The Best States for Couples, According to a New Study

Some states are better for lovin' than others, according to a new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality by Michigan State University. Collecting survey data from over 127,000 adults, William Chopik and Matt Motyl measured relationship habits to determine which lucky states have the most "positive relationships"—or the happiest couples.

To sum up their findings, positive relationships don't show signs of partner anxiety, which Chopik and Motyl argue can be categorized in two ways: the tendency to become over attached and to avoid intimacy altogether (yikes!).

States with more positive relationships scored low in both types of anxiety, making Mississippi, Utah and Wisconsin the best states for lovers. Vermont, Alaska and North Carolina also did well. And all those happy couples are tying the knot too—according to Michigan State, the same states tend to have higher marriage rates.

But the worst states for people in relationships? Sorry, North Dakota, Kentucky and Kansas. Couples in each of these states had high levels of both anxiety and avoidance in their relationships. But just because you and your partner live in these states doesn't mean you should pack up and go. "Positive relationships are found everywhere and transcend time and place," Chopik says in the study. We couldn't have said it better ourselves. For the top 10 best and worst states for couples, see below:

"Best" States for Couples

1. Mississippi

2. Utah

3. Wisconsin

4. Vermont

5. Alaska

6. North Carolina

7. Delaware

8. Minnesota

9. Oregon

10. California, Maine and Washington

"Worst" States for Couples

1. North Dakota

2. Kentucky

3. Kansas

4. South Dakota

5. Rhode Island

6. Ohio

7. South Carolina

8. Colorado

9. New York

10. Indiana