Oregon Crowned the Most Bee-Friendly State in America With Top Conservation Score
Research has recently confirmed what many Oregonians already know: Oregon is the most bee-friendly state in the US. The state took first place, scoring 70.48% for bee-friendliness.
Oregon Bee Conservation Ranks Highest Nationwide
Oregon is the #1 American bee conservation hotspot according to research by BestMadHoney. America’s most bee-friendly state scored 70.48 out of 100 in an index-based study,
Vermont and Washington earned second and third positions, respectively, in the ratings, which analyzed seven factors across all 50 states, including Bee City USA and Bee Campus affiliation, percentage of land used for rural and wildlife, and data from other sources such as the American Beekeeping Federation (ABF).
Seven of the top ten bee-friendly states are in either the West or Northeast regions of the country. At the same time, Mississippi takes last place as America’s least bee-friendly state with an index score of just 16.94 out of 100.
The most bee-friendly states in the US are:
| Rank | State | Score | Bee City affiliates | Bee Campus affiliates | ABF sponsorship level | Colony loss rate | % of land used for rural and wildlife | Bee-friendly search volume per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | 70.48 | 15 | 24 | Silver | 65.93% | 7.07% | 71.06 |
| 2 | Vermont | 69.68 | 1 | 3 | Silver | 61.76% | 5.61% | 80.06 |
| 3 | Washington | 69.46 | 6 | 12 | Gold | 43.16% | 14.48% | 71.38 |
| 4 | Virginia | 68.12 | 17 | 24 | Gold | 42.24% | 2.86% | 74.42 |
| 5 | Colorado | 65.49 | 3 | 5 | Gold | 42.93% | 9.76% | 69.42 |
| 6 | New Mexico | 64.70 | 3 | 5 | Platinum | 45.88% | 3.64% | 60.97 |
| 7 | Nevada | 63.30 | 2 | 3 | Platinum | 86.18% | 9.44% | 66.97 |
| 8 | California | 60.81 | 10 | 25 | Platinum | 57.79% | 20.03% | 62.59 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 59.31 | 2 | 9 | Gold | 55.19% | 12.08% | 68.16 |
| 10 | New York | 58.82 | 2 | 15 | Platinum | 53.01% | 14.74% | 63.22 |
Oregon’s score of 70.48 out of 100 emerges from the fact that the state has the largest number of bee-friendly communities in America, including:
- 15 Bee City USA affiliates (3.51 affiliates per million residents)
- 24 Bee Campus USA (5.62 Bee Campus USA affiliates per million residents)
At 7.07%, Oregon has a high percentage of land being used for wildlife, but the state also has a high rate of colony loss at 65.93%, 10 percentage points higher than the national average of 55.69%.
BestMadHoney CEO and Founder, Sanjay Kalf, confirmed that, “These top-ranking states share a real commitment to creating supportive environments for pollinators through community initiatives, educational programs, and good natural conditions.”