Most Terrible Place to Have Thanksgiving? Ohio

Based on odds of political arguments, binge drinking, and more
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 27, 2014 9:16 AM CST
Here Are the Worst States to Hold Thanksgiving
Narragansett turkeys roam a pasture near Trimble, Mo., Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014.   (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

We're all aware of the many potential pitfalls of Thanksgiving: the political arguments, the drunk-uncle factor, the football losses. Now, the real-estate blog Estately has figured out, based on the confluence of such factors, just which states have the highest risk for terrible turkey dinners. The site looked at six factors in each state:

  • the binge drinking rate
  • the odds of getting salmonella from poultry
  • how politically divided a state is
  • the frequency of dietary restrictions imposed by vegetarianism and diabetes
  • the Thanksgiving-Day losing percentage of local football teams
  • and the proportion of local Facebook users planning to hit up Black Friday sales—meaning, perhaps, that they'll leave the meal early.

Taking all this into account, here are the states whose residents deserve the most pity:

  1. Ohio, which scores worst in dietary restrictions and near-worst in politics and football. It's also among the worst 15 states in all the other categories.
  2. Iowa, where drinking, politics, and diets are particular issues.
  3. Pennsylvania, which struggles with politics and diets.
  4. Arizona, where football odds are the absolute worst.
  5. Wisconsin, which takes top (or, rather, bottom) marks for too much drinking.
Check out the full list. (More Thanksgiving stories.)

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