A new study compiled data on the average IQ by state and found Massachusetts to rank number one! Aka: we’re collectively the smartest state in the nation. Not only did Massachusetts take the top spot with an average IQ of 104.3, but four other New England states ranked in the top 10.
New England as a whole is wicked smaht too! New Hampshire ranked just behind Massachusetts as America’s second smartest state with an average IQ of 104.2.
Trailing is Vermont, tied for the third smartest state in America with North Dakota and an average IQ of 103.8. Maine took the sixth spot with an average IQ of 103.4. Connecticut just made the cut, ranking as the ninth smartest state in America with an average IQ of 103.1.
Unfortunately for Rhode Island, although brimming with natural beauty, it’s average IQ of 99.5 kept it on an island of its own, ranking as the 33rd on the list of average IQ by state.
What’s a high IQ?
These numbers mean nothing without context, or unless you’re familiar with your own average IQ. The standard for average IQ is a score of 100.
According to Healthline, “A score of 116 or more is considered above average. A score of 130 or higher signals a high IQ. Membership in Mensa, the High IQ society, includes people who score in the top 2 percent, which is usually 132 or higher.”
That noted, the IQ of “some of the smartest people who ever lived,” is reported to average in the high 200s. Although Albert Einstein, who is also regarded as one of the smartest people of all time, is predicted to have an IQ lower than what you’d expect. However, the IQ test, invented by Alfred Binet, wasn’t adopted until after Einstein’s passing.
Average IQs by state
The study, produced by Data Pandas, a data aggregation corporation, gathered stats on the average IQ of each state. They pulled stats from the National Library of Medicine.
States with the highest IQ:
- Massachusetts – 104.3
- New Hampshire – 104.2
- North Dakota – 103.8,
- Vermont – 103.8
- Minnesota – 103.7
- Montana – 103.4
- Maine – 103.4
- Iowa – 103.2
- Connecticut – 103.1
- Wisconsin – 102.9
10 States with the Lowest IQ:
- Mississippi – 94.2
- Louisiana – 95.3
- California – 95.5
- Hawaii – 95.6
- New Mexico – 95.7
- Alabama – 95.7
- Nevada – 96.5
- Arizona – 97.4
- Arkansas – 97.5
- Tennessee – 97.7
All that learning and brain power requires a break! Unwind at one of these local coffee shops.