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From bad tips to bad attitudes, or even honking your horn at another driver, we’ve all had our run-ins with rudeness. Small gestures like holding the door open or remembering your ‘please’ and ‘thank yous' are usually second nature. But for some, these courtesies seem more important than for others. Whether we’re just going about our day, minding our own business, or interacting with our neighbors, politeness can go a long way.?
So, we decided to finally settle the friendly debate and find out which part of the country is the most (and least) polite. To reveal the truth, we asked 4,000 folks from the USA and Canada about their manners, road etiquette, and tipping habits.?
Topping the Politeness Index is Mississippi, with a near perfect score of 93 out of 100. Politeness seems to come naturally to Mississippians, with 100% reporting they hold the door open for strangers and greet people with a ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’ on the street. Their charm extends further, as 90% always tip their waitstaff. Additionally, 82% of Mississippians refrain from raising their voices at cold callers, earning them the title of the politest state in the country.
Louisiana is in 2nd place, scoring 85 on the politeness index. An impressive 81% of Louisianians always say ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ and nearly 9 in 10 residents of The Pelican State (88%) pick up their litter in public. Louisianians take public transport etiquette seriously, with 100% stating they would never put their feet up while riding the subway. When it comes to road rage, 71% stated they never swear or beep their horn at inconsiderate drivers.?
Rounding off the top three most polite states is Minnesota, living up to its ‘Minnesota Nice’ reputation with a score of 68 out of 100. Impressively, 100% of Minnesotans say they always apologize when they're late. Additionally, 83% would never swear at a cold caller, and 89% consistently tip their waitstaff.?
It seems some states take politeness less seriously than others, and these states definitely fit the bill.?
At the bottom of the list is Oregon, with a score of 21. Only 44% of Oregonians say ‘bless you’ when a stranger sneezes. Half admit to swearing, honking, or getting vocal at other drivers. When it comes to tipping, Oregonians unanimously agreed they wouldn’t tip home service or repair workers, and 77% confessed to skipping tips for hotel staff, too.?
Next up is Michigan, with a politeness score of 25 out of 100. Only 47% of Michiganders say ‘hello’ to strangers on the street, and 42% wouldn’t say ‘bless you’ to a stranger. When it comes to being a considerate driver, just 50% thought it was ‘very important.’
In 3rd place is New York, scoring 31. The hustle and bustle of New York life seems to overshadow politeness, as 59% of New Yorkers don’t bother with a ‘good morning’ to fellow commuters. About 35% admitted to showing road rage by swearing, honking, or raising their voices at other drivers. While New Yorkers take pride in tipping, 30% said it’s a firm ‘no’ if they receive bad service.
We analyzed key metrics such as tipping amounts, which services people are most likely to tip, and whether they would tip even after receiving bad service.? Tipping culture is more prevalent than ever. Our study reveals that most Americans tip between 15-20%, with 66% of respondents tipping regardless of service quality.? So, where do the politest tippers reside? Our data shows that Wisconsinites are the most generous tippers, with a score of 68 out of 100 and an average tip rate of 17.7%.? They are particularly generous to waitstaff (100%), food delivery drivers (92%), and baristas (52%). Remarkably, 80% would still tip even if they received bad service.
In 2nd place is Pennsylvania, scoring 56.3 out of 100 on the tipping index. The average tip here is a solid 17.2%, and Pennsylvanians are most likely to tip waiters/waitresses (97%), takeout delivery drivers (72%), and barbers/hairdressers (84%). Additionally, 74% of residents would always tip, even with bad service.? Rounding off the top three is Illinois, with a score of 56. In this state, 77% would always tip regardless of service quality. The average tip is 16%, and Illinoisans frequently tip waiters/waitresses (95%), food delivery drivers (84%), and barbers/hairdressers (75%).?
At the bottom of the list is Maryland, ranked as the worst tipping state. Maryland scored 20 on the index, with an average tip of 14%. Additionally, 45% of residents said they wouldn’t tip if they received bad service. Only 17% and 14% of respondents said they would tip baristas and hotel staff, respectively. Tennessee, Missouri, and California also ranked low on the tipping index.?
Our study explored key metrics to understand driving etiquette across states, including whether drivers thank others, experience road rage, and value being considerate. Nationwide, 62% of Americans report experiencing some form of road rage. So, which states have the most and least polite drivers??
Crowned as the state with the politest drivers is Arizona, with a score of 71. In Arizona, 39% of residents ‘never’ experience road rage, and 81% don’t swear, get vocal, or honk at other drivers. Additionally, 92% never tailgate slow drivers, and 75% believe it’s important to be considerate on the road.?
In 2nd place is Louisiana, scoring 70. Louisiana leads the nation in thanking other drivers (100%), and 88% said they would never tailgate. While 59% sometimes experience road rage, they still prioritize politeness.?
