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The Rudest City in Each State

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Cheyenne is another example of a place that just doesn't know what to do with outsiders. 

They might not be downright rude, but expect some cold shoulders if you're not a Wyoming native. 

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Morrisville, Vermont

Morrisville, Vermont

Morrisville ranks low for many quality of life factors--including crime, unemployment, and average income. There's not many people in this small town, but the ones who are there are clearly not happy about the state of things. 

But honestly, how could you possibly be grumpy with beautiful views like that? We don't get it. 

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Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage might be rude, but it also might just be misunderstood. Residents here tend to keep quiet and to themselves, which might be misinterpreted as rudeness by outsiders. 

The only way to find out is to travel there yourself! Just watch out for any bears--they probably are just straight up rude.

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Minot, North Dakota

Minot, North Dakota

North Dakota is generally a pretty friendly place, but they apparently didn't get the memo in Minot. It's not hard to find stories of distant neighbors, suspicious strangers, or a simple lack of human decency in this small town. 

So...pretty much like every other small town in America? I think Minot might have gotten a bum deal by ending up on this list. 

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Rapid City, South Dakota

Rapid City, South Dakota

Rapid City might be a beautiful place to live, but it's not necessarily a fun place. Common complaints include its crime, lack of medical or educational services, and, most importantly to our list, its aggressive drivers. 

So, if you're a sickly drop-out with a lead foot and a foul mouth then Rapid City is your place to be! 

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Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington, Delaware

There's not a ton of reasons to travel to Wilmington, Delaware in the first place, but it's doubly true when you consider that they ranked #13 on Conde Nast's most unfriendly cities in the world list.

Is there something in the water or is it just those cold windy winters? 

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Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Is Providence rude or aloof? This is another city where residents' standoffishness could either be custom or rudeness.

Honestly though, when it comes to New England in the fall, the views are worth a little rudeness, in my opinion. 

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Cut Bank, Montana

Cut Bank, Montana

Cut Bank isn't big, but it's a dangerous place to live in Montana.

In addition to having one of the highest crime rates in the state, it all struggles with economic development and education. That mix doesn't really inspire hopes of creating a polite society. 

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Auburn, Maine

Auburn, Maine

To outsiders, Maine might seem like an idyllic New England place, but like every other state, it has its bad parts--and that bad part is Auburn.

It's got one of the highest crime rates in the state, which has understandably put residents there on edge. So, don't expect them to roll out the red carpet for strangers. 

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Berlin, New Hampshire

Berlin, New Hampshire

Berlin, New Hampshire boasts a federal prison, if that tells you anything about the vibe of the town. When you factor in the high unemployment and low salaries, you start to see why folks here are none too friendly. 

I'm sure some of the residents of this town would prefer prison to Berlin. 

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Waianae, Hawaii

Waianae, Hawaii

Do rude people actually exist in Hawaii? We'll be the first to admit, you have to look long and hard to find a grumpy Gus in this island paradise.

Waianae is pretty chill like the rest of the state, but it does have one of the worst crime rates in Hawaii, and petty theft is pretty rude if you think about it. 

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Martinsburg, West Virginia

Martinsburg, West Virginia

Martinsburg is an ideal place to live in every aspect except for the residents.

While the scenery might be amazing, you might find yourself encountering unfriendly or even downright hostile people while living or visiting here. 

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Rupert, Idaho

Rupert, Idaho

Rupert is one of those "blink and you'll miss it" small towns in Idaho, but it's managed to develop a bit of a reputation as a rude place.

It's a popular place for retirees, so perhaps there are just too many people there yelling at kids to get off of their lawns. 

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Laurel, Nebraska

Laurel, Nebraska

Laurel, Nebraska doesn't even have a population of 1000, but it has still managed to develop somewhat of a reputation for being rude.

It might be a small town, but it lacks any small-town charm--instead, you're likely to find residents that are isolated and aloof. 

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Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico

If you want to experience the beauty and history of the American southwest, you might want to try somewhere besides Santa Fe--they've got a reputation for rudeness.

It does seem strange to see Santa Fe on this list, so maybe the whole state of New Mexico is just so unbelievably polite that Santa Fe looks rude by comparison? 

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Topeka, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

It's okay, Topkea--we'd be pretty grumpy if we were forced to live in Kansas too. It's got the second-highest crime rate of any city in the state, which probably doesn't engender feelings of camaraderie and community pride among its residents. 

So while the residents can get away with being rude, you might want to plaster a smile on to avoid some of that crime. 

