2026.