Love gold? Want more of it? You’re not the only one! But it turns out some states are more obsessed with gold than others.
A recent study by bullion dealer SD Bullion analyzed Google search data from June 2023 to May 2024 to determine which states are most obsessed with gold in the US.
The study examined a wide variety of gold items, such as ‘coin’, ‘ink’, and ‘chain’, which were combined with different search terms. Such search terms included [item] gold, gold [item], golden [item], and several others. These search terms were then calculated for each state and normalized by population to create an accurate ranking. The most popular gold items in each state were also analyzed.
Hawaii is the state most obsessed with gold, with 250 searches per 100,000 residents. Gold ‘coins’ proved the most popular in Hawaii, with 2,625 searches, followed by ‘compass’ with 88 searches, then ‘medallion’ with 85 searches, ‘crown’ with 59 searches in fourth and then the fifth most popular is ‘glitter’, with 48 average monthly searches per 100,000 Hawaiians.
The second most gold-obsessed state is Colorado, with 101 searches in total per 100,000 of the population. Colorado has shown the most interest in gold ‘crown’ with 1,869 searches, followed by ‘coin’ with 953 searches, ‘compass’ in third place with 432 searches, ‘medallion’ in fourth with 438 searches, and finally in fifth is ‘paint’ with 208 searches per 100,000 Coloradans.
In third place is Oregon, with 91 gold-related monthly searches per 100,000 people. The most popular gold item in Oregon is gold ‘crown’, with 911 average monthly searches. The second most popular item is ‘coin’, with 762 searches. In third is ‘compass’, with 346 searches. In fourth is ‘medallion’, with 239 searches, and finally, in fifth, ‘paint’, with 156 average monthly searches per 100,000 Oregonians.
The Top Ten Us States Most Obsessed With Gold
|
Rank |
State |
Average monthly searches per 100,000 residents |
|
1 |
Hawaii |
250 |
|
2 |
Colorado |
101 |
|
3 |
Oregon |
91 |
|
=4 |
Alaska |
87 |
|
=4 |
New York |
87 |
|
=5 |
Massachusetts |
86 |
|
=5 |
Vermont |
86 |
|
=5 |
Wyoming |
86 |
|
6 |
Rhode Island |
83 |
|
7 |
New Mexico |
82 |
|
=8 |
California |
81 |
|
=8 |
Nevada |
81 |
|
=8 |
Delaware |
81 |
|
9 |
New Jersey |
80 |
|
10 |
Illinois |
79 |
The joint fourth most gold-obsessed states are Alaska and New York, with an average monthly search volume of 87 per 100,000 residents. The most searched for gold item in both states was gold ‘coin’, with 88 searches by Alaskans and 3,708 searches per 100,000 of the population by New Yorkers. Other items in the top five for both states were gold ‘compass’ and ‘medallion.’
Ranking fifth are Massachusetts, Vermont, and Wyoming, all with an average monthly search volume of 86 per 100,000 residents. All states showed the most interest in gold ‘coin’, Bay Staters with 1,072 searches, Vermonters with 80 searches and Wyomingites with 78 searches per 100,000 of the population. Also, in the top five for all three states is gold ‘medallion’ and ‘compass’.
In sixth place is Rhode Island, with 83 searches per 100,000 people. Gold ‘coin’ proves most popular again, with 155 searches, followed by ‘medallion’ with 69 searches. The third is ‘compass’ with 48 searches, the fourth is ‘paint’ with 38 searches, and finally, the fifth, with 36 searches per 100,000 Rhode Islanders, is ‘crown’.
New Mexico is in seventh place with 82 average monthly searches per 100,000 residents for gold items. The most sought-after gold item is ‘crown’, with 464 searches, followed by ‘coin’ in second place with 298 searches. In third place is ‘compass,’ with 97 searches. Closely in fourth place is ‘medallion’, with 94 searches, and finally, in fifth place, is ‘paint’, with 63 average monthly searches per 100,000 New Mexicans.
The eighth most gold-obsessed states are California, Nevada and Delaware, all with 81 average monthly searches per 100,000 population. The most sought-after gold item in each state was gold ‘coin’, which appeared in 7,933 searches by Californians, 613 searches by Nevadans, and 129 searches by Delawareans. Other items in all three states that were featured in the top five were gold medallions, compasses, and crowns.
In ninth place is New Jersey, with an average monthly search volume of 80 per 100,000 of the population. The most popular gold item is gold ‘coin’ with 1,591 searches, followed by ‘medallion’ with 1,184 searches, and then ‘crown’ in third with 460 searches. Fourth is ‘compass’ with 323 searches, and finally, in fifth with 307 average annual searches per 100,000 New Jerseyans, is ‘paint’.
Illinois is the tenth most gold-obsessed state, with an average monthly search volume of 79 per 100,000 residents. The most popular gold item in Illinois is gold ‘coin’ with 2,225 searches, followed by ‘dagger’ with 1,018 searches. Third is ‘medallion’ with 1,015 searches, and ‘compass’ is fourth with 598 searches per 100,000 Illinoisans.
Kentucky is the state least interested in gold, with an average monthly search volume of 52 terms per 100,000 people.
What Does This Mean?
Chase Turner, CEO of SD Bullion, has commented on the findings:
“Gold is often used to present power, prosperity, and status, which is why so many people aspire to purchase gold items. Although it is known for its unique beauty and elegance, the color and texture embody wealth and confidence.
“The precious metal is used for so many purposes whether for coins, a wedding ring or Olympic medals, it is undeniable that most people would love to own something gold. Gold could also be a valuable investment as it has maintained its value over the long term.
“Gold coins were clearly favorable by US citizens in this analysis, which could be due to the value, appearance, or even classic coin collections. The adaptability and variations make owning gold all that more attractive”.
Methodology
Monthly average search volume data was taken from Google Keyword Planner based on searches between June 2023 to May 2024 to determine which US state is most obsessed.