New research by Local Digital has uncovered which U.S. states are the most privacy-minded online, and how you can improve your digital hygiene, too.
The study examined Google search data for privacy tools such as VPNs, ad blockers, and private browsers across every state in America.
On average, there are 2,346 monthly searches related to privacy tools per 100,000 people across every U.S. state.
Combining these tools with a strong password for your online accounts significantly lowers your risk of being targeted by scammers.
Using security.org’s “How Secure Is Your Password” tool, digital marketing agency Local Digital reveals how your choice of password massively impacts your online security.
Users are advised that their passwords should ideally be between 16 and 20 characters, use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, and include numbers and symbols.
However, it shouldn’t use consecutive letters or numbers or repeat the same ones.
For example, the password ‘crimsonpebble25!’ would take a computer about 1 billion years to crack, whereas ‘clothes’ would only take 200 milliseconds.
The study also compared the privacy tool-related search volumes for each state against population numbers to pinpoint which regions’ internet users are the most serious about online privacy.
Top 10 online security-minded states
Rank | State | Average monthly searches per 100,000 people |
1. | Washington | 3,781 |
2. | New York | 3,634 |
3. | California | 3,415 |
4. | Oregon | 3,294 |
5. | Florida | 3,291 |
6. | Colorado | 3,129 |
7. | Nevada | 3,061 |
8. | Massachusetts | 2,922 |
9. | Virginia | 2,863 |
10. | New Hampshire | 2,715 |
Washington took the top spot as the most privacy-focused state, with locals making a massive 3,781 monthly searches for privacy tools per 100,000 people. This is 62% above the national average.
NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN are the top three most popular VPNs in the state, with 21,428, 7,010, and 6,679 average monthly searches, respectively.
New York grabbed second place with 3,634 searches per 100,000 residents, 55% above average, while California came in third with 3,415 searches per 100,000 people, 46% above average.
NordVPN was the top VPN in both New York and California, with 159,272 and 83,402 average monthly searches, respectively.
Surfshark (59,768) and ExpressVPN (15,693) followed in New York, while ExpressVPN (32,023) and Proton VPN (28,960) placed second and third in California.
These coastal states, home to tech-savvy populations and stricter privacy laws, demonstrated why they're among America's most privacy-savvy states.
A clear pattern appeared from the data showing coastal states dominate the privacy-conscious rankings.
Both 40% more interested in online privacy tools, Oregon claimed fourth place with 3,294 searches per 100,000 residents, while Florida placed fifth with nearly identical numbers at 3,291 searches per 100,000 locals.
NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN were the three most searched VPNs in Oregon and Florida.
Bottom 10 online security-minded states
Rank | State | Average monthly searches per 100,000 people |
1. | Mississippi | 1,270 |
2. | Louisiana | 1,555 |
3. | Arkansas | 1,699 |
4. | West Virginia | 1,715 |
5. | South Dakota | 1,783 |
6. | Kentucky | 1,812 |
7. | Alabama | 1,844 |
8. | Alaska | 1,858 |
9. (=) | Iowa | 1,933 |
9. (=) | South Carolina | 1,933 |
10. | North Dakota | 1,990 |
Mississippi landed at the very bottom of the privacy-conscious list with a mere 1,270 searches for privacy tools per 100,000 residents. This is 46% below the national average.
The state's figure sits at less than half of Washington's search rate, indicating Mississippi locals' browsers are far less protected.
Louisiana took the second-lowest spot with 1,555 searches per 100,000 people, 34% below average, and Arkansas followed closely as third from the bottom with 1,699 searches per 100,000 residents, 28% below average.
Southern states consistently showed the least interest in privacy tools, creating a stark North-South and coastal-inland divide in privacy concerns.
West Virginia, known for its rural communities and lower population density, scored fourth from the bottom with 1,715 searches per 100,000 residents, which is 27% below the US average. This finding points to a link between urban living and heightened privacy concerns among internet users.
South Dakota rounded out the bottom five with residents 27% less interested in privacy tools than the average American, at 1,783 average monthly searches per 100,000 residents.
Commenting on the findings, Michael Costin, Founder of Local Digital, says:
"These numbers give marketers crucial knowledge for planning US campaigns. The huge regional gaps in privacy tool usage mean ads must be tailored to specific locations.
"For states like Washington and New York, where residents use privacy tools that actively block ads, marketers need creative alternatives like contextual advertising instead of standard targeted approaches.
"In Mississippi and Louisiana, where privacy tools remain unpopular, traditional targeted ads will likely reach more eyeballs and deliver better returns.
“Marketers should also be aware that in less privacy-conscious states, data on user behavior and preferences may be compromised due to shared devices or poor account security.
“More privacy-aware states are more likely to use stronger passwords, meaning their accounts are less likely to be taken over by bots.
“Information used for ad targeting may be skewed by states with weaker password habits, with fake traffic and interactions leading to wasted ad spend.”
Sources:
Google Keyword Planner, security.org
Methodology:
Researchers used Google Keyword Planner data to create these rankings through a multi-step process.
They first compiled a seed list of search terms covering popular VPNs, ad blockers, privacy browsers, and generic privacy searches.
Next, they pulled monthly average search volumes for each term across all states from Google Keyword Planner.
They then calculated the total monthly searches in each location and divided by population figures. This produced the monthly searches per 100,000 people metric, allowing fair comparison between states of different sizes.
States were ranked based on this final figure.
The study also used security.org’s “how secure is your password” tool to determine how long computers would take to crack specific passwords.
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