A new Gallup Poll shows people here in South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota are pretty proud and happy with our states, but apparently not as proud as those in the western United States.

The poll asked respondents if they thought the state they lived in was the best, or one of the best; if their state was THE best; or if their state was the worst.

South Dakota came in 14th overall in the poll with 57% saying it's the best or one of the best, 13% thinking we live in THE best state in the country while 3% say we live in the worst state in the country.

Minnesota and North Dakota both placed in the top 12 with Iowa and Nebraska a few slots behind South Dakota.

So what states are the MOST proud and happy with their state?

Montana and Alaska came in at #1 and #1A with a 77% approval rating (South Dakotans gave ourselves a 57% for comparison sake)

Utah, Wyoming and Texas rounded out the top 5.

And in case you were wondering what states think they're the worst:

Rhode Island, Illinois, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Michigan were at the bottom. In fact, 1 in 4 people in Illinois think they live in the worst state in the nation.

How do YOU feel about the state you live in? I've lived half my life in Minnesota and the other half in South Dakota and I agree with the polls. I definitely think we live in one of the best areas of the country

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