People who live in North Dakota are smarter about money than those in Mississippi, at least according to one new survey from GOBankingRates. The financial website looked at people’s use of banking services, their savings and investment behaviors, and whether states had financial education programs to determine which states had the most money-savvy residents.

The results revealed quite marked regional differences in financial literacy. The upper Midwestern states performed well on measures of intelligence of money, as did many western states. The central and southern states did not do as well. Residents of these areas are more likely to dodge debt collectors and spend more than they earn and are less likely to have traditional bank accounts or have retirement savings.

Source: GOBankingRates.com

“The southern region of the country clearly lacks the resources necessary for residents to take an active role in their financial well-being, and illustrates the need for Americans living in this region to take proactive steps to improve their financial habits,” he said. said Casey Bond. , editor-in-chief of GOBankingRates.

The states where people have the most difficulty with money also tend to be those with low incomes and high poverty rates. Residents of Mississippi, for example, had the lowest average income in the United States, according to a WalletHub 2014 study, and just over 21% live in poverty, according to Poverty United States (the national average is 14.5%). Several other states that scored low for their sense of money, including South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas, were also among the states with the lowest income levels and the highest percentage. of impoverished people. Money-saving states, on the other hand, tended to have higher incomes and lower poverty rates.

Here are the 10 states where people were the most money savvy, according to GOBankingRates.