JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – As Tuesday marks International Friendship Day, a report shows that the hospitality of Mississippians is not remarkable even nationally.

The United Nations designated June 30 as the International Day of Friendship back in 2011 . Its main purpose was to promote unity and camaraderie at home and abroad. The World Population Review ranked the Hospitality State as the 23rd friendliest in the U.S.

Though better than the national average, it ranks as 9th friendliest in the South, or lower than most Southern states. The organization based its ranking on two factors: average tips given to workers and rankings from visitors from each state. The highest-ranked and lowest-ranked Southern states border Mississippi. Tennessee ranked as the second friendliest and Arkansas ranked as the 2nd meanest state.

Fortunately, Mississippi seems to have a cordial relationship with its bordering neighbors. In June , state lawmakers in Alabama and Mississippi played in a charity baseball game. That month, Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) also spoke as a guest speaker at the Tennessee Republican Party’s annual fundraising dinner.

Good relationships can have a positive impact on overall well-being. Mental Health America (MHA) data revealed that mental health among Mississippi’s adults is seventh worst nationally. MHA also ranked Mississippi 50th among U.S. states and the District of Columbia for access to mental health care.

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