The best states to live in for surviving the zombie apocalypse, and the worst
(Cover photo: Image credit: Pixabay.com)
With all the fantastic and popular zombie apocalypse movies and TV shows that have hit the big and little screens over the last bunch of years, I know you’ve all thought to yourselves, “How would I do at surviving the hordes of walking dead that are roaming through my neighborhood?” Turns out, much of your survival depends upon the state you’re living in – as some are better than others at providing the basic survival necessities.
A new, and serious study has revealed the best and worst states to find yourself in during a zombie outbreak based on key survival indicators. Vermont claims the top spot as the safest state, followed closely by Maine, Louisiana, Wyoming, and New Hampshire. On the other end of the scale, Hawaii, Nevada, California, Arizona, and New York have ranked as the most dangerous states to live in during a zombie apocalypse.
The study, conducted by the no deposit casino bonus guide NoDepositDaily.com, used data for eighteen key indicators that affect survivability in each state. These indicators were grouped into ‘weapons and security,’ ‘supplies and survival resources,’ ‘population density,’ ‘medical services,’ ‘gas and vehicle supplies,’ ‘climate,’ ‘access to fresh water,’ and ‘access to food’ and were each scored out of 100. Each state’s survivability was assessed, and a final overall score out of a possible 100 was assigned.
The study used Bing Maps data to find the number of relevant facilities in each state. For example, ‘weapons and security’ was based on the number of police stations, gun shops, and fire stations in each state. In contrast, ‘access to freshwater’ was assessed based on US Government Climate data on rainfall and freshwater lakes.
Vermont emerges as the prime choice with a commendable score of 72.35 out of a possible 100 points. The state ranked first in the United States for food availability, arguably one of the most essential survival aspects. Additionally, the state ranked second for both weapons and security and supplies and survival resources, making it a great place to set up a survival homestead.
Securing the second spot is Maine, boasting a solid score of 68.28 points. Despite not exhibiting notably strong performances in many metrics, Maine excelled with a score of 86.31 for food availability, receiving the second-place position overall. Additionally, the state scored well across all other survival metrics, notably ranking fourth nationwide for supplies and survival resources, making it another ideal location for those wanting to increase their chances of survival.
Louisiana claims the third position with a score of 65.47 points out of 100. Although the state scored relatively low for some metrics, such as twenty-eighth for supplies and survival resources and twenty-fifth for population density, Louisiana scored strongly for long-term survival metrics. The state’s climate score of 95.12 ranked it third in the US, and it offered the best access to fresh water nationwide, making it an excellent place to begin rebuilding society.
Following closely in fourth place, Wyoming scores 63.42 points. Wyoming offers the best availability of weapons out of all the states, ranking in first place for this metric with 95.66 points out of a possible 100. In contrast, Wyoming’s average temperature and snowfall ranked it forty-eighth for climate, indicating survival through the winter months might be more difficult.
New Hampshire secures the fifth spot with a score of 61.23 points. The state boasts first place for its availability of supplies and survival resources, with its vast number of shopping centers and hardware stores, making it the perfect place for preppers on a survival shopping spree.
Ranking sixth is Montana, with an overall survivability score of 58.84 points. The state’s scores varied massively depending on the metric, ranking fourth for access to food but forty-eighth for medical services. This makes the state a location that might only be suitable for those willing to improvise or source their medical supplies from out of town.
Arkansas ranks seventh with a score of 58.17 points out of a possible 100. The state offers a range of survival benefits, scoring consistently across every metric. Arkansas is a great all-rounder but, unlike other states, doesn’t offer the best access to any one resource.
Claiming eighth place is Florida, with a score of 57.82 points. Despite its vulnerability to hurricanes and other natural disasters, Florida’s excellent access to survival resources pulled it into a top-ten spot. Furthermore, the state ranked first within the climate metric thanks to its warmer weather, which offers plenty of benefits, including growing crops and avoiding cold winters.
South Dakota claims the ninth position with a score of 57.55 points. The state scored an impressive 85.45 for the gas and vehicle supplies metric, ranking second-best in the US, making it a great base camp.
Rounding off the top ten is North Dakota, scoring 57.45 points and ranking seventh and thirteenth for weapons and security and supplies and survival resources, making the state another excellent choice. Additionally, North Dakota ranked first for gas and vehicle supplies, offering the perfect set-up for the nomadic survivor.
