Polls consistently tell us which states have the most or least unemployment, crime, poverty, wealth, traffic problems, etc. It appears we all like to see how we stack up against one another. It makes for good reading.

This past week, we saw a poll which was to our liking; some of them aren’t, or perhaps it’s just that’s we find the truth sometimes hurts. Anyway, we were pleased with polling results that listed Maine as one of the top three safest states, along with Vermont and Kentucky. The major reason: we have the least crime and our residents are relatively sheltered from violence. It came as comforting news to be reminded of that in view of the recent double-murder/suicide tragedy in our area.

The poll also noted that we have next to the lowest number of motor vehicle thefts and crimes, second only to Vermont, and also enjoy low property crimes. Overall, Maine ranked eighth in best quality of life and was praised for its good voter turnout, near-perfect housing score (we’re not sure what that means), and percentage of residents with a high school diploma — 91.8 percent or fifth highest.

We all know Maine isn’t the cheapest place to live, nor does it have the lowest taxes, not that some small communities don’t maintain low property taxes. However, those of us who live here firmly believe that the quality of life is one of its strong points and is worth bragging about.

On the not-so-good side, our country didn’t get a very high grade in the poll rating nations based on their reputation. Out of 55 countries that were a part of the study, we came in quite far down the list — number 22. We’re going to wager a guess that our ranking has slipped considerably over the past decade or two, because for many years we were considered the model for the rest of the world. Unfortunately, we’ve fallen from grace in the eyes of those who live in other countries.

Can you guess who now holds the number one position as the most admired country? Our neighbor to the north, Canada, was praised for its safety, government efficiency, low corruption, friendliness of its residents, and the safe environment it offers to travelers.

We’re sure it deserves the accolades, but we wish we were right up there at the top of the list, too. We found it interesting to note that others ranked high on the list, like Canada, generally stay clear of international conflicts and politics: Norway in number two position, Sweden in third, and Switzerland in fourth, with Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand also in the top 10.

We haven’t had 100 percent support for some of our activities on the world stage in recent years, and, unfortunately, some potential visitors no doubt are a bit skittish because of some of the acts of terrorism that have been taking place here on our own soil.

We hope our country can return to its place as the most admired nation in the world sometime soon. In the meantime, we’ll all have to be thankful for Maine, the way life should be, and for small communities like ours. We wouldn’t trade them for all the money in the world.