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Corinth, Mississippi

Corinth, Mississippi

There's not a lot going on in Corinth, Mississippi--economically, culturally, or any other "-ally" you can think of.

And needless to say, niceness and despair don't really go hand in hand. 

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Little Rock, Arkansas

Little Rock, Arkansas

There are rude people all over Arkansas, but since Little Rock is the capital city, there's a higher concentration of them there.

Luckily, they tire themselves out pretty quickly, so it's best to just ignore the rudeness and let it fizzle out on its own. 

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Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada

Vegas is known around the world for so many things, many of them things that aren’t exactly good for work-friendly conversation. It makes sense then that the city would be rude.

They’ve got bigger things to deal with, things like all the money they lost gambling the night before.

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Clinton, Iowa

Clinton, Iowa

Clinton, Iowa is a small town, but some people have remarked that it just doesn't have that home town feel. Maybe people here are more just keeping to themselves than being downright rude?

Rude or not--let's be honest. How many of us have actually had the (dis)pleasure of visiting Clinton, Iowa in the first place. 

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Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

There's a stereotype that Mormons are absurdly nice and friendly people, so we're genuinely perplexed that the Mormon Mecca of Salt Lake City would be considered rude. But they ranked 6th on a Travel & Leisure list of America's rudest cities.

Guess some people forgot to read Emily Post's book on etiquette. There's still skiing in Utah, though, so it isn't a total loss. 

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New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven: home of Yale University and home to a lot of rude folks too. They were another high ranker on a Travel & Leisure survey about unfriendly American cities.

Apparently once you're educated you don't have any need for being polite anymore. What a life that must be. 

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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

It's hard to find genuine rudeness in Oklahoma. Turns out that a constant threat of tornadoes can really bring a community together.

Probably the only reason Oklahoma City could be considered rude is because it has a high concentration of people, which means, by statistics alone, that you're more likely to encounter a jerk there. 

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Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland might have a reputation for being weird, but it's starting to develop a reputation for being rude as well. That's a strange combo, but when it comes to strange, no one does it better than Portland.

If you happen to be visiting don't expect politeness or rudeness--expect the unexpected! 

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Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

In recent years, Louisville has been ranked not only as one of the worst basketball cities in the country, but also one of the saddest places as well.

Whether those things are true or not, they've clearly struck a nerve with residents. So don't expect a warm response if you start questioning the city's credentials. 

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New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

It might seem strange to see New Orleans on a list like this--it's a tourist-friendly, 24/7 party right?

That may (or may not) be true, but you have to remember, New Orleans is pretty much the only place in Louisiana were anything of note, good or bad, happens. 

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Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham might have a reputation for being rude, but they're still Southerners at heart.

That means they at least have the decency to talk bad about you behind your back instead of confronting you directly. As long as you don't go digging to hard, you're unlikely to hear anything mean to your face.

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Dillon, South Carolina

Dillon, South Carolina

Dillon is a high-crime area in South Carolina, so if you consider robbery to be rude, you might want to stay away.

Additionally, there is a large commuter population in the town, which means that road rage really shouldn't be a big surprise. 

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Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The weather is cold in Minneapolis, and the same can be said about many of its residents too. It's a pretty open secret that Minneapolis natives can be a bit icy to outsiders, Minnesota nice be damned. 

What's puzzling is that no one is quite sure how and why this aversion to outsiders developed. I blame the cold. 

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Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Legal marijuana apparently hasn't mellowed out Colorado Springs yet. They ranked #9 in the country on a Travel & Leisure list for rudest cities in America.

Luckily, in Colorado, it's pretty easy to avoid human contact if you're really worried about rude people. Just ditch Colorado Springs and head for the Rockies!

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is another city that just can't seem to master the art of Midwestern nice.

Locals and visitors alike can confirm that its residents are not the nicest in the country. This obviously doesn't apply if you happen to be a Packers fan. 

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Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is one of our nation’s oldest cities. Maybe that’s why the citizens all seem to be so grumpy. Some people — although not everyone — get grouchy when they get older.

That grouchiness seems to be the prevailing attitude of the city. Some people even report feeling unsafe when visiting, and that doesn’t help this city’s reputation.

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St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

This isn't some groundbreaking secret--even St. Louis natives admit that the city seems to harbor a high proportion of rude people.

Some think it has to do with the sharp class divides in the city, but you're likely to find unpleasant people of all stars and stripes in all-American St. Louis. 

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Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington, Indiana

You might expect a rude person or two in Boston...but Bloomington? Indiana? It might not be the biggest cities in size, but it can sure compete with the big dogs when it comes to being rude.

