These are the best lovers in America

The success of a relationship hinges on a number of factors - the compatibility of two people; clear communication and, in some cases even political leanings.

Location also has something to do with it, but perhaps not in the way you think.

Bill Chopik, an assistant psychology professor at Michigan State University, and Matt Motyl (University of Illinois) conducted a nationwide study of positive relationships in the US.

The subject pool comprised of 127,070 adults from all US states, who were measured on attachment anxiety – “clinginess” – and attachment avoidance, which indicates people dislike emotional intimacy or may act coldly towards their partners.

Results found that the best states for relationships, and the ones with higher marriage rates, also scored low on both attachment avoidance and anxiety.

Chopik noticed that, for some states, stereotypes rang true:

When I think of New York, I think of the anxious Woody Allen type, and New York had one of the highest scores for attachment anxiety. California, on the other hand, seems like a romantic place with beautiful sunsets, oceans and warm weather. And Utah residents are known to be very nice, warm and generous, which many people attribute to the large Mormon population.

Here are the best (and worst) states for relationships, based on Chopik's study:

Top 10 Best:

1. Mississippi

2. Utah

3. Wisconsin

4. Vermont

5. Alaska

6. North Carolina

7. Delaware

8. Minnesota

9. Oregon

10. California, Maine, Washington

Top 10 worst:

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

The study also finds that different region temperatures affect how people interact, and remote, mountainous regions tend to attract people who dislike social interactions.

HT Michigan State University

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