Snobbiest U.S. States: How Smug Is Virginia?

Arlington VA

22 April, 2021

10:05 AM

Description

VIRGINIA — If you live in Virginia, have a bachelor's degree and happen to love wine, you might want to slow down and check your sense of social superiority at the door, according to one new ranking. Job search website Zippia recently released its ranking of the country's snobbiest states. Using a far-from-scientific method, Zippia concluded that the snobbiest of Americans have flocked to coastal states, whereas most down-to-earth folk have stuck to the country's middle. Virginia is among those considered the most snobby. In fact, our state ranked 10th on the list. Ironically, the snob-o-meter that Zippia used to determine each state's ranking is fairly snobby in itself: Have a bachelor's degree? This puts your personal smug factor a step above everyone else. Have a degree in art and humanities? These "scientifically" increase a person's snobbiness; however, the report doesn't cite which scientific sources it considered. Is there an Ivy League college in your state? You're certainly a snob by proxy. This metric also excludes — an active verb among the snooty — everyone outside of a small cluster of states in the Northeast. Finally, if you drink a lot of wine, you might as well kiss a life of humility goodbye. For this measure, Zippia looked at the states where residents consumed the most bottles of wine per capita. The ranking also noted that wine narrowly beat out craft beer. Zippia didn't, however, look at factors like wealth, income level or socioeconomic status. So, why did Virginia rank where it did? Virginia is the only Southern state to break the top 10 for snobbiest states. However, while Virginia may be in the South, it is educated far more in-line with Northeastern states. For some reason, Zippia equates the life-long search for knowledge and self-improvement with snobbiness. There may be pockets of real "snobbiness" in Arlington, Loudoun and Charlottesville — University of Virginia, we're looking at you. But as most native Virginians will attest, Virginia is a state where residents warmly welcome visitors, enjoy home-cooked meals and a cold beer. The stereotype of snobby people flocking to coastal states is just that — a stereotype that has no bearing in reality or truth. A significant percentage of Virginia's population is down-to-earth with a clear understanding of the facts and realities of the world. Here are the top 10 snobbiest states, according to the ranking: 1. Massachusetts2. Vermont3. Connecticut4. New York5. New Hampshire6. Rhode Island7. California8. Oregon9. Maine10. Virginia Here are the 10 least snobby states: 41. Indiana and South Carolina (tie)43. Iowa44. Wyoming45. South Dakota46. Alabama47. Arkansas48. Oklahoma49. Mississippi50. West Virginia See the full ranking of snobbiest U.S. states. In closing, if you refuse to take this study as a true indicator of your state's smugness, we get it. In fact, here are a few other rankings to peruse, some of which might offer a more educated assessment of your state's greatness. Virginia Ranks In Top 10 States In Country: U.S. NewsVirginia Drivers Rank Among Best In The U.S. In New Study 4 VA Companies Among 2021 Best Companies To Work For: Fortune NoVA Suburb Among Money's Best Places To Live In 2020Virginia's 200 Best Places To Live For 2020 Ranked