State rankings

States by Number of Borders

Tennessee has the highest # of State Bordered (8), followed by Missouri (8) and Colorado (7). Maine has the lowest (1).

# of State BorderedBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
48 of 51 states

# of State Bordered

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 48 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
Middle half 3 – 6
Average
4.58
48 states
Highest
8
Tennessee
Lowest
1
Maine

Data

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

48 states · # = rank by # of State Bordered
#
1Tennessee8Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia
1Missouri8Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee
3Colorado7Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming
3Kentucky7Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
5New York6Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island (water border between Long Island & Block Island), Vermont
5Pennsylvania6Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, West Virginia
5Illinois6Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin
5Oklahoma6Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas
5Utah6Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming
5Iowa6Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin
5Arkansas6Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
5Idaho6Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
5Nebraska6Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Wyoming
5South Dakota6Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming
5Wyoming6Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah
16Ohio5Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
16Georgia5Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
16Michigan5Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota (water border), Ohio, Wisconsin
16Virginia5Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia
16Arizona5California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah
16Massachusetts5Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
16Minnesota5Iowa, Michigan (water border), North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
16Nevada5Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah
16New Mexico5Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah
16West Virginia5Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia
26Texas4Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma
26North Carolina4Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia
26Indiana4Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio
26Maryland4Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
26Wisconsin4Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota
26Alabama4Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee
26Oregon4California, Idaho, Nevada, Washington
26Kansas4Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma
26Mississippi4Alabama, Arkanssas, Louisiana, Tennessee
26Montana4Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
36California3Arizona, Nevada, Oregon
36New Jersey3Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania
36Louisiana3Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas
36Connecticut3Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island
36New Hampshire3Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont
36Rhode Island3Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York (water border)
36Delaware3Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
36North Dakota3Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota
36Vermont3Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York
45Florida2Alabama, Georgia
45Washington2Idaho, Oregon
45South Carolina2Georgia, North Carolina
48Maine1New Hampshire

What correlates with # of State Bordered?

Pearson r against 2,113 other state metrics sharing at least 29 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher # of State Bordered tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Outdoor Allergy Ragweed Pollen ScoreAllergy-Friendly States
    r = +0.53 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  2. Avg Turkeys HarvestedWild Turkey Population by State
    r = +0.52 · strong · n = 36
    Plot
  3. Viability RankFarming-Friendly StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.50 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  4. Viability RankCattle Ranching by StateA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.50 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  5. Average Wind SpeedWindiest States in the U.S.
    r = +0.46 · moderate · n = 48
    Plot
  6. % of Registered RepublicansRegistered Voters by Party
    r = +0.45 · moderate · n = 29
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher # of State Bordered tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. % BuddhistMost Christian States
    r = −0.55 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  2. Maximum Testosterone LevelTestosterone Levels by State
    r = −0.51 · strong · n = 34
    Plot
  3. Assisted Living Community AMCNursing Home Costs by State
    r = −0.49 · moderate · n = 48
    Plot
  4. Annual CostAssisted Living Costs by State
    r = −0.47 · moderate · n = 48
    Plot
  5. % of Reptile Species at RiskMost Biodiverse States
    r = −0.43 · moderate · n = 40
    Plot
  6. Price Level (Utilities)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities)
    r = −0.43 · moderate · n = 48
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest # of State Bordered?
Tennessee has the highest # of State Bordered, at 8, followed by Missouri (8) and Colorado (7).
Which state has the lowest # of State Bordered?
Maine has the lowest # of State Bordered, at 1.
What is the median # of State Bordered across US states?
The median is 5 across the 48 US states with data.
Where does this states by number of borders data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: List of Neighboring States - 1keyData; A List of US States and Their Borders - Sporcle.

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