What Your State Is Most Proud Of — And How It's Celebrating America 250

When we asked 1,690 Americans to choose between their local community and the nation as a whole as their primary source of pride, local won — 41.7% to 30.6%. That’s a meaningful finding on its own.

But the state-level data is where the story gets genuinely interesting. The gap between the most locally rooted state (Vermont, at +47 percentage points) and the most nationally oriented (Texas, at -30 points) spans 77 percentage points.

These aren’t just variations in survey data — they’re distinct community identities that will shape how America 250 looks and feels in every corner of the country.

Here’s what the data shows, state by state.

The Most Locally Proud States

Six states show a local-over-national pride gap of at least +29 percentage points — nearly triple the national average of +11 points. Each has a distinct profile.

Vermont (+47pp)

Vermont has the widest local pride gap in the dataset. 58.8% of Vermonters chose their local community as their primary source of pride; only 11.8% chose the nation. That +47-point gap is more than four times the national average. Vermont’s local identity appears to be both fierce and pluralistic — 24% of Vermonters describe their community as “diverse and dynamic,” more than double the 11% national rate.

Indiana (+38pp)

Indiana has the second-widest gap in the country: 50% local pride vs. 11.8% national, a spread of +38 points. Hoosiers also over-index on sports as a community anchor — 21% cite local sports teams as a top source of local pride, compared to 12% nationally. That combination of tight local identity and sports culture shows up consistently in Indiana’s community data.

Montana (+32pp) and Rhode Island (+32pp)

Montana and Rhode Island share the third-widest gap at +32 points, though the character of that local pride differs sharply. Montana’s identity leans independent: 35% describe their community as “independent and self-reliant,” nearly double the 18% national rate. Rhode Island’s, by contrast, skews toward diversity — 47% of Rhode Islanders cite community diversity as a top pride source, and 50% of the state’s America 250 planners intend to order or wear patriotic gear.

Wisconsin (+29pp) and Hawaii (+29pp)

Wisconsin and Hawaii also share a +29-point local gap. Wisconsin combines that pride with extraordinary parade enthusiasm — 75% of Wisconsin’s America 250 planners say they’ll attend a parade, the highest rate in the entire dataset. Hawaii’s local identity runs deep in a different way: 44% of Hawaiians cite local landmarks and history as a top pride source, compared to 23% nationally, and 50% name community diversity.

The Outlier: Texas

Texas is the only major state in the survey where national pride decisively beats local. 57.6% of Texans chose the nation as their primary source of pride; only 27.3% chose their local community. That -30-point gap puts Texas at the opposite end of the spectrum from Vermont — a 77-point spread between the two states.

But the data also makes clear that national orientation and community enthusiasm are not the same thing. Texas’s America 250 planners are among the most active in the country: 71% say they’ll host or attend a block party for the anniversary — more than double the 30% national rate. Texans who plan to celebrate aren’t doing it quietly. They’re also the most likely state in the dataset to report a stronger need for community connection, with 84.8% saying they crave it more than they did a few years ago — the highest connection-hunger score in the survey.

The picture Texas paints is not disconnection. It’s a state whose pride starts with country and scales down from there — and one whose celebrations, when they happen, tend to go big.

What Each State Is Most Proud Of

Nationally, the top sources of local community pride are people and neighbors (42.4%), natural environment and outdoor spaces (29.8%), food and restaurant scene (24.6%), community diversity (24.3%), and local landmarks and history (23.5%). But state-level patterns diverge meaningfully from those averages — and the deviations tell a more specific story about regional identity.

Sports

Sports as a community pride anchor over-indexes in Alabama (24%, vs. 12% nationally), Indiana (21%), Missouri (24%), South Dakota (18%), and Tennessee (18%). These are states where a local team — whether a college program, a professional franchise, or a high school rivalry — is genuinely embedded in community identity rather than simply a preference.

Natural environment

Oregon stands out here most sharply, with 53% of residents citing natural environment as a top pride source, compared to 30% nationally. Wyoming (47%) and Hawaii (cited extensively for landscape and landmarks together) also index high. These are states where outdoor character isn’t scenic backdrop — it’s central to what residents think their community is.

