Stephanie Tanner’s iconic “How rude!” line from the 1987 sitcom Full House is a phrase that some Americans use more than they’d like to.
While some states are known for their kindness, others could benefit from a crash course in basic manners. This article dives into a data-driven ranking of the most impolite states in America.
1. Rhode Island
Rhode Island may be known for its beautiful seaside towns, but visitors don’t always have positive feelings about its residents.
A significant 42% of people perceive Rhode Islanders as ruder than other Americans, making it the rudest state in the U.S.
2. Massachusetts
Massachusetts shares Rhode Island’s statistic of 3.1% of its population having rude drivers. The Bay State may not be the best place to be a service worker, as the average tip is a mediocre 15%.
3. Virginia
Visitors to Virginia might want to avoid driving. A whopping 5% of drivers exhibit rude behaviors, including illegal passing and tailgating, the worst driving statistic among all 50 states.
4. New York
Many people might expect New York to be the rudest state, especially since 30% of Americans perceive New Yorkers as ruder than those in other states. However, New York’s 15.6% average tipping rate helps to offset this.
5. California
California is the first rudest state that isn’t located in the Northeast. The Golden State ranks moderately to poorly in terms of rudeness perception, average tip, and percentage of rude drivers.
6. Washington
A large 3.1% of rude drivers contribute to Washington’s ranking as one of the rudest states in the U.S. Luckily for service workers, residents are relatively more generous, tipping an average of 16.3%.
7. New Jersey
Thirty-four percent of Americans view New Jerseyans as rude. Adding to this perception, 3.6% of New Jersey’s residents exhibit rude driving behaviors.
8. Utah
Although Utahns may seem pleasant, customer service employees often see a different side when things get tough. Utah ranks as the fifth-worst state for swearing at customer service representatives.
9. Illinois
Illinois generally aligns with the trends of the top ten rudest states. The state has a higher-than-average rate of people perceiving them as rude and a rude driver rate of 3.1%.
10. Ohio
Ohio is considered an unpleasant place to drive, with data showing that 4.3% of Ohio residents practice rude driving behaviors. Even a higher 16.7% tip rate, the highest up to this point, couldn’t prevent it from being in the top ten.
11. Connecticut
The Nutmeg State has a low percentage of rude drivers, with only about 2% considered rude but falls below the national average for other rudeness factors.
12. Maryland
Maryland is tied with Connecticut for its percentage of rude drivers and has a 15.9% average tipping rate.
13. Wyoming
Wyoming has a high tipping average of 16.8%, but rude driving behaviors are common, with 4% of residents exhibiting such habits.
14. Oregon
A relatively lower percentage of rude drivers keeps Oregon in 14th place, despite Oregonians being worse tippers than Wyomingites by 0.4%.
15. South Dakota
Approximately 3% of South Dakotans have rude driving habits. The rest of the U.S. doesn’t see South Dakotans as particularly rude.
16. Wisconsin
Wisconsin is tied with South Dakota in its rudeness ranking, with the same percentage of rude drivers, though it deviates positively by being slightly better at tipping. Nevertheless, many Americans view Wisconsinites as rude.
17. Pennsylvania
Residents from the Keystone State tip their waiters and waitresses a respectable 16.7%. Pennsylvania’s roads are also more pleasant for driving, with only about 2% of its population being rude drivers.
That said, Pennsylvanians swear at customer service a decent amount and need to improve their overall rudeness perception.
18. Florida
Florida has the lowest percentage of rude drivers of the three states tied for 18th to 20th place, at around only 2%.
19. Georgia
Georgia shares Florida’s 16.4% tipping average but has about double the number of rude drivers on the road.
20 Iowa
Iowa shares Georgia’s poor 4% ranking for rude drivers. However, it’s the first state on this list to reach a generous 17% tipping average for service workers.
21. Michigan
Michigan has a 16.8% tipping average, and only about 2% of its population are rude drivers. It didn’t secure a spot lower in this ranking due to relatively poor numbers for the amount of cursing at customer service agents and perceived rudeness.
22. Tennessee
Tennessee’s tipping average of 15.9% is significantly lower than the states surrounding it in the rankings. But given that only about 2% of its residents display rude driving behaviors, and it ranks well for Zippia’s other metrics, it didn’t get placed higher on this list.
23. Alaska
Alaska is a great place to work in customer service, given its 17.1% average tipping rate. That said, 3% of its population are rude drivers, and enough Americans view Alaskans as rude to keep them towards the middle of this list.
24. Colorado
Colorado’s 16.6% tipping rate sounds relatively low at this point. However, approximately 3% of their drivers are rude. That said, Coloradans don’t have the worst potty mouths relative to residents in many other states.
25. Idaho
Idaho has the highest tipping average in the entire U.S., at a rate of 17.4%. However, Idahoans aren’t pleasant drivers to be around, with a rate of 4% rude drivers.
