Who Is The Funniest Person From Your State?

Think you come from a funny state? Check out this cross-country comedy tour to discover the most hilarious person from your neck of the woods. (Note: We’re going with the states where funny people were born, not necessarily the states they’re most associated with.)

Alabama

Huntsville’s Paula Poundstone is our first winner, beating out fellow comics Brett Butler and Roy Wood Jr.

Alaska

Does Sarah Palin count? Even if she did, we’d go with Dan Mintz, the actor and comedian who voices Tina Belcher on Bob’s Burgers

Arizona

While TV comedy innovator Garry Shandling grew up here, he was born in Illinois. We’ll take sarcastic David Spade over stand-up Robert Schimmel and fellow SNL alum Aidy Bryant.

Arkansas

How about Little Rock’s Matt Besser , one of the founders of the Upright Citizens Brigade?

California

It’s an embarrassment of riches in the Golden State, with contenders

Margaret Cho, Gabriel Iglesias, Chris Kattan, Maria Bamford, George Lopez, Laraine Newman, Paul Rodriguez, and Jason Segel. We’ll go with Cho , who hit it big as an Asian female comic when that definitely was not a thing.

Colorado

We love Bob’s Burgers’ Kristen Schaal, but we’re giving the trophy to Denver’s Tim Allen, whose Home Improvement was bigger than you remember. Remembered forever for his iconic work in the Toy Stories.

Connecticut

Lots of funny in the Constitution State, home to TV sitcom legend Norman Lear, queen of the rom-coms Meg Ryan, M*A*S*H’s Gary Burghoff, The Honeymooner’s Art Carney, and Family Guy mastermind Seth Macfarlane. We’ll go with Christopher Lloyd, who created two iconic comedy characters -- Taxi’s Jim Ignatowski and this gem from Back to the Future.

Delaware

Fine, whatever, we’ll give it to Wilmington’s Aubrey Plaza.

Florida

Frozen’s Josh Gad and SNL impressionist Darrell Hammond hail from the Sunshine State. But can anyone top Cocoa Beach’s favorite son?

Georgia

Comedy Bang-Bang’s Scott Aukerman and probable redneck Jeff Foxworthy are worthy contenders for the throne, but we have to give the crown to Valdosta’s legendary Bill Hicks.

Hawaii

Funny ladies abound in the Aloha State, including Being the Ricardo’s Nicole Kidman (no kidding, born in Honolulu) and Wayne’s World’s Tia Carrere. Our winner is another unlikely Hawaiian, Honolulu’s Divine Miss M, Bette Midler.

Idaho

Middleton’s George Kennedy tore it up in the Naked Gun movies.

Illiniois

Peoria’s Richard Pryor. Next. (OK, honorable mentions to a murderers’ row of comedy, including Bill Murray, Robin Williams, John and Jim Belushi, John Mulaney, Bob Newhart, Jack Benny, Shelley Berman, Garry Shandling, Dick Van Dyke, Betty White, Bob Odenkirk, Nick Offerman, SNL’s Beck Bennett, Nora Dunn, Cecily Strong, Horatio Sanz, and Seth Meyers, Bernie Mac, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jane Lynch, Hannibal Buress, Jeff Garlin, Kathy Griffin, Amy Sedaris, Harvey Korman, Natasha Leggero, Reno 911’s Thomas Lennon, Andy Richter, Craig Robinson, and Frank Caliendo. Illinois, you’re the funniest state, and it isn’t even close.)

Indiana

Your runners-up are Mike Epps, Red Skelton, and Midwestern-pale Jim Gaffigan. And your Indiana Comedy King? The pride of Indianapolis and Ball State University, David Letterman.

Iowa

Lots of singles and doubles hitters, including Tom Arnold, Ashton Kutcher, Jerry “The Beaver” Mathers, I Love Lucy’s William Frawley, Simpsons stalwart Marcia Wallace, The Tonight Show’s Steve Higgins, SNL’s Brooks Whelan, and from The Love Boat and Congress, Fred Grandy. We’ll take Cloris Leachman, star of Mary Tyler Moore Show spin-off Phyliss as well as several Mel Brooks classics.

Kansas

Overland Park’s favorite son, Paul Rudd, gets the nod in a surprisingly strong state, winning over Second City improv icon Del Close, Ted Lasso’s Jason Sudeikis, Buster Keaton, Fatty Arbuckle, Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet, and Cheers’ Kirstie Alley.

Kentucky

It’s White Lotus star Steve Zahn in a narrow win over Brady Bunch mom Florence Henderson, Jim “Hey Vern” Varney, Chris Hardwick, and Foster (hic) Brooks.

Louisiana

Even if she’s mean to her staff, there’s no denying Ellen DeGeneres is funny. She beats out original SNL cast member Garrett Morris, Night Court Emmy winner John Larroquette, and Tyler “Madea” Perry. Special shout-out to The Room’s Tommy Wiseau, who claims he’s from Louisiana but is actually from Mars.

Maine

SCTV’s Andrea Martin brings home the bacon, with apologies to John Hodgman, Pitch Perfect’s Anna Kendrick, and SNL’s Charles Rocket.

Maryland

Maryland is an amazing state for straight-up stand-up comics. We’ll go with the acerbic Lewis Black narrowly lapping a field that includes Martin Lawrence, Whitney Cummings, Judah Friedlander, and Wayne Federman.

