Which ranked higher in patriotism, Missouri or Kansas? Tell us your story | Walker
A new survey came out Monday ranking the most patriotic states. Missouri was 22nd and Kansas was 13th. Really? Somehow, I think Missourians will take issue with being ranked nine places below its neighbor. I mean, Kansas already got the Chiefs — now this?
I always question these kinds of seemingly silly and random rankings that appear in my email, but it actually did me a favor. It reminded me of our Patriotism 250 survey that closes soon.
We want to know what is your most patriotic moment? Tell us here, and we might publish it on Independence Day online and in the Opinion pages of The Kansas City Star. It can be an experience you had outside the U.S., or perhaps talking to a World Cup visitor right here. Let us know!
For me, one of my most patriotic moments just might be the time I hosted two German journalists when I was a young reporter in Gary, Indiana. We talked about going over to Chicago, and they told me how they couldn’t get over how we could so easily pass over borders from the state to state, unlike how they needed passports and papers to travel throughout all of Europe.
I remember thinking back then how easily I could go from Indiana to Illinois, to Missouri to wherever. What a wonderful and unified country I lived in. I only hope we continue to live in such unity.
But back to the ranking from WalletHub: Virginia was ranked No. 1, and Arkansas was last. So why did Missouri land so much lower than Kansas? It’s about the methodology.
WalletHub measured across two key dimensions, “Military Engagement” and “Civic Engagement,” to find the most patriotic states. Measurements also found blue states to be more patriotic than red states. That might help explain the Missouri versus Kansas difference. But it doesn’t fully explain how California was ranked 40.
Here’s how they got there, by comparing the following:
- Average number of military enlistees
- Veterans per capita
- Peace Corps volunteers per capita
- % of adults who voted in the 2024 presidential election
- Volunteer rate
Kansas patriotism
Kansas ranks 13th
Overall ranking: 55.20
Military engagement rank: 14
Civic engagement rank: 17
Missouri patriotism
Missouri ranks 22nd
Overall ranking: 49.36
Military engagement rank: 29
Civic engagement rank: 21
Hey, you don’t have to agree with WalletHub. Tell your own story of patriotism by writing us here.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of May 18, 2026, from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Manpower Data Center, Peace Corps, Military OneSource, United States Elections Project, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, AmeriCorps and iCivics.
