State rankings

Flyover States

West Virginia has the highest Flyover Ratio (195.4), followed by Kansas (52.3) and Mississippi (42.1). Massachusetts has the lowest (0.2).

CultureGeography51 states · 5 metricsUpdated Aug 2, 2023Original page
1 source
45 of 51 states
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Flyover Ratio

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 45 ranked

Highest first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
5.7
Middle half 3.1 – 18
Average
15.42
45 states
Highest
195.4
West Virginia
Lowest
0.2
Massachusetts

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

51 states · # = rank by Flyover Ratio
#
1West Virginia195.4466,3642,387
2Kansas52.3507,6389,703
3Mississippi42.1423,60510,068
4Iowa39499,96512,817
5Kentucky35.6576,29316,178
6Wyoming30.9244,7167,917
7Virginia28.6921,97732,205
8New Mexico26.9575,86221,399
9Arkansas26.4394,87614,974
10Alabama18.8447,93123,843
10South Dakota18.8151,2688,052
12Nebraska18414,41222,970
13Indiana16.8661,13839,282
14South Carolina14.4435,37830,263
14Oklahoma14.4433,73230,020
16Rhode Island10.6139,54413,151
17Connecticut9194,47821,501
17Idaho9193,89121,500
19Ohio7.1611,89685,730
20Tennessee6.9564,57281,729
21Pennsylvania6658,666110,556
22Maryland5.9581,60299,031
23North Dakota5.761,08810,726
24Montana5.491,71017,004
25New Jersey4.8587,842122,974
26Missouri4.7487,271104,404
27North Carolina4.2676,605162,329
27Louisiana4.2284,21567,165
27Vermont4.215,6813,708
30Utah3.7418,604114,239
31Nevada3.3546,578167,198
32Arizona3.2567,688176,531
33Wisconsin3.1158,71951,257
33New Hampshire3.119,6726,364
35Oregon2.5174,41271,099
36Colorado1.9461,304245,548
37Michigan1.6241,652155,896
38Illinois1.5537,712352,071
39New York1.3327,887246,409
40District of Columbia0.884,969111,168
41Georgia0.6254,667391,889
42Minnesota0.460,761138,461
43Texas0.3175,684565,292
44Washington0.226,831148,410
44Massachusetts0.220,946125,110
—California—14,562740,782
—Florida—3,177452,180
—Hawaii——102,602
—Maine——7,299
—Delaware—383,906—
—Alaska——35,897

What correlates with Flyover Ratio?

Pearson r against 2,104 other state metrics sharing at least 27 states. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Flyover Ratio tend to score higher on these

  1. Senate RepublicansMost Democratic States
    r = +0.78 · very strong · n = 43
    Plot
  2. SmokersSmoking Rates by State
    r = +0.67 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  3. Smoking RateHealthiest States
    r = +0.65 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  4. Death RateDeath Rate by State
    r = +0.59 · strong · n = 45
    Plot
  5. % of Pop. with High School Diploma or EquivalentMost Educated U.S. States
    r = +0.55 · strong · n = 45
    Plot
  6. Return on Tax DollarsDonor States
    r = +0.54 · strong · n = 45
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Flyover Ratio tend to score lower on these

  1. WH 2023 Total ScoreGreenest States
    r = −0.59 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  2. Female Life Expectancy (HALE)Life Expectancy by State
    r = −0.52 · strong · n = 45
    Plot
  3. Eco-Friendliness ScoreUgliest States
    r = −0.51 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  4. % of Pop. with Bachelors DegreeMost Educated U.S. States
    r = −0.50 · moderate · n = 45
    Plot
  5. Total Boring Score (WalletHub)Most Boring States
    r = −0.50 · moderate · n = 44
    Plot
  6. Homes with Broadband Internet (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)
    r = −0.49 · moderate · n = 45
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Flyover Ratio?
West Virginia has the highest Flyover Ratio, at 195.4, followed by Kansas (52.3) and Mississippi (42.1).
Which state has the lowest Flyover Ratio?
Massachusetts has the lowest Flyover Ratio, at 0.2.
What is the median Flyover Ratio across US states?
The median is 5.7 across the 45 US states with data.
Where does this flyover states data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Flyover States: Flight Data Shows Which States Americans Think Are Boring.