State rankings

Ugliest States

Rhode Island has the highest Ugly Score (99.07), followed by Delaware (98.61) and Indiana (97.08). Alaska has the lowest (0.13).

Culture50 states · 6 metricsUpdated May 22, 2025Original page
3 sources
50 of 51 states
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Ugly Score

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 50 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
46.57
Middle half 19.2 – 63.08
Average
45.58
50 states
Highest
99.07
Rhode Island
Lowest
0.13
Alaska

Data

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

50 states · # = rank by Ugly Score
#
1Rhode Island99.07
2Delaware98.61
3Indiana97.08
4Maryland95.57
5Pennsylvania92.05
6Ohio91.19
7Louisiana85.93
8Georgia78.81
9Illinois74.63
10Virginia72.29
11Alabama69.57
12South Carolina65.44
13West Virginia63.95
14Mississippi60.47
15Kentucky59.81
16Texas59.62
17Oklahoma58.77
18Arkansas57.27
19Kansas56.29
20New York55.01
21Iowa52.05
22New Jersey51.83
23North Carolina51.12
24Missouri47.74
25North Dakota47
26Tennessee46.13
27Nebraska45.68
28New Mexico44.98
29New Hampshire38.94
30Nevada38.48
31Colorado37.82
32Idaho34.25
33Michigan34.2
34Oregon27.51
35Wisconsin23.97
36Montana21.71
37Massachusetts21.55
38Arizona18.41
39Minnesota17.98
40Vermont17.7
41South Dakota17.67
42Utah16.75
43Florida11.43
44Wyoming8.76
45Washington5.42
46Maine4.98
47California2.5
48Connecticut0.81
49Hawaii0.13
49Alaska0.13

What correlates with Ugly Score?

Pearson r against 2,111 other state metrics sharing at least 30 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 Ugly Score tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Scenic BeautyBest States for HikingA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.59 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. # of Natural Disasters 1980-2026Natural Disasters by State
    r = +0.58 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  3. Climate and Weather DisastersOff-Grid Living Legal States
    r = +0.58 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Flights OverFlyover States
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 47
    Plot
  5. Avg Natural Disasters per Year 1980-2026Natural Disasters by State
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. Maternal Mortality Total Deaths (2019-2023)Maternal Mortality Rate by State
    r = +0.52 · strong · n = 39
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Ugly Score tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Scenic Beauty RankMost Beautiful StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.64 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  2. Tipped WagesMinimum Wage by State
    r = −0.62 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. SDG ScoreMost Racist States
    r = −0.61 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Trail DiversityBest States for Hiking
    r = −0.59 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. Required License FeeLCSW Requirements by State
    r = −0.59 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Most & Least Intelligent States Index (Guru99)Dumbest States in the United States
    r = −0.59 · strong · n = 30
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Ugly Score?
Rhode Island has the highest Ugly Score, at 99.07, followed by Delaware (98.61) and Indiana (97.08).
Which state has the lowest Ugly Score?
Alaska has the lowest Ugly Score, at 0.13.
What is the median Ugly Score across US states?
The median is 46.57 across the 50 US states with data.
Where does this ugliest states data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: This Is the Ugliest State in the U.S. - BestLife; U.S. States Ranked by State and National Park Coverage - PlaygroundEquipment; Greenest States - WalletHub.

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