List of U.S. states ranked per five-factor model personality trait

Last updated August 25, 2021

This article contains a table of the 50 U.S. states and the U.S. District of Columbia listed by each personality trait as defined by the five-factor model of personality.

Five-factor model

The five-factor model is a taxonomy that attempts to classify personality types via a basis of five key personality dimensions. These dimensions were chosen based on commonly used verbal descriptions of personalities in such a way that tries to describe personalities without using commonly correlated descriptors.^[1] The dimensions used in this model are extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience.

Several studies have identified multiple confounding traits to geographic variance which correlate to each of the above personality traits, such as a negative correlation between criminality and agreeableness.^[2]

Methodology

The data in this article are sourced from a 2008 APS study which utilized data collected from 1999 to 2005 during a separate personality study involving online participants, as well as multiple secondary data sources to capture population, crime, and occupation statistics.^[2] The 2008 study compiled and normalized the data to correct for duplicate responses and underrepresented populations.^[2]

Personality dimensions by State

Maps of five-factor model personality dimensions per U.S state

Extraversion per U.S. state and District of Columbia.
Agreeableness per U.S. state and District of Columbia.
Conscientiousness per U.S. state and District of Columbia.
Neuroticism per U.S. state and District of Columbia.
Openness to experience per U.S. state and District of Columbia.

