The Least Similar State to Every State in the US

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The State Similarity Index attempts to quantify how similar states are to each other relative to other states. The index is a statistically-based way to measure this. The index weights equally five major aspects of states: their demographics, culture, politics, infrastructure, and geography. The methodology is exactly the same for each state.

The data from the Index was used to determine the least similar state to each state in the United States. The above map reflects the results, where many patterns emerge.

For nearly half of the states (24 in total), Hawaii is their least similar state, including nearly every Midwestern state. Wyoming is second with a total of eight. For many states on the West Coast, Southern states like Alabama and Mississippi are the least similar. For all the states in the BosWash region, Wyoming is the least similar. For several landlocked states in the West region, New Jersey and Massachusetts are the least similar. Interestingly enough, no state has a Midwestern state as its least similar.

The following table shows the least similar country to every country in the world and the amount of similarity between them. According to the Index, New Jersey and Wyoming are the absolute two least similar states. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Pennsylvania has the most similar least similar state, Hawaii.

State	Least Similar	Similarity
New Jersey	Wyoming	41.5
Wyoming	New Jersey	41.5
Massachusetts	Wyoming	42.2
Arkansas	Hawaii	42.2
Hawaii	Arkansas	42.2
Mississippi	Hawaii	42.5
North Dakota	Hawaii	42.6
Rhode Island	Wyoming	42.9
New York	Wyoming	43.3
West Virginia	Hawaii	43.3
Alabama	Hawaii	43.4
Kentucky	Hawaii	43.5
Oklahoma	Hawaii	43.9
South Dakota	Hawaii	44.5
Connecticut	Wyoming	44.6
Idaho	New Jersey	45
Indiana	Hawaii	45
Louisiana	Hawaii	45.1
Texas	Vermont	45.7
Vermont	Texas	45.7
Nebraska	Hawaii	45.7
Tennessee	Hawaii	45.7
Utah	Hawaii	46.3
California	Alabama	46.6
Maryland	Wyoming	46.7
Montana	New Jersey	46.9
South Carolina	Hawaii	47.1
Missouri	Hawaii	47.4
Kansas	Hawaii	47.5
Delaware	Wyoming	47.8
New Hampshire	Texas	47.8
Iowa	Hawaii	47.9
Alaska	New Jersey	48.4
Ohio	Hawaii	48.4
Georgia	Hawaii	48.7
Maine	Texas	48.8
Florida	Alaska	49.2
Arizona	Massachusetts	49.5
New Mexico	Massachusetts	49.7
Colorado	Mississippi	50.3
Washington	Mississippi	50.7
Michigan	Hawaii	51
North Carolina	Hawaii	51
Nevada	Alabama	51.1
Oregon	Mississippi	51.7
Wisconsin	Hawaii	51.8
Illinois	Wyoming	52.7
Virginia	Alaska	52.7
Minnesota	Hawaii	53.1
Pennsylvania	Hawaii	53.1