Fun Fact: 9.8 Percent of Wyoming Residents Are Left Handed

Just in time for International Left-Handers Day, observed every year on August 13th, here's an interesting statistic: Wyoming has the second-lowest percentage of lefties in the country.

A 2009 study estimated 9.8 percent of Wyoming's population is left-handed. Only North Dakota has a lower percentage of southpaws. Lefthanded people account for 11.5 percent of the population nationwide; 13 percent of men and 9.6 percent of women. States in the northeast have the highest concentration of lefthanded people. Maine has the highest percentage of lefties, with 13.8.

Oddly, states with a higher percentage of right-handed residents tend to be more politically conservative while states with more left-handers typically lean left in elections.

"States with higher levels of left-handedness among their residents tend strongly to have a greater preference for the Democratic party," Cape Benton University researcher Stewart McCann noted.

While Wyoming may have fewer left-handed residents than other states, the percentage of lefties in North America and Europe is significantly higher than many other countries. In Africa, Asia, and South America, estimates project only four to six percent of the population is left-handed.