Beer, cheese and… stocks? That’s right. A new survey shows that Wisconsin is the state where residents are most interested in investment information.
The study, conducted by CreditDonkey, a Forbes-respected review and comparison website in the personal finance space, analysed nationwide Google search volume for 135 terms related to stocks, shares and investing, including various major stock indexes such as “how to start trading”, “stock investment opportunities” and “Financial Times Stock Exchange”.
This search volume data was adjusted for each state’s population to determine which states are most actively searching for stock trading information and tools.
Wisconsin topped the list with an average of 8,149 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. The national average was just 4,595 searches per 100,000 residents.
CreditDonkey said the results are not as surprising as they may seem, as the state has made financial education a priority, with recent legislation requiring all students in the state to receive at least one semester of financial literacy instruction in high school.
Midwestern states once again took second and third place on this list: Iowa came in second with an average of 7,360 monthly searches per 100,000 people, and Minnesota came in third with an average of 7,095 monthly searches per 100,000 people. New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, South Dakota, Vermont and Rhode Island rounded out the top 10.
Meanwhile, Mississippi ranked last with just 1,950 searches for stock market-related topics per 100,000 people per month. Louisiana, Texas, Alaska and Oklahoma rounded out the bottom five. CreditDonkey noted that only 58% of U.S. households own stocks, which could affect the states’ rankings.
“It’s encouraging to see states like Wisconsin and Iowa leading the way in stock market interest, and the high search volumes in these states signal growing awareness and enthusiasm for investing and financial freedom,” said Anna Ge, research director at CreditDonkey. “But it’s also clear that some states are lagging behind.”
“States like Mississippi and Louisiana need to prioritize financial education to ensure their residents aren’t left behind in an increasingly investment-oriented economy,” she said. “By increasing access to financial literacy programs, these states can empower their residents to make more informed decisions about their financial futures.”
Two other things to note about this study:
- Stock-related searches peaked in April, coinciding with the end of tax season, a time when everyone is thinking about money and looking to invest their tax refunds.
- “Dow Jones” was the most popular search term in every state throughout the year, and the 30-cap index continues to be the primary indicator the public associates with the stock market.