Colorado ranks 3rd with a score of 67. In the Centennial State, 100% of drivers remember their Ps and Ts, consistently thanking other drivers. Additionally, 68% believe in being a considerate driver, and 95% would never tailgate.?
On the flip side, Massachusetts tops the list for road rage, scoring 33 out of 100 on the politeness index. Here, 61% admit to swearing, honking, or being vocal at other drivers, and 42% often experience road rage. Minnesota follows closely with a score of 33, where 44% of residents get vocal with other drivers and 33% would tailgate.
Rounding off the top three least courteous states is Kansas, scoring 35. In Kansas, 50% find themselves being vocal, honking, or swearing at other drivers, and the same percentage sometimes experience road rage.?
When it comes to politeness, New Brunswick tops the Canadian index with an impressive score of 91, making it the politest province.?
In New Brunswick, 73% of residents ‘always’ say please and thank you, the highest rate in the nation. Every single respondent (100%) would always hold the door open for a stranger and pick up litter in public. Their politeness extends to the roads, where 100% always thank other drivers, and only 9% are ever late for their Uber drivers.?
Alberta comes in 2nd with a score of 68. Here, 95% of residents would never raise their voice or swear at sales callers, and 96% always thank courteous drivers. Albertans are also generous tippers, with 94% saying they tip regularly, and 98% always holding the door open for strangers.?
Saskatchewan ranks 3rd with a score of 66. In this province, 100% of residents would hold the door open for someone they don’t know. They are also conscientious about littering, with 93% stating they wouldn’t throw litter out of their car. Additionally, 90% always thank other drivers, though 80% admit they might tail someone for driving too slowly.?
Quebec ranks as the least polite province, with a score of 27 out of 100. A significant 78% of Quebecers are unlikely to greet strangers on the street, and 47% wouldn’t say ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes. Additionally, 30% admit to swearing, being vocal, or honking at other drivers. Manitoba follows closely with a score of 30, where 57% of residents don’t bless sneezers. British Columbia is next with a score of 30, where 32% of residents wouldn’t tip if they received bad service.?
When it comes to tipping, 92% of Canadians surveyed stated they do tip, with the average amount being 15-20%.?
New Brunswick wears the crown with pride, achieving a near-perfect score of 99 as the politest tippers. Residents here tip an average of 16%. Not only are they the politest overall, but they also ranked highest in tipping and road rage etiquette. In New Brunswick, 100% of residents stated they tip, and 57% said they would still tip even if they received bad service. Barbers/hairdressers, food/takeout drivers, and waiters/waitresses are the services they’re most likely to tip, as agreed by over 65% of respondents.?
Next in line are Newfoundland and Labrador, with a score of 96, and Nova Scotia close behind with 95. Newfoundland and Labrador residents tip an average of 14%, while Nova Scotians tip slightly lower at 12%.?
Starting the list of the least polite tippers in Canada is Saskatchewan, with a score of 36. Despite ranking 3rd?overall in politeness, their gratuity stance let them down. They tip an average of 10%, making them the stingiest tippers. Only 77% of residents stated they tip, 50% wouldn’t tip for bad service, and just 3% would tip home service/repair people.?
In 2nd place among the least polite tippers is Ontario, with a score of 60, followed by Prince Edward Island at 72. Ontarians tip an average of 12%, with 39% refusing to tip if they receive bad service. Prince Edward Islanders tip an average of 12.5%, but they’re split 50/50 on tipping for bad service. Notably, 0% said they would tip baristas, home service/repair people, or hotel staff.
New Brunswick tops the list for the politest drivers in Canada, scoring an impressive 92. A full 100% of New Brunswick drivers say thank you to other drivers, and 77% reported that they never swear, shout, or honk their horns at others.? Newfoundland and Labrador come in 2nd with a score of 86, followed by Nova Scotia at 75. In Newfoundland and Labrador, 86% of residents stated they would never tailgate someone for driving too slowly, and 44% rarely experience any road rage. Nova Scotia leads in the importance of being a courteous driver, with 73% of respondents agreeing on its significance.
On the other end of the spectrum, Prince Edward Island has the least polite drivers, with a score of just 9 out of 100. Half of the respondents admitted to honking or raising their voices at other drivers and tailgating those driving too slowly. Saskatchewan follows with a score of 26, with 10% of drivers never thanking others. Alberta ranks?3rd from the bottom with a score of 32, where 44% of drivers confessed to swearing, shouting, or honking at others.?
We surveyed residents from both the U.S. and Canada and asked them questions about manners, tipping, and driving etiquette. The answers were collated, and a unique, weighted scoring system was applied to each data point depending on its contribution to the final ‘politeness score’. All results were scored out of 100.
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