I'm sure this must be devastating news--it seems like everyone is always headed to Bloomington for a dream vacation. 

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Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, Tennessee

In recent years, Tennessee has been on several lists of the rudest states in the country.

Nashville might not be much ruder than the state average, but because there are so many people there, you're more likely to run into a jerk than you would be in the more rural areas. 

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Boston, Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston’s one of our nation’s oldest cities, but it’s also one of the most unique-sounding cities. It’s probably just the accent that throws off tourists. Bostonians, like Germans, just sound made. And they always use their outside-voices. It makes for an intimidating visit.

And before you shed any tears for Boston--I'm sure this surprised exactly zero residents. And I bet a few of them were even a little pleased. 

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Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

When people visit Phoenix, they’re probably quicker to label the city as rude because of one thing: the heat. There’s a four month stretch where the average high is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit with only five rainy days thrown in.

The “rudeness” is actually just the tourists and locals melting in the heat.

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Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Maybe the Pacific Northwest isn't as chill as we all thought. That's at least the case in Seattle.

Once a smaller city, Seattle has grown exponentially in the past few years, and this has left locals less-than-happy about the sudden influx of outsiders. 

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Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is a major tourist hub, which pretty much completely explains any rudeness from citizens there. You'd be rude too if hordes of strangers annually descended upon your town for months at a time. 

But Virginia Beach has got to pay its bills, so it appears that we'll have throngs of tourists and angry residents for the foreseeable future. 

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Newark, New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey

Let's be honest--you knew Newark was going to be on this list, and Newark knew that it was going to be on this list. Rudeness is just a natural part of New Jersey life.

Honestly, we're a little surprised that they didn't bend the rules and just declare all of New Jersey the rudest city in New Jersey. 

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Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan

It's no surprise that Detroit is on this list. But in their defense, they have a lot to be rude about there. It's not exactly the shining beacon of American progress that it was way back when--that will put anyone in a bad mood.

Hey, if Detroit is rude, at least that means it's still alive! 

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Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

In 2017, Charlotte was ranked by Travel + Leisure as one of the rudest cities in the country. However, this might have more to do with the fact that there is a major airport in the city.

No one really exudes grace when you're being felt up by a TSA agent. And if you do, well, you've got bigger problems than rudeness to deal with. 

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Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

When Travel + Leisure announced that Georgia was one the nation’s rudest cities, people flocked to online forums to discuss it.  

In an ironic turn of events, many Atlanteans strongly defended that their city was not rude in an extremely rude way, often calling people rude when they dared to ask a question about Atlanta’s rudeness.

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Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Midwest nice is a thing, but it must not apply in Cincinnati. The city ranked highly on a 2015 poll of rudest cities, and some voters chimed in that it's just downright boring there too.

But let's be honest--what business do most of have in Cincinnati anyways? This is problem we'll never have to experience personally. 

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Chicago, Illinois

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago has long been known as a cold and unforgiving place, albeit mainly for its weather. That weather seems to be rubbing off on its citizens, though. They’re turning just as cold as the wind the city gets its nickname from.

Well, it’s either the wind or the 1.5 million international visitors that come through. Either way, it’s not the Chicagoans fault.

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia literally means the City of Brotherly Love. Somehow, that’s lead people to assume the city would be the nicest one around.

People must be forgetting what it’s like to have a brother, though, because if you have one, you know that “brotherly love” is not always nice.

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New York City, New York

New York City, New York

If you’ve ever seen a movie — any movie — you know that the Big Apple is about as rude as it gets. The roads are just crammed with cars trying to get where they need to go, all of them honking and yelling at each other.

Cut ‘em some slack, though. They’re probably just stressed about making rent for their way-too-expensive closet-sized apartment.

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Miami, Florida

Miami, Florida

If you think of Miami, you probably think of nightclubs. That’s normal to draw that conclusion — it’s what they think of too.

That’s probably why they’re so rude to you down there. They’re not at their favorite club, and you’re in the way of them getting there.

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Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas

What’s there not to love about Houston? There’s millions of people crammed into one hot, humid place. The traffic is so bad that it’s recommended you don’t drive, but if you don’t drive you get stuck in that awful weather.

To make getting around even more difficult, the metro area itself is larger than Rhode Island. Why wouldn’t the citizens be grouchy?

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Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

The city that’s home to Hollywood is also home to some of the nation’s most rude people. Maybe they’re rude because they’re focused on making their big break.

Maybe they’re just trying to act as cool as they look. Either way, it’s not working out for them, so you should give them a break.

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