Wait—Massachusetts? Friendly? Are You Sure About That?

Okay, I had to read this twice. Massachusetts—Massachusetts—was just ranked the 6th friendliest state in America.

Sixth! Ahead of places where people actually smile for no reason and say things like “have a blessed day.” Have the folks who did this study ever tried merging onto the Pike at rush hour? Or asked someone from Boston where to park in the North End?

Apparently, this grand analysis used “travel data,” “social media sentiment,” and “happiness scores” to decide how welcoming states are.

(Which, by the way, is a wild lineup. Hawaii? Sure. New Jersey? Did they confuse “friendly” with “loud”?)

Now, I’m not saying Bostonians aren’t nice. We just have a…unique delivery system. We’re not fake. When we tell you to “say hi to your mother for me,” we mean it.

We’ll give you directions, but we’ll also tell you exactly how dumb your GPS is. We’ll hold the door for you—then mutter about how slow you are. That’s real hospitality.

And let’s be honest: “Southern hospitality” might sound sweet, but it’s not always what it seems. A Southerner might smile and say, “Bless your heart,” but that’s basically code for “You’re an idiot.” When a Bostonian says “You good?” they actually want to know if you’re okay. When we say “Take care,” we mean it—usually with a hand gesture.

So sure, maybe we’re rough around the edges. Maybe we drop a few R’s and add a few choice words. But friendly? Yeah. In our own way. We’re the kind of friendly that shows up with chowder when you’re sick and helps you move a couch up three flights of stairs—then complains about it for the rest of the year.

So, congrats, Massachusetts. Sixth nicest in the nation. Not bad for a bunch of people who start most compliments with “Not for nothing, but…”