Romantic comedies are a staple of every season from the 25 Days of Christmas Hallmark classics to the summer movies that help us dream of a cooler, romantic place. But have you turned on Netflix and wondered what to watch? Have you tried sifting through options on Max only to not find the one rom-com you were hoping could boost your mood?
Fear not! Using data from Google Trends, we examined the search for some of the best summer romantic comedies out there and put together a list with each state’s favorite summer romantic comedy that surely has something for everyone.
Now, we know this list doesn’t include everything—does no one watch Roman Holiday anymore?!—but that just means you’ll have to take a couple of hours this summer to watch your favorite and see if it ranks next year.
(Also, these movies are exclusively summer rom-coms. If you’re wondering about each state’s overall favorite rom-com, we’ve got the answers for you. And in a weird love triangle twist, there’s no crossover!)
Now, let’s put on shades, slick our hair back, and have the time of our lives!
Grease is the one that we want
The most searched summer rom-com in America is Grease, who tops the list in a whopping 27 states. No one comes even close to the classic 1978 movie, which took over 50% of U.S. states. And a wide range of states were feeling Grease fever from Texas up to New Hampshire and over to Oregon. Looks like many states love singing “We Go Together” to their TVs.
- Although the original musical was based in Chicago, the movie was set in the generic suburbs of Anytown, USA (not a real place), so people from all over the country can relate to its charms.
Coming in second is Camp Rock, a musical from 2008 with Disney stars Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers. Five states—from Maryland to Nevada—love this movie about an aspiring singer who visits a summer music camp.
- It probably doesn’t hurt that the movie debuted in June on ABC and the Disney Channel.
- Fun fact, while Grease and Mamma Mia! were both based on musicals, Camp Rock is an original movie musical that was later adapted (with Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam) into a one-act student musical.
Everyone wants to get away during the summer, which is why the #3 movie is the jukebox musical Mamma Mia! Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the cast is stacked with all stars singing ABBA.
- Set on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi, Mamma Mia! is the top rom-com in five states including landlocked Idaho and Utah.
- The film is based on the 1999 Broadway musical of the same name and stars Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, and Dominic Cooper.
Next up is Dirty Dancing. The 1987 classic starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey was the top-searched rom-com in 4 states, including Maine and Virginia.
- The film was set in the Catskills region of New York, an area also seen in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
- Surprisingly, New York State doesn’t count the movie as its favorite rom-com, choosing Grease instead.
Finally, the 2006 mermaid movie Aquamarine ranked as the top choice for three states: Alaska, Colorado, and Washington.
- Although based in Tampa, Florida, the movie was not the state’s top choice. Again, that would be Grease.
While most states picked one of the top five summer rom-coms, there are some outliers.
- Only one state—California—chose the 2009 relationship movie (500) Days of Summer. The film is set in Los Angeles and really features the architecture of the city, clearly endearing it to Californians.
- In a weird twist, Hawaii is the biggest fan of A Walk to Remember even though the film was set in North Carolina.
- Rhode Island loves Moonrise Kingdom, the 2012 Wes Anderson film set off the coast of New England. While the island of New Penzance is fictional, the film was shot in Rhode Island.
- The second movie based on a Nicholas Sparks’ novel in our list, The Notebook, is beloved by South Carolina, where the film is set and was filmed.
- Finally, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is the favorite summer rom-com of Vermont—a state the pants notably do not travel to.
Each state’s favorite summer rom-com
| State | Summer Rom-Com |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Grease |
| Alaska | Aquamarine |
| Arizona | Grease |
| Arkansas | Camp Rock |
| California | 500 Days of Summer |
| Colorado | Aquamarine |
| Connecticut | Mamma Mia! |
| Delaware | Grease |
| Florida | Grease |
| Georgia | Camp Rock |
| Hawaii | A Walk to Remember |
| Idaho | Mamma Mia! |
| Illinois | Grease |
| Indiana | Grease |
| Iowa | Grease |
| Kansas | Grease |
| Kentucky | Grease |
| Louisiana | Grease |
| Maine | Dirty Dancing |
| Maryland | Camp Rock |
| Massachusetts | Mamma Mia! |
| Michigan | Mamma Mia! |
| Minnesota | Grease |
| Mississippi | Grease |
| Missouri | Grease |
| Montana | Grease |
| Nebraska | Grease |
| Nevada | Camp Rock |
| New Hampshire | Grease |
| New Jersey | Grease |
| New Mexico | Grease |
| New York | Grease |
| North Carolina | Dirty Dancing |
| North Dakota | Camp Rock |
| Ohio | Grease |
| Oklahoma | Grease |
| Oregon | Grease |
| Pennsylvania | Grease |
| Rhode Island | Moonrise Kingdom |
| South Carolina | The Notebook |
| South Dakota | Grease |
| Tennessee | Grease |
| Texas | Grease |
| Utah | Mamma Mia! |
| Vermont | The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants |
| Virginia | Dirty Dancing |
| Washington | Aquamarine |
| West Virginia | Dirty Dancing |
| Wisconsin | Grease |
| Wyoming | Grease |
| Alabama | Grease |
Where to Watch?
Ready to visit Camp Rock or stay in a Catskills resort? Well, you’re in luck! While we can’t offer you tickets there, we can point you in the right direction and help you find the streaming home for your state’s favorite rom-coms.
- Grease (1978)
- Stream it on Max
- Set in an unknown suburb
- Camp Rock (2008)
- Stream it on Disney+
- Honestly, no idea where the summer camp is supposed to be
- Mamma Mia! (2008)
- Stream it on Amazon Prime Video
- Set on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi
- Dirty Dancing (1987)
- Stream it on Paramount+
- Set in the Catskills region of New York
- Aquamarine (2006)
- Stream it on Disney+
- Set near Tampa, Florida
- (500) Days of Summer (2009)
- Stream it on Max
- Set in Los Angeles, California
- A Walk to Remember (2002)
- Stream it on Peacock
- Set in North Carolina
- Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
- Stream it on Amazon Prime Video
- Set on the fictional island of New Penzance
- The Notebook (2004)
- Rent it with Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video
- Set in South Carolina
- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
- Rent it with Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video
- Set first in Bethesda, Maryland, and then all over the world including Greece, South Carolina, Maryland, and Mexico.
Whether you’re ready for a summer movie marathon or you just want to visit some fictional islands, you can find your favorite rom-coms available to stream or rent on the major streaming platforms.
Also, many of these rom-coms are based on books, so check out your local library or indie bookstore for more inspiration when you’ve watched each state’s favorite movie. You may find the next big rom-com, like Red, White, and Royal Blue—coming to Amazon Prime this summer!
Until then, cue up the rain, the romantic music, and the big kisses cause it’s rom-com time!
Methodology
The team at CableTV.com used data from Teen Vogue and IMDB to determine the best-rated summer romantic comedies. Then we fed the 102 leading movies through Google Trends to determine whether or not they had sufficient search volume. Finally, we used Google Trends to uncover each state’s most searched for summer rom-com.
Disclaimer
This content was produced by CableTV.com and is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with any of the streaming services or properties mentioned.