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Top 10: Best US States to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse:
| Rank | State | Score (out of 100) |
| 1 | Vermont | 72.35 |
| 2 | Maine | 68.28 |
| 3 | Louisiana | 65.47 |
| 4 | Wyoming | 63.42 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 61.23 |
| 6 | Montana | 58.84 |
| 7 | Arkansas | 58.17 |
| 8 | Florida | 57.82 |
| 9 | South Dakota | 57.55 |
| 10 | North Dakota | 57.45 |
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On the other end of the scale, the study also revealed the worst US states to live in during a zombie outbreak.
Hawaii tops the list as the most challenging state, scoring just 24.08 out of 100 for survival readiness. Its isolated location is the main reason for this low ranking, leading to limited access to resources from the mainland. Across almost all metrics, Hawaii ranks poorly, making it tough for residents to secure necessities like weapons, food, water, and medical supplies. However, there’s a small ray of hope: Hawaii comes in second for its climate, meaning residents can expect relatively milder winters despite the crisis.
Following closely, Nevada claims the second-worst spot with a score of 32.05. Nevada ranked fiftieth for access to food and consistently scored poorly across other important survival metrics. However, the state’s population density metric scored 68.42 out of 100, ranking it ninth, meaning that the limited resources will have little competition from other survivors.
California ranks third with a score of 38.24, facing challenges due to its densely populated urban centers and dependence on external resources. The state’s lack of access to fresh water and food, mixed with its densely populated cities, makes it a terrifying place to end up during a zombie apocalypse. Residents might be better off fleeing to quieter states that offer better survival chances. Additionally, the state’s gun laws earned them a ranking of forty-sixth for access to weapons, which may not be ideal in an apocalyptic scenario.
Arizona secures the fourth-worst position with a score of 39.08 out of 100. Although the state ranked first for access to medical services, this wasn’t enough to compensate for the lack of other resources. Unsurprisingly, the desert state ranked very poorly for access to fresh water, sitting in forty-ninth place with an incredibly low score of 4.67, making it one of the most difficult places to survive unless residents can find a water source.
New York placed fifth with a score of 40.01. The northern state suffered due to its cold climate, ranking it in forty-ninth place with a score of 21.32 for this metric. Furthermore, the state scored in the bottom ten for almost all metrics except for access to medical services, where it came in a respectable sixth place, meaning residents will have limited resources to survive on compared with other states.
In sixth place, Illinois received a survival score of 40.36 out of 100. The state scored poorly across multiple essential metrics, including access to food, where it ranked forty-seventh out of fifty states. What’s more, Illinois offers poor access to fresh water, ranking thirty-first, and also scored poorly for populated density, ranking thirty-ninth out of fifty states – making it one of the more difficult places to survive a zombie apocalypse.
New Mexico secures the seventh-worst position with a survival score of 40.93. Unfortunately, New Mexico residents may face challenges during a zombie apocalypse due to limited resources. The state fares poorly in medical services, supplies and survival resources, access to food, and access to water. In fact, it ranked as the worst state for access to fresh water, rendering it one of the most challenging places to survive unless ample food and water are stocked up.
Ohio is positioned as the eighth most perilous place to reside in during a zombie apocalypse, scoring 41.17 out of 100. The state ranked poorly across various metrics, notably in population density, where it lands at forty-first among the fifty states. Moreover, Ohio fares poorly, securing the thirty-eighth spot for access to supplies and survival resources, indicating potential challenges for residents in locating essential survival tools and more competition for these limited tools in densely populated areas.
Other states offering poor survival chances include Utah (42.35)and Indiana (42.61). Unfortunately, survival chances are much lower for residents of these two states due to poor access to medical services and key survival resources, so it may be worth making the journey to some of the higher-ranked states.
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Top 10: Worst US States to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
| Rank | State | Score (out of 100) |
| 1 | Hawaii | 24.08 |
| 2 | Nevada | 32.05 |
| 3 | California | 38.24 |
| 4 | Arizona | 39.08 |
| 5 | New York | 40.01 |
| 6 | Illinois | 40.36 |
| 7 | New Mexico | 40.93 |
| 8 | Ohio | 41.17 |
| 9 | Utah | 42.35 |
| 10 | Indiana | 42.61 |
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Commenting on the findings, Mervyn Davids from NoDepositDaily.com says: “It’s fascinating to discover which US states offer the best shot at survival during a zombie apocalypse, with less populated areas and abundant natural resources coming out on top.
