Mississippians complain more than rest of US, study says. See what really chaps our hides

If you think you’ve got a lot to complain about, you’re not alone. A recent study found that Mississippi residents complain more than any residents of any other state in the U.S.

The results are based on a survey by online tutoring company Preply. Researchers surveyed 2,000 people throughout the country, asking how often they complain, their views on others who complain, the topics people don’t want to hear about and the subjects they could relate to.

Answers were scored and adjusted on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most complaints. Mississippi scored 99.77.

“Across all of the typical topics people make a fuss about, Mississippians are the most likely to complain about their physical health, debt, and passwords and verifications,” said Matt Zajechowski at Preply.

The results revealed that states on the west coast and in the midwest were the least likely to complain, while a number of states on the east coast and in the south had the most complainers.

Our neighbors to the east are nearly as likely as Mississippi to put up a fuss. Alabama came in second place with a score of 98.38.

States with the most complainers

1. Mississippi: with a complaint score of 99.77
2. Alabama: 98.38
3. Nevada: 96.94
4. West Virginia: 96.08
5. Nebraska: 94.87
6. Iowa: 93.58
7. New York: 91.94
8. Texas: 91.86
9. Virginia: 91.73
10. Colorado: 91.68

States with the least complainers

1. Georgia: 80.65
2. Oregon: 81.12
3. Connecticut: 81.91
4. Kansas: 83.52
5. Minnesota: 83.97
6. North Carolina: 84.01
7. Missouri: 85.36
8. Illinois: 85.52
9. Utah: 85.64
10. Massachusetts: 85.99

Topics people complain about most

1. Costs of things
2. How people drive
3. Quality of things
4. Politics
5. Traffic
6. Lack of income
7. Physical health
8. Work
9. Weather
10. Other people complaining

Mississippi shared a common thread with Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Texas. The eight states tied for the most complaints about the cost of things.

Other key findings

• Residents in Mississippi, Alabama and Nevada ranked as the biggest complainers in the country.
• Georgia, Oregon and Connecticut were the least likely to complain.
• Americans complain most about prices, how people drive and the quality of things.
• A third of the respondents said they had cut ties with people who complained too much.
• Overall, 64% of Americans believe complaining negatively affects their mental health.
• Nearly 25% of Americans say if they could pick one topic to never hear a complaint about again, they would choose politics.

Mona Moore

Sun Herald

Mona Moore was a Service Journalism Desk Editor for the Sun Herald in Mississippi; Mahoning Matters in Ohio; and the Ledger-Enquirer and Telegraph in Georgia. Originally from West Covina, California, she holds a bachelor’s and master’s in corporate and public communication from the University of South Alabama. Mona’s writing and photography have been recognized by press associations in Mississippi, North Carolina and Florida.