Massachusetts

Buckle up -- the Bay State boasts half of the cast of The Office, including Steve Carell, Mindy Kaling, BJ Novak, and John Krasinski. There are also comedy heavyweights Conan O’Brien, Amy Poehler, Steven Wright, Mike Birbiglia, Bill Burr, Penn Jillette, Rachel Dratch, Denis Leary, Gary Gulman, Pete Holmes, Dane Cook, and disgraced comic Louis C.K. For 2022, we’re crowning Bo Burnham.

Michigan

Live from Michigan, it’s Gilda Radner, besting funny folks Lily Tomlin (this was a close one), Sandra Bernhard, Ken Jeong, Dave Coulier, and Byron Allen.

Minnesota

Who else but St. Paul’s Louie Anderson , who beats out Nick Swardson and NPR icon Garrison Keillor.

Mississippi

We’ll keep this simple: It’s Tig Notaro.

Missouri

Redd Foxx practically invented the comedy record, giving him the honors over fellow comedy pioneer Dick Gregory, the Sklar brothers, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Nealon, and Craig Kilbourn.

Montana

Missoula’s Dana Carvey in a landslide!

Nebraska

Hmmm … Larry the Cable Guy or Johnny Carson?

Nevada

For a state that’s home to comedy haven Las Vegas, the best it can do is Gilligan’s Island’s Dawn Wells and Thomas Ian Nicholas, one of the only guys who did not have sex with baked goods in the American Pie movies.

New Hampshire

The state is your oyster, Sarah Silverman.

New Jersey

While you can make an argument for Jon Stewart, Jerry Lewis, Janeane Garafalo, Joe Rogan, Chelsea Handler, Richard Lewis, Ernie Kovacs, Artie Lange, Jeff Ross, Joe Piscopo, Bill Maher, or Marc Maron, we’re voting for the double dip of Abbott and Costello, who are both from New Jersey.

New Mexico

Jay Roach (director of the Austin Powers and Meet the Parents series) makes a strong case, but he’s no match for HIMYM’s Neil Patrick Harris.

New York

Illinois, you’ve got some competition, with Jerry Seinfeld, Don Rickles, Woody Allen, Lucille Ball, George Carlin, Rodney Dangerfield, Mae West, Jimmy Fallon, the Marx Brothers, Pete Davidson, Danny Devito, most of the Three Stooges, Kevin James, Colin Jost, Jay Leno, Demetri Martin, Amy Schumer, Joan Rivers, Kate McKinnon, and Adam Sandler vying for the honor of Funniest Person from New York. Your mileage may vary, but we’re taking Eddie Murphy.

North Carolina

Wilkesboro’s Zach Galifianakis wins out over Andy Griffith, J.B. Smoove, and Gallagher’s sledgehammer.

North Dakota

In a state heavy with pro athletes but lacking in professional funny people, we’re picking pop culture savant Chuck Klosterman .

Ohio

Super-solid comedy state, home to Drew “Cleveland Rocks” Carey, Vanessa Bayer, Arsenio Hall, Molly Shannon, Katt Williams, Martin Mull, Father Guido Sarducci, Tim Conway, Phyliss Diller, Nikki Glaser and Danny Thomas. With apologies to generational icons Jonathan Winters and Bob Hope, it comes down to a tussle between family-friendly Kenan Thompson and not-so-family-friendly Dave Chappelle. When we look back, Chappelle will have mattered more.

Oklahoma

Will Rogers is an all-timer, but since we’re in the 21st century, we’re giving it up for Tulsa’s Bill Hader.

Oregon

Modern Family’s Ty Burrell and Bugs Bunny voice Mel Blanc are in the running, but your winner is Simpsons creator and Portland native Matt Groening.

Pennsylvania

Twenty years ago, it’s Bill Cosby. Today, among Michael Keaton, Tim Heidecker, Dennis Miller, Elaine May, Bob Saget, Will Smith, Gillian Jacobs, Anthony Jeselnick, Cheri Oteri, Charles Grodin, Seth Green, David Brenner, and Jeff Goldblum, your Funniest Pennsylvanian is Kevin Hart.

Rhode Island

Break out two trophies for the directors of Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary, the Farrelly brothers.

South Carolina

Aziz Ansari, this award was all yours until we found out Chris Rock was born in Andrews, SC.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls’ Gail Matthius was in the cast of Saturday Night Live , which is more than anyone else from South Dakota can say.

Tennessee

Johnny Knoxville has his charms, Justin Timberlake is an able SNL host, but the funniest guy from Tennessee is SNL’s Chris Parnell .

Texas

Waco’s Steve Martin bests a field that includes Jeff Dunham’s puppets, Ron White, Rodney Carrington, Bill Engvall, and the rest of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour.

Utah

No one says Utah Funny like Salt Lake City’s Roseanne Barr.

Vermont

Damon Wayans Jr. is the only member of the famous comedy family born in Vermont. Congrats!

Virginia

We love Chesapeake’s Jay Pharoah and Portsmouth’s Wanda Sykes, but Virginia has us feeling kinda Patton Oswalt.

Washington

Yakima sounds like just the kind of place wildman Sam Kinison would hail from.

West Virginia

It’s hard to imagine a weirder fight than Don Knotts vs. Steve Harvey . We’ll give it to Harvey for his tireless work on every TV and radio show known to man.

Wisconsin

Gene Wilder, MST3K’s Joel Hodgson, and Rick and Morty’s Dan Harmon would contend in other states that weren’t home to Madison’s incomparable Chris Farley.

Wyoming

Caspar’s Jim J Bullock was a hit on Too Close for Comfort and a sassy stalwart on Hollywood Squares.

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