In life, it's the small wins and joys that tend to have the biggest impact on our journey.

The same tends to be true when we consider the qualities that make someone a good neighbor. When you're across town and your son gets locked out, the neighbor who keeps your spare housekey on-hand is your knight in shining yoga pants. When you're in the middle of baking your umpteenth batch of homemade cookies for the holiday party and the store closes minutes after you run out of butter, you know whose door to knock on.

Plain and simple, good neighbors show up. They check in on you when they see your mailbox bursting at the seams.

Photo by Mathyas Kurmann on Unsplash
Photo by Mathyas Kurmann on Unsplash
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When they see you bring home a new baby, they leave casseroles at your door. They remember those exhaustion-filled days like it was yesterday.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
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And when two families who start out sharing little more than a property line manage to build a lasting friendship, they've hit a rare jackpot. It's the very essence of America's obsession with the girl-next-door. Caring and trusting, her values mirror yours and she's exactly the sort of girl you hope your son will marry someday.

Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash
Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash
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Unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with good neighbors. Some of us live next to total strangers for 20 years or longer, never knowing so much as their name or the football team they cheer for. But being stand-off'ish isn't a crime, nor should it label someone a bad neighbor. After all, some people prefer, even celebrate, having quiet, closed-off neighbors.

Photo by Kaspars Eglitis on Unsplash
Photo by Kaspars Eglitis on Unsplash
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So what makes someone difficult to live near? Experience and maturity tells us we don't have to be fantastic friends to be considerate folks next door. If we had to declare the negative qualities that make a person nightmare to share backyard views with, our list would go something like this:

  • They're intentionally rude when you approach them for any reason, big or small.
  • Bad neighbors are thoughtless. Loud music after quiet hours time and again is their favorite pastime.
  • When the snow falls, these are the sort of people who only shovel their side of the staircase.
  • They're the folks who wouldn't lend you a hand in your most difficult moment if it caused them an ounce of effort or inconvenience.
  • Despite their amazingly manicured lawns and the fancy cars in their driveway, bad neighbors are morally bankrupt and a nuisance to the neighborhood.

The list is hardly comprehensive. It scratches the surface at best. But you get the point. Now that we've discussed what makes a neighbor good or bad, we invite you to peruse the list of states that have been deemed as terrible neighboring states! All things considered, we were surprised to see several states make the cut. Not that we agree, but we weren't as surprised to see one of Idaho's neighbors featured on it. Sorry, Garden State.

Most Hated States of America 2022

There you have it. If you live in one or neighbor any of these states, do you agree? For more context, click each state for an explanation provided by the surveyor. To the states that made the list, we wish you all the best in your journey to good neighborship. To every other state that didn't make the list, way to use those manners, neighbors!

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