Local landmarks and history

Wyoming leads at 47% (vs. 23% nationally), followed by Nebraska (38%) and Hawaii (44%). Pennsylvania is a notable case: 47% of Pennsylvanians chose local pride in the forced-choice question, and 38% of the state’s America 250 planners specifically intend to visit a historic site — fitting for the state where the Declaration was signed.

Arts and culture

Tennessee leads significantly — 29% of Tennesseans name arts and culture as a top pride source, more than double the 13% national rate. Colorado (24%), Alaska (27%), and Arizona (26%) also over-index. This concentration of arts-as-identity in states with strong creative or musical legacies is consistent with what residents told us in open-ended responses about what makes their communities distinctive.

Local government

Massachusetts is the notable outlier here: 18% cite local government as a top pride source, double the 9% national average. It’s one of the few states where civic pride and trust in local institutions appear to move together. Mississippi (15%) and North Dakota (cited for community events and traditions at 29%) show distinct patterns of civic engagement that surface in different ways.

Community events and traditions

Iowa leads the dataset at 42% (vs. 23% nationally) for community events and traditions as a pride anchor — the highest of any state. North Dakota (29%) and Kansas (well above average for tight-knit community identity) follow. In these states, the tradition of gathering is itself the thing people are proud of — not just what they gather for.

How Each State Is Planning to Celebrate

Nationally, 28.8% of Americans are actively planning something specific for America 250. But that figure ranges widely by state, and the type of celebration varies even more. Below are the most distinctive planning patterns from the state-level data.

Parades

Wisconsin (75%), New Hampshire (78%), Connecticut (73%), and Delaware (75%) all show parade attendance as the dominant America 250 activity, each roughly double the 37% national rate. These are states where the public procession is still the cultural center of a July 4th — and for the 250th, the appetite for that form of civic gathering is even higher. Alaska (71%) and Iowa (67%) also over-index substantially.

Block parties and neighborhood events

Texas (71%), Oklahoma (64%), Wisconsin (62%), and Arizona (57%) all show block party rates well above the 30% national average. These states’ planners aren’t waiting for an official event — they’re organizing their own streets and neighborhoods. Wisconsin’s block party rate is particularly notable because it coexists with that 75% parade rate: Wisconsinites are apparently planning to do both.

Historic site visits

Oregon (60%), Idaho (60%), and West Virginia (44%) lead here, each well above the 21% national rate. Oregon and Idaho’s numbers are striking because they suggest an America 250 celebration anchored less in parties and more in reflection — visiting a place that ties local geography to national history. D.C. (67%) also ranks high, which makes geographic sense for a city that is itself a collection of historic sites.

Volunteering

South Dakota (67%), Utah (58%), Missouri (56%), Delaware (50%), Kansas (50%), and Washington (54%) all show volunteering as a standout America 250 activity — at least 2.5 times the 21% national rate in most cases. These states are channeling anniversary energy into service, not just celebration. It’s a finding that speaks to a specific community ethic: the anniversary as an occasion to give back rather than just show up.

Hosting and organizing

New York leads the country at 26% of respondents saying they are personally hosting or organizing an America 250 event — 2.6 times the 10% national rate. California (18%), Virginia (15%), and Ohio (18%) also over-index on the hosting/organizing category. In these states, the America 250 moment appears to be activating people who wouldn’t typically describe themselves as event organizers.

Gear and patriotic apparel

D.C. (83%), South Carolina (60%), Maryland (50%), and Rhode Island (50%) lead on ordering or wearing patriotic gear for America 250 — each well above the 23% national rate. Louisiana’s gear agreement score (88.2% agreeing that coordinated gear makes events more cohesive, the highest in the dataset) reflects that same orientation toward the visual, collective dimension of celebration. Connecticut (45%), Oklahoma (45%), and Arkansas (44%) also over-index on patriotic gear plans.

Social media sharing

Ohio (67%), New York (50%), Oklahoma (55%), Mississippi (38%), and Washington (46%) all show social media sharing as a top America 250 activity. Ohio’s 67% rate — three times the 21% national average — is the highest in the dataset and suggests the state’s America 250 story will travel beyond its borders in real time.

