The States With The BEST and WORST Geography

Is it fair to rank states based on geography? I don't know, but I did it anyways! And not only is it a ranking, but I tried to make this as OBJECTIVE as possible. Which means creating a methodology, using data, running analyses and pouring through the results to create something that would actually be considered... kinda good!

In this video, we'll run through every single state and how it performed with special focus on the top 5 states and the bottom 5 states. I also dive into how I came to these conclusions and where you can read more if you're curious about the underlying data.

MOST IMPORTANT: This is all for entertainment. There's no such thing as a true "best geography."

--

Video editing support provided by Kat Olsen
Research and GIS support by Maika Munske

[fredsanford]

Congrats to Mississippi for #34. Finally a list you're not #50 on.

[shawnmccord]

I am very pleased that the PNW did very well. I have trucked all over this country, and while each state has its own beauty and attractions, the PNW is hard to beat.

[Dr.Schlitz]

Florida? Disgustingly hot and humid and flat as a pancake? Ugh. No thanks.

[ayyyizme]

Geoff's pissing everyone off with this one

[Carthelelder]

How in the heck did Mississippi get ranked above vermont, NH, and Hawaii?

[davidhall]

Some of us prefer colder climate. It feels like you penalized states for that.

[DrTreAllDay]

As North Carolinian, you don’t know the pride I feel for my state to be ranked #5 on this random arbitrary list.

[jefff]

I like the IDEA for this video, but the rankings are terrible. Illinois over Maine and New Hampshire for "geography" is laughable. Two are beautifully rugged. One is boringly flat.

[brianlehman]

Lake Mead is not a natural feature. But I do love much of Nevada's rugged barrenness.

[discoverglobeliving]

I once drove through Kansas and was surprised by how flat it was compared to the mountains in Colorado. It’s fascinating how geography can change so much from state to state! This ranking made me curious about how other states compare.

[andrewjosepholson]

#31 — Wyoming: With Yellowstone, the first national park in the world, and one of the most geologically active locations on Earth sitting atop a supervolcano caldera.
#32 — Utah: With the Mighty Five national parks, gearing up to host the Winter Olympics for the second time, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere.
#33 — Hawaii: Consistently ranked in the top three most beautiful states, ranked #1 for natural environment, and the closest thing we have to Paradise in the U.S.

#2 — Texas?!

This isn’t absurd. It’s obscene.

[wordytoed]

It pains me to see Michigan at 22. We have mountains (in the north, sure, yes, still counts), GREAT lakes, dunes, beach towns, big industrial cities, forests galore, farmland, rivers, and streams. How did Missouri beat us?!

[sharons]

Shocked by Vermont , West Virginia and Hawaii ranked in the bottom half.

[larzlarz]

As someone who has visited all 50 states, with at least 2 separate visits to each state, the first thing I thought was, “California has to be #1 by a large margin.”

[ronsontag]

I am glad to see that Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michaigan fared so well using your methodology.

[TheRagingPlatypus]

If you 10, 000 people, you'd be the only one to rank Illinois better than Hawaii.

[Jarekthegamingdragon]

Even by using statistics, I don't see how Oregon and Washington aren't like, right next to each other? They're almost the same state. Texas and Florida being top 5 is also hilarious and Oregon not being top 5 is equally hilarious.

[BnaBreaker]

Not sure I really understand how if Nevada is dead last, Arizona can be all the way up at #16 by the same metrics.

[sidboyplays]

What is amazing is how unique every state is. I have driven trough most of the US, and every state is beautiful and diverse in geography and culture. That is what makes this country so great.

[ZanlexGaming]

Utah being at #32 is such a joke when Florida and Texas are in the top 5. Tell me with a straight face that fucking florida and texas have better geography than utah, colorado, and alaska lmfao