With every state comes a state flag. Some – like Maryland – are icons. Others – like Delaware’s – should probably be erased from world history. This article will give the complete ranking of all 50 state flags from worst down to best.

50. New Jersey

Coming in at dead last is New Jersey. This flag is a repulsive tan color that belongs more on a pair of khaki shorts than a state flag. The design in the middle is also unexciting and I don’t know who the two women standing there are. This flag is simply a let down. But let’s be honest, would we expect any less from NJ?

49. Minnesota

The mediocre shade of blue keeps this flag from being dead last, but my goodness. The design in the middle is atrocious and overall this is just a color overload.

48. New York

I don’t know who copied who – New York or New Jersey – but #48 and #50 are nearly identical. The only reason New York beats New Jersey is because the creators were smart enough to give it a navy blue background instead of that awful tan.

47. Wisconsin

Shocker here…This is the same as the 48th and 50th states. I like that it says “Wisconsin” on top, saving it from dead last. It’s a bit odd that they have soldiers on the flag though. Let’s not act like Wisconsin was a complete non-factor in wars before 1900.

46. Delaware

Bruh another?? The golden rhombus behind the men and date written at the bottom keep it from being 49th. Otherwise it would be second to last because the seal is horrific.

45. Alabama

This looks like the “Railroad” crossing sign with different colors. It looks like a 1st grader trying to draw a barn door. It looks like the red “X” emoji. But you know what it does not look like? A state flag.

44. Maine

At this point I’m running out of things to say about this design. Again, it’s slightly better than the 4 before but please have some creativity. The elk is cool and it says “Maine” so it wins the battle of the two-people-standing-next-to-a-boring-seal flags. 

43. Nebraska

I’m not sure what I’m looking at, and I’m not sure I want to know. However, I see mountains in the background. MOUNTAINS? Are you serious? Your state is flat and you grow corn. L state and L flag.

42. Kansas

This flag is tragic. I can’t decide if I’d rather stare at this or the Kansas prairie. Two equally unappealing views.

41. Montana

It would be unfair to put Kansas and not have Montana right afterwards considering they’re essentially identical. Montana is a cooler state though so it gets the higher spot.

40. Nevada

Nevada’s flag is the ultimate irony. How can you write “battle born” on your flag when you’re landlocked in the United  States? The closest Nevada gets to battle is when the government tests nuclear bombs by dropping them in the desert because that’s how little anyone cares about Nevada. 

39. Virginia

The picture in the middle of the flag looks like it came from an Atari game. The dead guy is a cool feature, but this flag is not the move. You wouldn’t want this waving in the wind on your porch. 

38. South Dakota

If you need to write “The Mount Rushmore State” on your flag to remind people why your state is relevant, then you must not be. Like Minnesota, though, this flag has a unique shade of blue so it’s not the worst.

37. Connecticut

This flag just sucks. The seal is a cool shape though. It’s not good but it’s not bad.

36. Vermont

Just another plain and boring flag. The wreath around the picture looks nice and the deer head is cool, but this flag is not turning any heads. 

35. West Virginia

This flag looks like a Christmas decoration or something. It’s very underwhelming, but not a total eyesore. The blue border around the white background is a very nice touch that the 14 states above should look into.

34. Louisiana

This flag is almost disturbing. The blood dripping down to the beaks of the baby birds is so unnecessary. At least the flag is true to the pelicans that swarm the trash fills off the coast of New Orleans.

33. Pennsylvania

This is almost like the bottom four states, but instead of people beside the seal there are horses. The stallions are cool, though, and the eagle on top also adds to the flag. This is another flag in limbo that isn’t hideous but is also just not that cool.

32. Kentucky

This flag is super lame and almost fell into the mid-40s. However, upon closer inspection I have decided that the seal is pretty crispy and the message “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” is cool. Limbo.

31. Illinois

I’m not sure I’ve had a harder time ranking a state thus far. Is it cool? It is awful? I just cannot decide. However, I like the sunset, and the USA flag seal that the eagle is holding is pretty cool. Don’t love the white background on this flag though, and the eagle design needs to be updated. Room for improvement for sure. 

30. North Dakota

While they don’t look similar, this flag oddly faces the same issues as Illinois. Good: sunset and flag seal. Bad: outdated eagle design.  

29. Idaho

The colors and shape of the seal are nice, albeit an unexciting picture in the middle. One recommendation I have is to change the red color behind “State of Idaho” because it matches poorly with the rest of the flag. 

28. Tennessee

It’s sort of difficult to hate on this flag. It’s not an eyesore. It’s not a copy of another flag. It doesn’t have a bad color scheme. Simply put, it’s just boring. At #29, Tennessee kicks off a list of several states with flags that aren’t necessarily bad, they’re just not exciting.

27. Florida

Florida is what Alabama aspires to be. The seal is nice and the flag just gives me a warm, southern “Florida” vibe. Still somewhat boring though.

26. Utah

McClain Stoklosa was hyping this flag up to me last week. I’m sorry McClain, but I’m a bit underwhelmed. While writing this article, it has become apparent that states have a difficult time putting eagles on their flags. They always look weird and Utah is no exception. 

25. North Carolina

This flag turns no heads. It doesn’t look bad, it’s just insanely plain. The “NC” looks nice, but listing two dates on your flag just confuses people.

