Is New Jersey a fun state to visit? Not really, according to national ranking

Sometimes, one has to wonder how seriously we should take these surveys. Now yes, there are times New Jersey fares pretty well in them. And other times, we do poorly.

Usually, we're pretty good judges as to where we might fall on any given ranking. For example, if we were to be ranked on our driving skills, we might fall pretty low on that list. But that could be due to the fact we tend to be aggressive and quick on the roads. And honestly, quick thinking probably makes us better, not worse. Maybe those from other states are just a little intimidated by us and think we're not so good.

But, that's a story for another day. This particular study, conducted by WalletHub, is all about fun, and which states are the most fun to visit in the nation.

Now right off the bat, you might be thinking we did pretty well. I mean, New Jersey is probably one of the few states that constantly have something going on all year long throughout many parts of the day and night. Maybe we wouldn't be the most fun state, but we certainly should be up there.

I will say this. We didn't fall dead last or in the bottom 10. But, we aren't very high either. Let's first look at who the top and bottom are on the list before diving into the disappointing spot New Jersey landed in.

The most fun state in the country? California

I can certainly see this. California's a lot larger than New Jersey and is home to many things that set it apart, such as Hollywood and Disney Land.

Number two on the list is Florida. Again, another one that we shouldn't be surprised by. Florida has long been a destination for vacationers and also has its share of family fun, such as Disney World. And it's no coincidence both Disney states made the top two spots. I guess the thrill of Great Adventure wasn't part of the equation.

Number three on the list is Nevada. Well OK, maybe it's more fun than New Jersey when it comes to gambling. But aside from that, New Jersey has quite a bit it can compete with.

So those are the top three that made the list. What about the bottom?

The least fun state in the Country? West Virginia

We would have a major problem here in New Jersey if we fell below this. Nothing against West Virginia, but the Garden State clearly has a lot more fun things happening that makes it more exciting.

Mississippi fell at number 49, and Delaware at 48. Yep, unfortunately, our friends at our southern border are way at the bottom. Luckily, they don't have far to go for a little more fun.

Before we look at New Jersey, how did our other neighboring states do? Well, a hell of a lot better than us.

Pennsylvania fell at number 13, and New York at number 4

Both Pennsylvania and New York did pretty well on this list. In fact, New York state was very close to landing in the top three. Very impressive, indeed.

So one would expect New Jersey to fall somewhere within that range. Think about it, visitors from both PA and NY visit the Jersey Shore every summer for vacations and weekend getaways.

But it's not just the Jersey Shore region that's fun. New Jersey has many concerts and activities happening year-round that make this state one of the funniest places in the country.

Unfortunately, the people who conducted this study at WalletHub didn't seem to think so. Here's where they say New Jersey ranks compared to every other state in the county.

New Jersey lands at number 31

You read that right. Out of all 50 states in the country, we fell at number 31, placing us in the lower half across the country. Now yes, it could be worse. At least we're not in the bottom 10. But 31? C'mon, we're more fun than that.

One of the criteria used takes a look at the state's overall entertainment and recreation. For that, New Jersey scored a 32. We did a little better with nightlife, scoring a 29.

Let's pause for a moment and look at that nightlife score again. While we scored a 29, the state that beat us out just one point higher is even more shocking. How in the world did North Dakota beat us at 28? Do you know what that's saying? It says that North Dakota has better nightlife than New Jersey. No way that's possible.

7 fun reasons why we're lucky to call the Garden State our home

Look, who cares what any study says. We know that New Jersey is a fun place, and we're damn lucky to call the Garden State home. Here are 7 lucky reasons why you're very fortunate to be here, and even more reasons why New Jersey is truly a fun place to be.

Curious to know how all 50 states fared? Just click here to see the full list courtesy of WalletHub.