26. Nevada
Nevada has only 1% of its residents classified as rude drivers. Its tipping rate is also a respectable 16.6%. Unfortunately, Nevadans are perceived as rude enough and swear frequently enough to customer service agents that they didn’t earn a lower spot in this ranking.
27. Kansas
Kansas is a solid middle-of-the-road U.S. state for rudeness. It has a higher-than-average rude driver rate of 3%, but it ranks decently in the other rudeness categories.
28. Indiana
Indiana is slightly above average for the national rate of state rudeness. It has respectable numbers in both the percentages of rude drivers and average tipping rates (2% and 17.1%, respectively).
29. Hawaii
The Aloha State’s low perceived rudeness and lack of swearing when speaking with customer service agents help it rank relatively favorably.
However, it has a cringe-worthy average tipping amount of 14.8%. Interestingly, 60% of Hawaiians believe their state is more polite than other states in the U.S.
30. Missouri
Missouri has the lowest average tipping percentage and a moderate 2% of rude drivers.
31. New Mexico
Only 1% of New Mexico residents are considered rude drivers, and it has an above-average tipping rate of 16.9%. Unfortunately, New Mexico doesn’t rank as well for perceived rudeness and customer service communication.
32. North Dakota
North Dakota’s 3% of rude drivers isn’t a pretty look. But with a 16.8% average tipping rate and decent numbers in the perceived rudeness and not swearing at customer service categories, it enjoys an above-average ranking for not being among the rudest states in the U.S.
33. Montana
Americans view residents of Montana to be less rude than in many other states. Only about 2% of residents in the Treasure State lay on their horns, cut people off, and display other rude driving behaviors.
34. Oklahoma
Oklahomans are generous with their tipping, giving servers an average tip of 16.8%. They also fall in the median for the number of rude drivers on the road.
35. Texas
Zippia’s rudeness data supports the phrase, “Everything’s bigger in Texas,” assuming friendly people are the “bigness” one refers to. Texas residents tip a decent 16.6%, and they score decently in Zippia’s other rudeness categories.
36. Arizona
Arizonans are the second-highest tippers in the U.S., with an average tip rate of 17.3%. Furthermore, only about 2% of their residents are rude drivers.
37. New Hampshire
New Hampshire stands out on this list for having little rudeness compared to many states near it. With only moderate driving rudeness, the Granite State may be a good choice for your next road trip.
38. West Virginia
West Virginia ties with Arizona for its residents tipping a generous average 17.3% amount. The Mountain State is also one of only three states so far to have a low 1% of rude drivers.
39. Nebraska
Nebraska’s 3% of rude drivers doesn’t bode well for the state. But given that it doesn’t have a ton of residents who swear at customer service agents and a low perceived rudeness, the Cornhusker State ranks decently.
40. Alabama
Alabama has a decent tipping rate of 16.6% and low perceived rudeness.
41. Delaware
Delaware has larger swings than Alabama despite these states’ similar rankings. It has a massive 4% driving rudeness rate, similar to several northern states. That said, its residents tip servers an average of 17.2%.
42. Maine
Maine puts Delaware to shame, with only 1% of its population being rude drivers. It tips an average of 1.2% less than Delaware, although its perceived rudeness and relatively few swear words spoken to customer service agents help it steer clear as among the rudest states in the U.S.
43. Louisiana
Louisiana ranks above average in all rudeness categories.
44. Minnesota
Minnesota’s 16% tipping average is relatively poor for its respectable spot on this list. But it ranks well in all other rudeness categories.
45. South Carolina
The perception of southern charm bodes well for South Carolina, for it ranks low for other Americans perceiving South Carolinians as rude. Its residents also tip a generous average of 16.7%.
46. Kentucky
Kentucky shares the same rate of rude drivers and tipping average as the number one least rude state on this list. Kentuckians can sometimes have a potty mouth with customer service agents, and other Americans don’t always view them as the least rude in the nation.
47. Vermont
A heartwarming 1% of drivers in Vermont are rude, according to Zippia’s findings. Despite having a relatively low tipping rate of 16%, residents in the Green Mountain State ranked well in the other rudeness categories.
48. North Carolina
North Carolinians don’t display a lot of rude behaviors, according to Americans. The state also has some of the fewest rude drivers and the highest tipping averages in the nation.
49. Arkansas
Arkansans are the second-least rude residents in the U.S.. While Arkansas has a moderate 2% rate of rude drivers, it ranks high in all other categories.
50. Mississippi
The nickname “Magnolia State” may be enough to elicit the perception of non-rudeness among out-of-staters. Mississippi residents excel in the categories Zippia analyzed, making it the best state in the U.S. for travelers wanting to avoid rudeness.
Alicia Richards