The Most Polite U.S. States

Politeness can make or break your day. A friendly “thank you” at the coffee shop or a simple “please” can brighten even the busiest morning, while a rude comment or ignored hello can leave you wishing you’d just stayed home.

In some states, being polite seems natural, making daily life smoother, while in others… not so much.

To find out where the most polite people in America live, Tarotoo analyzed Reddit activity across the U.S.. The study looked at how often polite words appeared, including thank you / thanks, please, welcome, excuse me, appreciate, and respect / respectfully. States were then ranked by total mentions per 10,000 subreddit members, showing where good manners are most common online.

Minnesota tops the list as the most polite state in the country, with 4,470 mentions of polite words like thank you and please, translating to 104.93 mentions per 10,000 subreddit members. Everyday courtesy seems second nature here, making online interactions noticeably friendly.

Tennessee comes in second with 1,205 total mentions and 92.69 polite keywords per 10,000 members. Manners show up in everyday conversations, from casual chats online to interactions in local communities.

The least polite U.S. states, according to Reddit

While some states are filled with online pleasantries, others appear far less inclined to say “please” or “thank you.” Based on the same Reddit analysis, these states recorded the lowest frequency of polite keywords per 10,000 subreddit members, suggesting that courtesy is less visible in everyday online interactions.

At the bottom of the ranking is West Virginia, which recorded just 18.62 polite mentions per 10,000 members. That places it firmly as the least polite state in the study, with polite language appearing relatively rarely across Reddit discussions.

Just above it is Utah, with 19.70 mentions per 10,000 members, followed closely by Rhode Island at 21.26. In these states, polite expressions such as “thanks,” “appreciate it,” or “excuse me” are noticeably less common in online conversations compared with the national average.

Rounding out the bottom five are California and New Jersey, with 24.49 and 24.80 polite mentions per 10,000 members respectively. Despite their large populations and high Reddit activity, polite language appears less frequently relative to user count, pushing them towards the lower end of the table.

It’s worth noting that this study reflects online behavior only. A lack of polite keywords on Reddit doesn’t necessarily mean people are rude in real life, but it does highlight where courtesy is less visible in digital conversations compared with other parts of the U.S.

The full list of the most polite U.S. states:

Methodology

This study identified the most polite U.S. states by tracking how often Reddit users said words like Thank you / thanks, Please, Welcome, Excuse me, Appreciate, and Respect / respectfully.

States were ranked by polite keywords per 10,000 members, highlighting where manners matter most online.

Source: Reddit