Washington Is One Of America's Most Independent States: Study

SEATTLE — Independence Day is almost here, and this year researchers at WalletHub decided to celebrate the 4th by ranking America's most 'independent' states. If you read the title of this article before clicking into it, you know what's next: WalletHub's study ended up discovering that Washington is among the nation's most self-sufficient states.

For their study, analysts looked at all sorts of variables, like job market dependency, international trade, and even who smokes the most. After running the numbers, they found that Washington:

• Is the 2nd most financially independent state.
• Is the 10th least dependent on the federal government.
• Has the 10th lowest median debt per income.
• Has the 15th lowest long-term unemployment rate.
• Has the 6th smallest share of current adult smokers.

All together, researchers ended up ranking Washington as the 9th most independent state in the union.

Here's a look at WalletHub's top 10 most independent states:

1. Utah
2. Colorado
3. Massachusetts
4. Virginia
5. Nebraska
6. Florida
7. Idaho
8. Wisconsin
9. Washington
10. Delaware

And here are the states that are most reliant on others:

1. Kentucky
2. Louisiana
3. Mississippi
4. Alaska
5. South Carolina
6. West Virginia
7. Alabama
8. Tennessee
9. Indiana
10. New Mexico

>> Read the full ranking from WalletHub.