For extroverts, a good week usually means time with other people: a concert with friends, a busy bar on a Friday night, or a coffee with someone new. But some states make that kind of social life much easier to find than others.
New research by Manhattan Mental Health Counseling analyzed 48 states to identify the best places to live for extroverts, comparing everything from bars, concerts, and festivals per resident to walkability, volunteering, and the share of young adults.
“Extroverts tend to recharge through other people, so where they live can shape how they feel from one day to the next. When it’s easy to run into friends, join a group or find something happening on a weeknight, staying connected takes far less effort. That doesn’t mean extroverts in lower-ranking states are stuck. They may just need to be more deliberate about building those connections,” said Natalie Buchwald, therapist at Manhattan Mental Health Counseling.
America’s 10 best states for extroverts
- Vermont — 52.41. Vermont has the most festivals per resident and the highest share of people who belong to a club or organization.
- Wyoming — 51.04. Wyoming ranks first for outdoor activities and restaurants per resident, and second for newcomers, with 4.61% of residents having arrived from another state or abroad in the past year.
- Oregon — 47.63. Oregon has the second-most coffee shops per resident, at 42.55 per 100,000 people, and ranks fourth for concerts.
- North Dakota — 46.43. North Dakota has the second-highest share of residents aged 18 to 34, at 25.11%, and the second-most bars per resident, at 82.33 per 100,000.
- Colorado — 46.20. Colorado ranks second for concerts, with 25.20 per 100,000 residents, and third for young adults.
- Rhode Island — 46.19. The smallest state in the country shares first place for walkability with California and has the most theaters per resident.
- Montana — 46.00. Montana has the third-most bars per resident, at 80.65 per 100,000, and the second-most gyms and wellness clubs.
- Utah — 45.24. Utah has the highest share of young adults, at 26.46%, and the highest volunteer rate, at 46.6%.
- Nebraska — 43.48. Nebraska ranks third for volunteering and fourth for festivals per resident.
- Nevada — 43.41. Nevada has by far the most concerts per resident, at 65.24 per 100,000, and the highest share of newcomers, at 4.78%.
What the ranking measured
The study scored 48 states on 16 measures across four categories: Entertainment (35%), Social Lifestyle (34%), Community Engagement (18%), and Active Social Life (13%). Entertainment covered festivals, concerts, bars, dance clubs, and theaters per 100,000 residents. Social Lifestyle covered restaurants and coffee shops per 100,000 residents, the share of people living in urban areas, walkability, and the share aged 18 to 34.
Community Engagement looked at volunteering, organizational membership and the share of newcomers. Active Social Life covered gyms and wellness clubs, outdoor activities and sports tournaments per 100,000 residents. Each measure was scored from 0 to 100, weighted and combined into an overall score.
Big states slip down the list
None of the four most populous states make the top 20. California ranks 25th, even though it has the highest share of residents living in urban areas, at 94.70%, and shares first place for walkability. New York places 28th, Florida 31st, and Texas 42nd.
The West dominates the top of the ranking, with Wyoming, Oregon, Colorado, Montana, Utah and Nevada all in the top 10. Nevada ranks first in the Entertainment category, but sits 47th for both volunteering and organizational membership, which holds it to 10th overall.
