Get our free mobile app

Does that whole 'Minnesota Nice' thing mean we have friendly neighbors here in Minnesota too?

Living here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we like to think we're pretty friendly, don't we? We're not rude like those folks who live on the East Coast in New York or New Jersey or even over in Wisconsin are, right? But just how friendly ARE we as neighbors here in the North Star State?

Well, as it turns out, if you thought we were friendly here in Minnesota, you're right. In fact, according to this new survey of America's Friendliest Neighbors from RTA Outdoor Living, Minnesota has the 7th friendliest neighbors in America!

That's right, we're #7 on the list of states with the friendliest neighbors in the U.S. here in 2021. Only West Virginia, Utah, South Dakota, Kansas, Wyoming and Hawaii (which was ranked #1) have friendlier neighbors than we do here in Minnesota.

We're even WAAAY more friendly here in Minnesota than the folks in my home state of Wisconsin, which was rated 44th on the list of friendly neighbors. And, concurrently, Wisconsin ranked 6th on the list of the states with the least friendly neighbors.

Here's how RTA Outdoor Living came up with these rankings:

We polled at least 30 Americans in every U.S. state and asked them to rate their neighbors’ friendliness on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the least friendly and 5 being the most friendly. We also asked respondents to weigh in on general neighborly friendliness—whether they wave hello, offer help, and perform other niceties.

I have to concur with Minnesota neighbors being friendly. In our neighborhood, we have some really great neighbors! Our next-door neighbor has brought us a plate of homemade Christmas cookies every year since we first moved here. And, our neighbors across the street have helped corral our dog, Asher, when he somehow got out of the fence in our backyard. And they've all helped clear snow out of our driveaway on several occasions too.

Our friendliness here in Minnesota CAN sometimes create a few problems, though-- like when it comes to saying goodbye. You've heard of 'The Minnesota Goodbye', right? It's a real thing. Keep scrolling to see what I mean!

UFF-DA! The 9 Stages of 'The Minnesota Goodbye'

More From 98.1 Minnesota's New Country