“Interestingly, some states scored strongly in only some metrics, making the choice for where to head in the apocalypse dependent on your survival strategy. For example, North and South Dakota performed well for fuel and vehicle access, making them ideal for those looking to survive on the road.”
“In contrast, states such as Louisiana and Maine offered excellent access to fresh water and food, making them much more appropriate for those looking to settle down and rebuild.”
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All the States – from Best to Worst – in Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse
| Rank | State | Score (out of 100) |
| 1 | Vermont | 72.35 |
| 2 | Maine | 68.28 |
| 3 | Louisiana | 65.47 |
| 4 | Wyoming | 63.42 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 61.23 |
| 6 | Montana | 58.84 |
| 7 | Arkansas | 58.17 |
| 8 | Florida | 57.82 |
| 9 | South Dakota | 57.55 |
| 10 | North Dakota | 57.45 |
| 11 | Mississippi | 56.78 |
| 12 | Alabama | 55.56 |
| 13 | Alaska | 55.02 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 53.31 |
| 15 | South Carolina | 52.94 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 52.06 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 51.97 |
| 18 | Kentucky | 51.62 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 51.20 |
| 20 | Idaho | 50.38 |
| 21 | Tennessee | 49.88 |
| 22 | Iowa | 49.31 |
| 23 | Delaware | 49.14 |
| 24 | West Virginia | 48.78 |
| 25 | Oregon | 48.31 |
| 26 | Kansas | 48.17 |
| 27 | Nebraska | 48.06 |
| 28 | Connecticut | 48.05 |
| 29 | Georgia | 47.88 |
| 30 | Missouri | 47.58 |
| 31 | Minnesota | 47.51 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | 46.58 |
| 33 | Colorado | 45.20 |
| 34 | New Jersey | 45.18 |
| 35 | Massachusetts | 45.17 |
| 36 | Michigan | 44.13 |
| 37 | Maryland | 43.26 |
| 38 | Washington | 43.18 |
| 39 | Virginia | 42.98 |
| 40 | Texas | 42.69 |
| 41 | Indiana | 42.61 |
| 42 | Utah | 42.35 |
| 43 | Ohio | 41.17 |
| 44 | New Mexico | 40.93 |
| 45 | Illinois | 40.36 |
| 46 | New York | 40.01 |
| 47 | Arizona | 39.08 |
| 48 | California | 38.24 |
| 49 | Nevada | 32.05 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 24.08 |
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Hopefully, we’ll never find ourselves in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; but just in case we do, almost 5 million viewers have checked out the “How To Survive a Zombie Apocalypse” video below. You might want to check it out too.
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Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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Sources: NoDepositDaily.com, using Bing Maps and NOAA National Climatic Data Center
Methodology: A total of 18 factors were used to compile the index. The raw data for each factor was cleaned, checked, and standardized on the same scale from 0 to 10, where 0 and 10 represent the worst and best values present in the data to allow for accurate comparison between factors. Factors for which a high score would be negative were subtracted from 10 to invert their scoring.
Each factor was assigned weighting, reflecting its importance in the analysis. The 18 factors/categories are as follows:
1. Number of Police Stations
2. Number of Gun Stores
3. Number of Fire Departments
4. Number of Hardware Stores
5. Number of Storage Facilities
6. Number of Shopping Centers
7. Number of Sporting Goods Stores
8. Population Density (pop/km2)
9. Number of Hospitals
10. Number of Pharmacies
11. Number of Vehicle Mechanics
12. Number of Gas Stations
13. Average Temperature (F)
14. Average Annual Snowfall (inches)
15. Inland Water Area as a % of Total Area
16. Average Annual Precipitation (inches)
17. Number of Grocery Stores
18. Number of Hunting and Fishing Stores
Once the weightings were assigned, the total score for the factors was calculated, producing an overall index score out of 100 for each entry, upon which the final ranking is based. Additional index scores were compiled to rank the US states by eight categories:
1. Weapons and Security
2. Supplies and survival Resources
3. Population Density
4. Medical Services
5. Gas and Vehicle Supplies
6. Climate
7. Access to Freshwater
8. Access to Food
