Independence Day is Just Around the Corner; How Patriotic is Your Home State?

The Fourth of July is quickly approaching, and you may consider yourself a patriot, but does your home state bleed red, white and blue? The personal-finance website, WalletHub, released Tuesday its report, 2018's Most Patriotic States in America.

On its website, WalletHub says "some states are better than others at showing their national pride." It looked at all 50 states across "13 key indicators of patriotism."

Those categories include the average number of people enlisted in the military to the share of adults who cast their ballots in the 2016 presidential election.

Who won? Virginia.

Here's a look at the Top 10 Most Patriotic States:
 
 1.  Virginia
 2.  Alaska
 3.  Wyoming
 4.  South Carolina
 5.  Idaho
 6.  Colorado
 7.  Hawaii
 8.  Washington
 9.  North Carolina
10. Georgia

Key findings of the study include:

Red states are more patriotic than blue states.

Alaska has the most veterans per 1,000 civilian adults. New York has the fewest.

Maine has the highest share of adults who went to the polls in the 2016 presidential election. Hawaii has the lowest share.

Utah has the highest volunteer rate. Florida has the lowest.

As part of its study, WalletHub asked a panel of experts for insights into patriotism. For example, one question was "What are the characteristics of a good patriot?"

"In my mind, a good patriot is a citizen who can at once acknowledge the nation for its greatness yet recognize its frailties with an eye toward ever improving," said Stefan Bradley, associate professor and chair of African American Studies at Loyola Maryland University.

"A 'good patriot', in a sociological sense, would be someone who deeply loves their country and expresses that love through active and committed citizenship that has positive consequences," said Thomas Cushman, professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology at Wellesley College.

Jeffery P. Whitman, professor of Philosophy at Susquehanna University, said a good patriot is "a person who understands the Constitution of the United States and is willing to defend the principles upon which it is based."

WalletHub used information from several sources to put together its patriotic ranking including the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Manpower Data Center, Corporation for National & Community Service, Peace Corps, Military OneSource, United States Elections Project, Administrative Office of the United States Courts and Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement.