We Found the Most Streaming-Obsessed States

Americans are streaming more TV than ever, with over 75% of U.S. households subscribing to one or more streaming services. And with over 800,000 new TV programs aired on broadcast and streaming each year, there’s a lot to choose from!

So, where are Americans turning for their favorite shows? The most popular services, far and away, are Netflix and Hulu. But which state is streaming the most? With National Streaming Day coming up on May 20, we wanted to dig into the numbers and determine which states stream the most.

Using data from Google Trends, we examined the search volume for the top streaming services in all 50 states to find the state that can’t resist streaming all the time. So let’s log in and continue watching as we find the most streaming-obsessed states.

Most popular streaming service in the U.S.

Of five streaming services, only one is the favorite in nearly half of all U.S. states: Hulu. The streaming service reigns supreme in 20 states (and ties for first in four other states), and folks in Montana and Vermont search for it the most.

However, Netflix is in a close second. The original streamer counts as the top choice in 16 states, four behind Hulu’s record. But Netflix also features in all six of the ties, proving the service’s popularity and ubiquity.

• Netflix is in a top-tier tie in Vermont alongside HBO Max, Hulu, and Prime.

Here’s where the other streamers stand:

• Disney+ is the top choice in only one state: Florida.
• Amazon Prime Video also found overall support in only one state: Alaska.
• HBO Max tops the list in six states: Oregon, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York, plus Washington, D.C.
  • The service is also part of four ties in Washington, Michigan, Tennessee, and Vermont.

The most obsessed states

Vermont is the most streaming-obsessed state. It scores 433 out of 500 in our ranking system and is the only state to crack 400 points.

• Vermont’s favorites include four out of five streaming services: Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video. That’s an unheard-of feat!

The other four most obsessed states score above 365 points. None of the states are as obsessed as Vermont, but they do play favorites.

• Oregon (tied for #2) loves HBO Max.
• Rhode Island (tied for #2) favors Netflix.
• Alaska (#4) is a fan of Amazon Prime Video.
• Maine (#5) streams a lot of Netflix.

In an interesting twist, all five most-obsessed states are in the northern half of the U.S.

• Three of the five most-obsessed states are in the northeast, while the other two are in the northwest.

The least obsessed streaming states

No state scored below 300 in our rankings, but South Carolina and Nevada are the closest, with a score of 303. The bottom five states are all within 3 points of each other!

• Three states are in the south: South Carolina (tied for #37), Mississippi (#36), and Virginia (#35).
• One state is in the west: Nevada (tied for #37).
• One state is in the Great Plains: South Dakota (#34).

All five bottom states are fans of Netflix and Hulu, showing that even if you don’t stream a lot, you’re bound to find yourself on two of the most popular and evergreen services.

Each state’s favorite streaming service

Methodology

To determine the states most obsessed with streaming, we used Google Trends to analyze the search volume from the past 12 months per state for “Netflix,” “Hulu,” “HBO Max,” “Disney+,” and “Amazon Prime Video.” The search volume for each individual streaming service was added together to give each state a total obsession score out of 500.

States with the highest score (out of 500) are the most obsessed, and states with the lowest score are the least obsessed.

To uncover each state’s favorite streaming service, we analyzed which streaming service each state was searching for the most over the past 12 months.

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 here, including Amazon Prime Video,  Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, and Netflix.