Full State Data Table

All states with n≥15 in our survey of 1,690 Americans. Data fielded May 2026. Gap = % Local Pride minus % National Pride. Positive gap = local leads national; negative gap = national leads local.

State	n	% Local Pride	% National Pride	Gap (pp)	% Planning A250
Vermont	34	58.8%	11.8%	+47	17.6%
Indiana	34	50.0%	11.8%	+38	38.2%
Montana	34	44.1%	11.8%	+32	20.6%
Rhode Island	34	50.0%	17.6%	+32	17.6%
Wisconsin	34	50.0%	20.6%	+29	23.5%
Hawaii	34	52.9%	23.5%	+29	8.8%
North Carolina	34	50.0%	20.6%	+29	38.2%
Ohio	34	58.8%	32.4%	+26	35.3%
Virginia	34	52.9%	26.5%	+26	35.3%
Kansas	34	50.0%	23.5%	+26	17.6%
Massachusetts	34	52.9%	29.4%	+24	41.2%
Minnesota	34	50.0%	26.5%	+24	8.8%
South Carolina	33	48.5%	27.3%	+21	30.3%
Illinois	33	48.5%	27.3%	+21	39.4%
Michigan	34	44.1%	23.5%	+21	26.5%
Wyoming	34	50.0%	29.4%	+21	23.5%
Pennsylvania	34	47.1%	26.5%	+21	23.5%
New Hampshire	33	42.4%	24.2%	+18	27.3%
Georgia	34	50.0%	32.4%	+18	32.4%
New Jersey	34	47.1%	29.4%	+18	38.2%
Washington	34	47.1%	29.4%	+18	38.2%
Tennessee	34	35.3%	20.6%	+15	35.3%
District of Columbia	16	50.0%	37.5%	+13	37.5%
Kentucky	33	39.4%	27.3%	+12	36.4%
Maryland	34	38.2%	26.5%	+12	41.2%
Nevada	34	41.2%	29.4%	+12	35.3%
North Dakota	34	41.2%	29.4%	+12	11.8%
New York	34	44.1%	35.3%	+9	47.1%
Missouri	34	41.2%	32.4%	+9	26.5%
Iowa	33	36.4%	30.3%	+6	18.2%
South Dakota	33	42.4%	36.4%	+6	18.2%
New Mexico	34	35.3%	29.4%	+6	20.6%
Maine	34	32.4%	26.5%	+6	20.6%
Arkansas	34	32.4%	26.5%	+6	26.5%
Delaware	32	34.4%	31.3%	+3	25.0%
Mississippi	34	35.3%	32.4%	+3	23.5%
Oregon	34	32.4%	29.4%	+3	29.4%
California	34	38.2%	35.3%	+3	41.2%
Utah	34	35.3%	35.3%	0	35.3%
Connecticut	34	38.2%	38.2%	0	32.4%
Louisiana	34	35.3%	38.2%	-3	44.1%
Colorado	34	41.2%	44.1%	-3	23.5%
West Virginia	33	30.3%	33.3%	-3	27.3%
Alaska	26	30.8%	34.6%	-4	26.9%
Nebraska	34	32.4%	41.2%	-9	23.5%
Florida	34	35.3%	44.1%	-9	35.3%
Alabama	34	38.2%	47.1%	-9	38.2%
Arizona	34	32.4%	47.1%	-15	20.6%
Idaho	26	30.8%	46.2%	-15	38.5%
Oklahoma	34	23.5%	41.2%	-18	32.4%
Texas	33	27.3%	57.6%	-30	21.2%

Source: Custom Ink 2026 Community Pride Report, n=1,690, fielded May 2026. All states with at least 15 respondents included.

America 250 is arriving in a country where local identity is strong — and varied. Vermont and Texas aren’t the same place, and they won’t hold the same kind of celebration. But the data suggests that wherever you look, people are ready to gather.

America 250 gear is available for groups of any size, and our 250th anniversary design templates give you a starting point you can make specific to your street, your school, your neighborhood, or your state.

Shop America 250 Gear

Read the full 2026 Community Pride Report

What Your State Is Most Proud Of — And How It’s Celebrating America 250

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