Does Your State Love Their Neighbors?

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:18).

Do you have good neighbors or do you even know their names? More than ever before, Americans are lacking a connection with their neighbors and that change may have a negative impact on society as whole.

According to the Boston Globe, “In 1974, 30 percent of Americans spent time with their neighbors more than once a week, and just over 20 percent never spent time with their neighbors. Two generations later, things have flipped; almost 35 percent of us never spend time with neighbors, while less than 20 percent do so more than once a week.”

In fact, less engagement with those who live around us has led to a declining trust in others, while nearly doubling rates of loneliness in the past two decades.

While being a good neighbor starts with saying “hi,” the folks at Lawn Starter wanted to go further and ranked which states had the best neighbors. To do that, they surveyed 1,000 people in all 50 states about their neighbors’ pets, yard cleanliness, assistance with projects, invitations to events, and more. When all the results were compiled, five states across the country came out on top.

States with the Friendliest Neighbors
1. Vermont
2. South Dakota
3. Rhode Island
4. Utah
5. Maryland

Meanwhile, survey respondents in Louisiana and Mississippi were the most frustrated with their neighbors, followed by Kansas, Hawaii, and Maine.

No matter where your state lies in the spectrum, it’s a good reminder that positive change in your community can start with your homeschool family.

“It should be clear that there is a breakdown in the sense of community among people who live in close proximity, “ wrote Logan Freedman for Lawn Starter. “The good news is that you can change that. It might require a bit of work, but you can be the person that hosts that block party or at least takes the initiative to get a handful of people from around the community together.”