Are you friendly? Florida isn't among most welcoming states. Here's this list's rankings

Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Updated ·2 min read
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Some southerners might swear that residents of northern states lack what we like to call “southern charm.”

But a recent study from Preply on the most and least welcoming states found that the way people greet and welcome each other has nothing to do with being a northern or southern state.

While some Northern states took top 10 spots for “most welcoming,” like Vermont, Maine and Alaska, southern states like Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia didn’t even make the top 15.

Here’s where Florida ranked among the most and least welcoming states in Preply’s study and why.

Which U.S. state has the friendliest people?

It depends on who you ask and what they consider to be friendly. Preply’s survey measured how welcoming each state’s residents are by asking survey participants about their views on greetings, welcomings and other nonverbal gestures (the survey results reflect the biases and personal experiences of those who participated).

While states in the Northeast took the crown for being the most welcoming region overall, some southern states slid into the top 10 and Florida came in 21st place overall.

Here’s Preply’s list of the top 10 most welcoming states, based on this survey:

  1. Vermont

  2. Maine

  3. Hawaii

  4. New Mexico

  5. Louisiana

  6. Mississippi

  7. Alaska

  8. Indiana

  9. Colorado

  10. Montana

Here’s Preply’s list of the top 10 least welcoming states, based on this survey:

  1. Missouri

  2. Massachusetts

  3. Illinois

  4. Pennsylvania

  5. New York

  6. Kansas

  7. South Dakota

  8. North Dakota

  9. Oklahoma

  10. Wisconsin

Is it normal to greet with a kiss on the cheek in Florida?

According to Preply’s survey, “The majority of Americans (60%) greet strangers with a customary handshake. This is followed by a friendly smile (47%) or eye contact (25%).”

“Over one in 5 Americans stated they aren't comfortable with physical contact when greeting. Furthermore, 30% of Americans reported they don't typically smile at strangers.”

The survey results for how Floridians are most likely to greet each other might surprise you if you’re not from a culture in which you greet people with a cheek-to-cheek touch and an air kiss.

“In Florida, people are most likely to greet a stranger with a kiss,” the survey found.

When it comes to passing a stranger on the street, Floridian participants said they typically just hold eye contact. And those who don’t kiss strangers when welcoming them said they’re most likely to just extend a handshake if they’re meeting someone new.

Survey participants in Georgia and South Carolina also said they would most likely just hold eye contact with a passing stranger, while participants in Mississippi and Alabama said they would smile. North Carolinian participants said they’d wave to a passing stranger.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida doesn't make the list of friendliest states, this survey says