24. Arkansas

The Arkansas flag has just the right touch of simplicity for what it’s trying to accomplish. Still, for whatever reason, it just does not look like a state flag. I feel like this should be one of those neon lights outside a diner or something. I just can’t figure it out.

23. Georgia

Another pleasant but mid-ranked flag. It doesn’t do enough to stand out, fitting in with the stars-and-stripes category of North Carolina, Arkansas, and Tennessee before it. Also, Georgia didn’t change its old flag – which featured a Confederate flag on it – until 2001. Yeah, I did my research. Also, South Carolina grows more peaches than you…

22. Texas

The fourth stars-and-stripes flag in a row, this one wins the battle because it is the most iconic. Also, the fact that the state nickname – “The Lone Star State” – comes from the flag itself is neat.

21. Michigan

Much like Alabama and Florida, Michigan is what Pennsylvania dreamt of. The elk and moose look awesome, and the eagle over top is clean. We are slowly graduating from the bad and average flags to the ones that are actually quite cool, and Michigan kicks off that group.

20. Massachusetts

The seal in the middle is a crispy shape, and the sword overhead is a nice touch. Also, the color scheme of navy blue and gold matches the white background quite well. Good job Massachusetts.

19. Hawaii

The flag is cool but the Union Jack doesn’t belong to you. Also, the top stripe on the flag is white, making it look like it gets cut off at the red stripe below.

18. Washington

This flag might not look as cool as some of the ones above it, but it wins major points for uniqueness. No other flag has a headshot of a person on it like Washington does, and this color scheme is not used by any other state. What this flag lacks in attractiveness it gains in creativity.

17. Alaska

Ladies, listen up. If you want to make a move on senior Sam Whelan, then look like the Alaska flag. This dude has been lusting over Alaska’s flag since I told him my ideas for the article, primarily because he loves the joke that “each star represents one of Alaska’s citizens.” In all seriousness though, the flag is cool and the stars form the Big Dipper and North Star which is a nice easter egg.

16. Indiana

Indiana’s design is just super clean. The torch looks raw and the stars circling it are a perfect addition. I also love the navy blue and gold color scheme. Solid solid solid.

15. Maryland

I may get some hate for this one. Maryland’s flag is easily one of the most iconic. I see it everywhere—on shirts, hats, uniforms, etc. However, it’s kinda weird. The color scheme isn’t great and it’s a bit of a visual overload. Nonetheless, it’s hard to rank it much lower than this because the flag is simply beloved.

14. New Hampshire

New Hampshire perfectly executed the seal. The navy blue and gold combo never fails, and the ship looks great in the middle. Bravo.

13. Iowa

Admittedly, Iowa is running a narrow line between cool and “this is just France’s flag with a bird.” However, it’s just unique enough that it maintains independence as one of the best flags in the United States. The eagle design is solid and the color scheme fits well.

12. Oregon

Great color scheme, nice seal, and the swaying “State of Oregon” adds some flavor. I also like that they included a wagon in the seal, as one of Oregon’s primary identifiers is “the state that everyone walked to with ox-wagons.”

11. Ohio

What makes the Ohio flag so unique and cool is that it is not shaped like a rectangle. It is the only flag with 5 sides and the design/color scheme itself is super cool.

10. Rhode Island

Here’s a flag that could probably crack the top 5 if it just had a minor touch up. The design and color scheme are some of the best in the country, but the anchor looks a little outdated. Still a solid flag, though.

9. Mississippi

9 months ago, this flag would’ve been dead last. Fortunately, Mississippi adopted a new state flag on January 11th of this year, retiring their previous flag which featured a confederate flag on it. The new flag, however, is awesome. The color scheme blends well with the warm Mississippi climate and the stars around the magnolia blossom look great. Props to Mississippi for being woke for once.

8. Wyoming

If you zoom in on the seal, you will be underwhelmed with its picture. However, the flag makes up for this flaw with the color scheme, double border, and that sweet bison in the middle.

7. Oklahoma

This seal is awesome and it’s great that Oklahoma respects its Native American heritage by including a buffalo-skin shield on their state flag. The blue shade blends well with the rest of the flag too.

6. Arizona

Arizona’s flag perfectly matches the vibe of the state. The warm colors on top represent the setting sun over the darkening Arizona desert in blue at night. This flag is very visually pleasing. 

5. Missouri

Everything about this flag, from the color scheme, to the seal, to stars circling the seal, is awesome. The best part, though, is easily the bears in the middle. 

4. New Mexico

Sometimes simplicity is best, and New Mexico is a perfect example. This is almost exactly what you would imagine the NM flag to look like. The color scheme encapsulates the state perfectly, and the sun design in the middle is sweet. Awesome flag.

The top 3 are a unique tier of state flags. Why? Because they are simply everywhere. These flags are on merchandise, front porches, business logos, everywhere. It’s almost impossible to walk through an airport without seeing a Colorado “C” hat. You cannot drive on 526 without seeing the moon and palm tree sticker on the back of the car in front of you. “California Republic,” the message on the California state flag, is even the name of an independent apparel company. These 3 flags are essentially interchangeable at this point, so I’m just going to give my own personal ranking:

3. Colorado

2. South Carolina

1. California