Mississippi ranks high for kindness

A new study rates Mississippi among the top states in the country for kindness.  

According to the study, done by Verizon, Nextdoor and kindness.org, Mississippi ranks eighth in the nation in the kindness category.  

Americans are very kind to their neighbors and appreciative of their impact on their lives. They had a ‘kindness quotient’ of 86 percent – which means that they care about their neighbors 86 percent as much as they care about themselves. (And they reported that their neighbors had a kindness quotient of 72 percent to them.) For example:

• 94 percent of people say they would return a lost item to a neighbor
• 61 percent of people say they would forgive the debt of a neighbor
• 41 percent of people say they would adopt the child of a neighbor who passed away
• The average American would give up $7.60 if that meant a neighbor got $10.

Further, when asked what emotion or feeling they associate with their neighbors, respondents’ top scoring selections were ‘happy’ (63 percent) and ‘grateful’ (61 percent).

The research also found that kindness from neighbors was the best predictor of: individual happiness, satisfaction with one’s neighborhood, identification with one’s neighbors, and sense of inclusion with one’s neighborhood.

“We asked 10,000 people, from all 50 states, which kind acts they would do for their neighbors,” said Dr. Oliver Scott Curry, Chief Science Officer for Kindness.org. “Overall, our research revealed a surprisingly high capacity for kindness across America. And it shows that kindness is an important part of building better communities.”

All 50 states were very kind, and very similar, but the state with the kindest neighbors overall was Georgia, which made it to the top of the new leaderboard. The top 10 states with the kindest neighbors are:

1. Georgia
2. Tennessee
3. North Carolina
4. Arkansas
5. Utah
6. Louisiana
7. West Virginia
8. Mississippi
9. Texas
10. Nebraska

In September, Verizon and Nextdoor celebrated National Neighbor Day with the release of a study that identified the most impactful acts of kindness you can do for your neighbors. They included:

Top 10 Overall Kindest Acts for Neighbors

• Pay for a neighbor’s groceries at the supermarket
• Donate money to a neighbor
• Donate diapers to a neighbor
• Buy extra school supplies for a neighbor
• Remind a neighbor that they matter
• Accept a neighbor as they are
• Organize or join local park and beach clean ups
• Tell a neighbor what a positive difference they made to someone else’s life
• Mow the lawn for a neighbor
• Surprise a neighbor with their favorite things

“The results of this research remind us that a simple act of kindness needn’t cost much but can make a huge impact on someone, whether you are at home, at work or in your neighborhood,” said Krista Bourne, chief operating officer of Verizon Consumer Group. “Our #ACallForKindness campaign provides the resources that everyone can use to help make the world a kinder place.”

“From neighbors rallying for one another during Hurricane Ian, to moments of celebration shared through posts and photos, we see the findings of this study brought to life every day,” said Sarah Friar, Chief Executive Officer, Nextdoor. “These results bring to light the profound impact we can bring to our neighbors’ lives, as well as our own, through the strength of simple kind acts.”

“We are thrilled to partner with leading companies like Nextdoor and Verizon who are betting big on kindness and working to help communities thrive,” said Jaclyn Lindsey, co-founder and CEO for kindness.org. “This research validates the work being done and shows how we can have an even greater impact in building a kinder world.”