Five-factor model personality dimensions (U.S. states and District of Columbia)^[2]
	Extraversion		Agreeableness		Conscientiousness		Neuroticism		Openness
State	Rank	Score	Rank	Score	Rank	Score	Rank	Score	Rank	Score	Sample size
Alabama	20	0.22	36	−0.27	36	−0.53	30	−0.26	48	−1.32	11,985
Alaska	49	−1.63	51	−4.33	51	−3.00	47	−1.20	49	−1.37	4,317
Arizona	24	−0.03	31	−0.06	9	1.06	45	−1.09	31	−0.02	12,570
Arkansas	31	−0.21	41	−0.53	37	−0.54	10	1.01	27	0.06	4,424
California	38	−0.57	28	0.04	27	−0.13	37	−0.53	6	1.05	71,873
Colorado	28	−0.19	29	0.03	15	0.69	50	−1.97	8	0.97	11,446
Connecticut	33	−0.36	43	−0.72	46	−1.11	15	0.54	12	0.65	6,836
Delaware	21	0.15	37	−0.29	34	−0.48	19	0.21	42	−0.93	1,881
District of Columbia	3	1.73	50	−2.13	40	−0.61	31	−0.35	1	3.26	2,155
Florida	10	0.65	14	0.55	8	1.11	36	−0.50	13	0.59	27,424
Georgia	6	1.22	8	0.87	3	1.43	33	−0.39	20	0.19	18,807
Hawaii	39	−0.58	24	0.17	49	−1.57	40	−0.74	46	−1.28	2,940
Idaho	46	−1.22	39	−0.45	26	−0.09	32	−0.36	30	−0.02	3,178
Illinois	9	0.80	26	0.07	11	0.90	20	0.21	21	0.17	27,739
Indiana	34	−0.36	19	0.38	14	0.71	13	0.88	34	−0.18	13,515
Iowa	15	0.45	15	0.54	33	−0.44	22	0.15	43	−0.97	6,514
Kansas	13	0.56	17	0.47	5	1.24	34	−0.44	38	−0.52	6,976
Kentucky	36	−0.41	21	0.22	19	0.37	7	1.17	45	−1.10	7,827
Louisiana	30	−0.20	13	0.55	30	−0.24	8	1.14	29	−0.01	6,519
Maine	11	0.64	46	−0.86	50	−1.64	12	0.90	35	−0.22	3,540
Maryland	51	−1.99	38	−0.42	35	−0.51	17	0.45	10	0.74	12,286
Massachusetts	42	−0.81	40	−0.51	43	−0.75	11	0.98	4	1.20	16,154
Michigan	17	0.37	11	0.69	21	0.21	26	−0.09	36	−0.30	21,938
Minnesota	5	1.29	2	1.41	22	0.14	41	−0.80	40	−0.67	14,532
Mississippi	19	0.34	3	1.39	12	0.79	4	1.50	41	−0.80	3,609
Missouri	18	0.35	16	0.51	10	0.97	25	−0.09	32	−0.04	12,565
Montana	43	−0.94	42	−0.71	29	−0.24	39	−0.71	16	0.43	1,945
Nebraska	4	1.71	10	0.74	7	1.15	44	−1.00	44	−1.07	4,410
Nevada	37	−0.55	48	−1.41	24	−0.06	42	−0.83	9	0.94	3,531
New Hampshire	50	−1.87	30	−0.05	44	−0.82	14	0.70	14	0.58	3,255
New Jersey	14	0.54	34	−0.17	45	−1.03	5	1.47	15	0.49	16,580
New Mexico	22	0.15	33	−0.17	1	2.40	29	−0.20	23	0.14	4,077
New York	32	−0.31	47	−1.17	42	−0.67	3	1.55	2	1.32	32,602
North Carolina	35	−0.39	7	0.98	2	1.65	24	−0.06	33	−0.18	16,432
North Dakota	1	3.08	1	1.60	23	0.13	43	−0.84	51	−3.12	2,372
Ohio	25	−0.05	27	0.04	38	−0.56	9	1.10	24	0.12	24,018
Oklahoma	27	−0.14	9	0.86	6	1.16	27	−0.15	37	−0.46	8,095
Oregon	44	−1.10	18	0.42	31	−0.31	48	−1.27	3	1.26	10,211
Pennsylvania	12	0.60	35	−0.21	28	−0.19	6	1.22	25	0.09	25,915
Rhode Island	40	−0.61	45	−0.84	48	−1.55	2	1.61	28	0.04	2,021
South Carolina	26	−0.07	20	0.36	16	0.66	16	0.53	26	0.09	5,918
South Dakota	7	0.97	23	0.19	17	0.65	49	−1.68	39	−0.61	1,572
Tennessee	29	−0.19	6	1.08	13	0.72	23	0.11	19	0.19	10,662
Texas	16	0.42	25	0.12	18	0.42	28	−0.17	17	0.40	45,432
Utah	8	0.89	4	1.36	4	1.36	51	−2.52	18	0.28	8,368
Vermont	47	−1.22	12	0.55	41	−0.66	18	0.43	7	0.99	1,637
Virginia	45	−1.16	44	−0.80	39	−0.58	21	0.18	11	0.71	18,093
Washington	48	−1.37	22	0.19	25	−0.07	46	−1.10	5	1.20	17,890
West Virginia	23	0.06	32	−0.15	32	−0.41	1	2.36	22	0.15	3,412
Wisconsin	2	2.14	5	1.32	20	0.29	35	−0.45	47	−1.31	15,863
Wyoming	41	−0.78	49	−1.44	47	−1.46	38	−0.59	50	−1.80	1,536

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References

↑ Goldberg LR (January 1993). "The structure of phenotypic personality traits". American Psychologist . 48 (1): 26–34. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.48.1.26. PMID 8427480.
1 2 3 4 Rentfrow, Peter J.; Gosling, Samuel D.; Potter, Jeff (September 2008). "A Theory of the Emergence, Persistence, and Expression of Geographic Variation in Psychological Characteristics". Perspectives on Psychological Science. 3 (5): 339–369. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00084.x. PMID 26158954.

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[Goldberg,_L._R._(1993).-1] Goldberg LR (January 1993). "The structure of phenotypic personality traits". American Psychologist . 48 (1): 26–34. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.48.1.26. PMID 8427480.

[mainstudy-2] 1 2 3 4 Rentfrow, Peter J.; Gosling, Samuel D.; Potter, Jeff (September 2008). "A Theory of the Emergence, Persistence, and Expression of Geographic Variation in Psychological Characteristics". Perspectives on Psychological Science. 3 (5): 339–369. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00084.x. PMID 26158954.

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