Science popularization resources are the basic guarantee for promoting science popularization activities and improving citizens’ modern quality. Taking Chinese mainland 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government) as examples, this paper discusses the configuration effect of the deployment of science popularization resources on the modernization quality of citizens through the qualitative comparative analysis method of fuzzy sets. The results show that first, a single science popularization resource does not constitute a necessary condition for high citizens’ modernization quality. Secondly, there are four paths of science popularization resource allocation that drive the formation of high citizens’ modern quality. “science popularization talents driven”, “science popularization talents+science popularization creation”, “science popularization talents+science and technology venues”, and “science popularization talents+science and technology venues+science popularization creation”. Last, there is a significant regional difference between the allocation of science popularization resources and the modernization quality of citizens in China, which decreases from east to west. In the eastern region, science popularization resources are abundant and the modernization quality of citizens is high. In the central, western, and northeastern regions, science popularization resources are relatively scarce, and the modernization quality of citizens has much room for improvement. To promote the effective improvement of the modernization quality of Chinese citizens, the study proposed that regional governments should further strengthen the guarantee of investment in science popularization talents and funds, give play to the comparative advantage of regional science popularization resources, and promote the coordinated allocation of regional science popularization resources.