States with the most conservatives

Shackleford Photography // Shutterstock

States with the most conservatives

With a few rare exceptions, one thing is all but certain in American elections: the winner will be a Republican or a Democrat. America's two-party system is characterized by a liberal-conservative split that forces even moderates to pick a side. In many cases, the side you pick has a lot to do with where you live. According to The New York Times, America has spent the last few decades "self-segregating" into "blue" (liberal-leaning) states and "red" (conservative-leaning) states. With the White House, both houses of Congress and most state houses firmly in its grasp, Red America is currently exercising the most political influence. So where do the conservatives who dominate America's modern government live?

Stacker used data from Gallup to rank all 50 states by the percent of conservative residents, then by the percent of residents who are Republican-leaning. In the event that two states had the same percent, the state ranking is denoted as tied.

It might not come as a surprise that the states with the lowest concentrations of conservatives are on the West Coast, in the Northeast, and in New England. Sparsely populated rural states and Southern states dominated the list of those with the most conservatives. Just two states count at least 50% of their populations as Republican-leaning. In total, the national percentage of conservatives is 33%, and the national percentage of Republican-leaning residents is 38%.

ALSO: States with the most liberals

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Ryan Harvey // Flickr

#50. Massachusetts

Estimated state population in 2017: 6,859,819

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 22%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 26%

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Public Domain Pictures

#49. Rhode Island

Estimated state population in 2017: 1,059,639

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 24%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 27%

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Forefront Images // Shutterstock

#48. Hawaii

Estimated state population in 2017: 1,427,538

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 25%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 28%

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Bob P. B. // Flickr

#47. Vermont

Estimated state population in 2017: 623,657

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 25%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 30%

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John St John // Flickr

#46. New York

Estimated state population in 2017: 19,849,399

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 27%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 29%

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Daniel Avram // Shutterstock

#45. California

Estimated state population in 2017: 39,536,653

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 27%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 30%

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Joe Wolf // Flickr

#44. Maryland

Estimated state population in 2017: 6,052,177

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 28%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 28%

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WestportWiki // Wikicommons

#43. Connecticut

Estimated state population in 2017: 3,588,184

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 28%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 32%

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likeaduck // Flickr

#41 (tie). Delaware

Estimated state population in 2017: 961,939

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 28%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 33%

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King of Hearts // Wikimedia Commons

#41 (tie). New Jersey

Estimated state population in 2017: 9,005,644

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 28%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 33%

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M.O. Stevens // Wikimedia Commons

#40. Oregon

Estimated state population in 2017: 4,142,776

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 28%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 36%

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Lonni Besançon // Flickr

#39. Washington

Estimated state population in 2017: 7,405,743

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 29%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 34%

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Tony Webster // Flickr

#38. Illinois

Estimated state population in 2017: 12,802,023

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 30%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 33%

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Jeffrey Beall // Wikicommons

#37. Colorado

Estimated state population in 2017: 5,607,154

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 30%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 37%

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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#36. New Hampshire

Estimated state population in 2017: 1,342,795

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 31%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 40%

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GoodFreePhotos

#35. New Mexico

Estimated state population in 2017: 2,088,070

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 32%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 34%

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Doug Kerr // Wikimedia Commons

#34. Minnesota

Estimated state population in 2017: 5,576,606

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 32%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 37%

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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#33. Virginia

Estimated state population in 2017: 8,470,020

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 33%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 38%

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IIP Photo Archive // Flickr

#32. Nevada

Estimated state population in 2017: 2,998,039

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 33%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 39%

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GoodFreePhotos

#31. Arizona

Estimated state population in 2017: 7,016,270

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 33%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 42%

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Action Sports Photography // Shutterstock

#30. Michigan

Estimated state population in 2017: 9,962,311

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 34%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 38%

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Ken L. // Flickr

#29. Maine

Estimated state population in 2017: 1,335,907

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 34%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 39%

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Adam Jones // Wikicommons

#28. Pennsylvania

Estimated state population in 2017: 12,805,537

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 34%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 41%

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Ebyabe // Wikicommons

#27. Florida

Estimated state population in 2017: 20,984,400

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 35%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 39%

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GoodFreePhotos

#26. Wisconsin

Estimated state population in 2017: 5,795,483

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 35%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 41%

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Tysto // Wikimedia Commons

#25. Ohio

Estimated state population in 2017: 11,658,609

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 35%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 42%

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Sharkshock // Shutterstock

#24. North Carolina

Estimated state population in 2017: 10,273,419

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 36%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 39%

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Reinhard Kraasch // Wikimedia Commons

#23. Georgia

Estimated state population in 2017: 10,429,379

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 36%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 40%

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Public Domain

#22. Indiana

Estimated state population in 2017: 6,666,818

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 36%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 43%

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Rocky Grimes // Shutterstock

#21. Alaska

Estimated state population in 2017: 739,795

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 36%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 52%

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David Harmantas // Shutterstock

#20. Iowa

Estimated state population in 2017: 3,145,711

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 37%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 42%

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Alan Botting // Wikimedia Commons

#19. Texas

Estimated state population in 2017: 28,304,596

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 38%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 41%

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GoodFreePhotos

#18. West Virginia

Estimated state population in 2017: 1,815,857

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 38%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 44%

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Sam valadi // Flickr

#17. Missouri

Estimated state population in 2017: 6,113,532

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 38%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 45%

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Doug Kerr // Flickr

#16. Kansas

Estimated state population in 2017: 2,913,123

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 38%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 48%

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Madgeek1450 // Wikicommons

#15. Kentucky

Estimated state population in 2017: 4,454,189

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 39%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 45%

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Ron Reiring // Wikicommons

#14. North Dakota

Estimated state population in 2017: 755,393

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 39%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 56%

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Antrell Williams // Flickr

#13. Louisiana

Estimated state population in 2017: 4,684,333

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 40%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 43%

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Good Free Photos

#12. Tennessee

Estimated state population in 2017: 6,715,984

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 40%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 47%

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James Willamor // Flickr

#11. South Carolina

Estimated state population in 2017: 5,024,369

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 41%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 47%

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Scruggelgreen // Shutterstock

#10. Nebraska

Estimated state population in 2017: 1,920,076

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 41%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 50%

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Jon Platek // Wikicommons

#9. South Dakota

Estimated state population in 2017: 869,666

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 41%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 52%

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Wikipedia

#8. Arkansas

Estimated state population in 2017: 3,004,279

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 42%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 45%

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Natalia Bratslavsky // Shutterstock

#7. Oklahoma

Estimated state population in 2017: 3,930,864

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 42%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 49%

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Katherine Welles // Shutterstock

#6. Montana

Estimated state population in 2017: 1,050,493

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 42%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 51%

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Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce // Flickr

#5. Idaho

Estimated state population in 2017: 1,716,943

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 42%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 53%

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Garrett // Wikimedia Commons

#4. Utah

Estimated state population in 2017: 3,101,833

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 42%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 56%

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Ditch Fisher // Wikicommons

#3. Mississippi

Estimated state population in 2017: 2,984,100

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 43%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 45%

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Carol M. Highsmith // United States Library of Congress

#2. Alabama

Estimated state population in 2017: 4,874,747

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 43%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 50%

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Rafel // Shutterstock

#1. Wyoming

Estimated state population in 2017: 579,315

Percent of state residents who are conservative: 46%

Percent of state residents who are Republican-leaning: 56%

States with the most conservatives