New Study Says Minnesota Is Among Most Independent States In The Nation

A new study from Wallethub conducted a study to determine the most self-sufficient states in the nation, across 39 different metrics. To do so, Wallethub compared the 50 stats based on five sources of dependency: consumer finances, the government, the job market, international trade and personal vices.

Because of the climate of a national pandemic, 2020 has been a very big test on our independence. The study says:

"As Americans have been forced to stay much more isolated from others than usual during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the financial hardship resulting from the pandemic, many people have become at least temporarily more dependent on the federal government, which has given out trillions of dollars in aid to individuals, as well as to state and local governments. Other people have become more dependent on personal vices, such as drinking and drugs, during the time of self-isolation."

Minnesota came in 4th in their rankings in 2020, ranking 25th in share of households receiving public assistance, 4th in share of federal, state, and local government employees, 8th in industry variety, and 19th in share of current adult smokers.

The most independent was state was Utah, followed by Virginia and then Colorado. The bottom of the list included Kentucky, Louisiana, and Alaska.

Our neighbors in South Dakota came in 8th, Wisconsin 11th, and Iowa 12th - Check out the full list here.