Search data from Duel.com shows Rhode Island is the most superstitious state in the US, while Idaho ranks last for interest in good and bad omens.
- Duel.com ranked the superstitiousness of US states based on online search volume.
- Rhode Island leads with more than 9,000 superstition-related searches per 100,000 residents.
- New England takes 4 of the top 6 spots, while Idaho is the least superstitious state.
- This is a measure of search behavior, not a survey of people's beliefs.
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New England leads in superstition
Some people get nervous on Friday the 13th, and others go online to look up a lucky number just to be safe. Building on those habits, Duel.com counted searches about good and bad omens in each US state, then ranked the states to see where people "believe" the most. New England took 4 of the top 6 spots: Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. It's also a region closely tied to the Halloween spirit.
Rhode Island ranked first with more than 9,000 superstition-related searches per 100,000 residents. One possible reason is the pull of horoscopes: more than 7,200 people looked up their zodiac sign, roughly 1 in 14 residents. The state also made the top 10 for searches about black cat omens.
New York came in second thanks to its fortune-teller keywords. It searched for psychics more than any other state, at nearly 600 searches per 100,000 residents, and also made the top 10 for palm reading. Massachusetts placed third, behind only Rhode Island for horoscope searches per capita. It also ranked in the top 5 for searches about four-leaf clovers, the lucky charm that originated in Ireland.
The 10 most superstitious states are Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Virginia, Maine, Nevada, Illinois, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
The West and Midwest pay less attention to omens
The further west you go, the less people care about good and bad omens. Idaho ranked as the least superstitious state, with low search volume across many keyword groups. It searched for horoscopes less than any other state, with fewer than 3,000 searches per 100,000 residents. Residents there also rarely looked into whether broken mirrors bring bad luck or which numbers bring good fortune.
North Dakota came in second, among the lowest for fortune-teller and palm reading searches. Arkansas placed third, with few people searching for what happens if you meet a black cat or walk under a ladder. The 10 least superstitious states are Idaho, North Dakota, Arkansas, Utah, Alaska, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Louisiana.
Keep in mind these are online search counts, which don't necessarily reflect what people truly believe. Many people look up horoscopes or lucky numbers just for fun. It's the same in Vietnam, where picking auspicious dates and lucky numbers is a hot topic every New Year. For a small experiment, try keeping track of how often you look up this kind of thing in a week. You may be surprised to find you're more "superstitious" than you thought.
Source: Mental Floss
Reviewed by: Hero Association
