
Is Iowa Friendly to Visitors? Supposedly…No!
Everyone from the state of Iowa or anyone who has lived here is familiar with the phrase 'Iowa nice' but it turns out that it might not be as popular a phrase around the country.
Whether or not a state is considered 'friendly' probably won't affect where you plan your trip but it can surely impact your trip when you get there. You could have your dream trip all planned out and you've been waiting for months to have some relaxing time away from work, and when you finally arrive at your destination...everyone is just kind of a jerk. It probably won't ruin the trip but you'll likely remember that when you leave.
This has likely happened to you already! Have you ever been visiting another state and there seems to be something off about the locals? I hate to call this state out but I'm going to...For me, I got a weird vibe in Indiana when my wife and I visited there.

There was nothing huge that happened to make me think this way. No one screamed in my face or threw garbage at me. It was mostly just small stuff. I've never been in a state where so few people said "thanks" when you held a door open for them or tried to slow down the elevator when people were trying to get on it.
It wasn't the biggest deal but I clearly remember situations like that that when we were there and it just seemed weird to me. Is this fair to the rest of the state? Of course not. Sadly, I'll always think about this when I was in Indiana. Sorry Indiana but I said what I said!
Which States Are the Most Friendly?
Sadly, Iowa isn't found very high on this list from World Population Review. Cultures can vary state to state, even though we're all in the same country, and it appears that hospitality for visitors varries from state to state. The southern states are going to be completely different from northeastern states. The west coast is going to be pretty different from the Midwest. Sadly, not all states are viewed the same when it comes to friendliness.
Big 7 Travel asked 2.5 million people which states are the friendliest, which is a pretty good sample size, and they used two factors to determine their findings. They used "personal experience and state's average tipping rate."
Iowa was ranked 29th!
*The darker the green the less friendly the state.*
29th is obviously not very high on a list of 50. We're pretty close to being considered a middle of the road friendly state for visitors. To be fair...only 1 midwestern state appears in the top 5 most friendly. 3 out of the top 5 are considered southern states and 1 would be considered a western state.
The Top 5 Friendliest States
According to World Population Review, these are the top 5 most friendly states;
- 5 - Wyoming - This state is pretty quite with the smallest population in the country but supposedly you can leave your car keys in the ignition and not worry about someone stealing it.
- 4 - Texas - While Texas is huge, most local are excited to show you the unique culture that each city brings. Despite it's size, locals are supposedly happy to show you their small town hospitality.
- 3 - South Carolina - Southern hospitality strikes again. South Carolina is apparently a pretty popular destination spot with its beaches and friendly locals.
- 2 - Tennessee - We have another state full of southern hospitality. Nashiville is one of the music capitals of the world and residents want you to experience a good time.
- 1 - Minnesota - Shoutout to my homestate! Minnesotans are known for "being extra polite" even when it's -0 outside. Minnesota isn't necessarily a popular tourist destination and when someone plans a trip to Minnesota, the residents want to show how amazing Minnesota is for people who've never been there.
In the least surprising news of all time, the meanest state for tourists to visit it New York. Which I think just about everyone can see that coming a mile away.
What do you think about this study? Are these results fair? Could Iowa use a little work on being more friendly to people who visit or do you think Iowa nice is normally on full display to visitors? Let us know in the comments!
What Non-Iowans Think of Iowa
Gallery Credit: Johnny Marks
Companies Based in Iowa
Gallery Credit: Johnny Marks