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Best States for Preppers: New Study Ranks #1 - 50 According to Google Data
Ever wondered which are the best states for preppers in the US? Today we look at new data revealing the regions with the highest percentage of survivalists and preppers, and who is best prepared for the next major emergency.
Here at EpicGenerators.com we did some research pulling and analyzing Google trends and search data from across the web to rank every US state in order of most to least prepared.
We wanted to use unique data not analyzed anywhere else online to give some insights into the best states for SHTF situations.
Like it or not, Google tracks and stores more data than any other company in the world - but they do make a lot of it available for free, if you know where to look.
So we thought we'd take advantage of this and comb through Google's Search and Trends data they spend billions collecting, to determine which regions they think have the best prepper communities.
You'll find the results in the table below.
If you'd like to see the methodology we used to build these rankings, along with explanations of what each of the columns and data points mean, simply scroll to the bottom of this article.
Top Prepper State Rankings According to Google Data
Here are the state rankings in order...
| Rank | State | Population | Total Search Activity Score | Population to Search Score Ratio |
| 1 | Idaho | 1,896,652 | 17,880.00 | 106 |
| 2 | Wyoming | 582,233 | 5,280.00 | 110 |
| 3 | Utah | 3,363,182 | 30,360.00 | 111 |
| 4 | Montana | 1,093,117 | 8,760.00 | 125 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,378,449 | 10,800.00 | 128 |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,325,290 | 33,720.00 | 128 |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,961,083 | 44,040.00 | 135 |
| 8 | Washington | 7,887,965 | 55,920.00 | 141 |
| 9 | Maine | 1,359,677 | 9,600.00 | 142 |
| 10 | Alaska | 720,763 | 4,680.00 | 154 |
| 11 | Arizona | 7,640,796 | 49,440.00 | 155 |
| 12 | Arkansas | 3,042,017 | 19,680.00 | 155 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 7,001,803 | 44,160.00 | 159 |
| 14 | Missouri | 6,184,843 | 38,760.00 | 160 |
| 15 | Nevada | 3,238,601 | 20,160.00 | 161 |
| 16 | West Virginia | 1,755,715 | 10,920.00 | 161 |
| 17 | New Mexico | 2,109,093 | 12,720.00 | 166 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,807,491 | 63,840.00 | 169 |
| 19 | Virginia | 8,638,218 | 50,280.00 | 172 |
| 20 | Georgia | 10,936,299 | 63,360.00 | 173 |
| 21 | Kentucky | 4,487,233 | 25,800.00 | 174 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 4,007,179 | 22,800.00 | 176 |
| 23 | Michigan | 9,995,212 | 56,640.00 | 176 |
| 24 | Ohio | 11,727,377 | 66,120.00 | 177 |
| 25 | Indiana | 6,842,385 | 38,280.00 | 179 |
| 26 | South Dakota | 902,542 | 5,040.00 | 179 |
| 27 | Texas | 30,097,526 | 164,400.00 | 183 |
| 28 | Nebraska | 1,960,790 | 10,680.00 | 184 |
| 29 | Kansas | 2,919,179 | 15,720.00 | 186 |
| 30 | Iowa | 3,174,426 | 17,040.00 | 186 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,190 | 67,920.00 | 189 |
| 32 | Florida | 22,177,997 | 116,400.00 | 191 |
| 33 | Vermont | 622,882 | 3,240.00 | 192 |
| 34 | South Carolina | 5,342,388 | 27,480.00 | 194 |
| 35 | North Dakota | 774,008 | 3,960.00 | 195 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | 5,867,518 | 29,760.00 | 197 |
| 37 | Delaware | 998,619 | 5,040.00 | 198 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | 6,922,107 | 34,680.00 | 200 |
| 39 | Illinois | 12,518,071 | 62,040.00 | 202 |
| 40 | Mississippi | 2,961,536 | 14,280.00 | 207 |
| 41 | Connecticut | 3,546,588 | 17,040.00 | 208 |
| 42 | Alabama | 4,934,193 | 23,640.00 | 209 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 1,062,583 | 5,040.00 | 211 |
| 44 | Maryland | 6,075,314 | 28,800.00 | 211 |
| 45 | Louisiana | 4,616,106 | 21,600.00 | 214 |
| 46 | New Jersey | 8,870,685 | 38,760.00 | 229 |
| 47 | New York | 19,223,191 | 81,720.00 | 235 |
| 48 | California | 39,664,128 | 162,000.00 | 245 |
| 49 | Minnesota | 5,739,781 | 21,840.00 | 263 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 1,401,709 | 5,280.00 | 265 |
Prepper Rankings by State Explained - How We Calculated The Results
We used google Search and Trends data to score each state and estimate which locations had the most interest in emergency preparedness and survival, in relation to each state's population. This allowed us to calculate the best prepper states based on fair and objective data.
We wanted to ensure the final rankings were fair and took into consideration the fact some states have a much higher population than others. So we used ratios of Google search interest and total population numbers on a State level.
Here is how we compiled the data to determine which states likely have the most preppers and survivalists:
Firstly, we collected the Google search queries with the highest volume in the United States related to the most popular products survivalists and preppers like to buy.
We determined the most popular products using Google Trends, and bestseller lists on the leading emergency preparedness websites such as MyPatriotSupply.com
Examples of the kinds of search terms we analyzed include:
- Emergency food supply
- Survival kits
- Freeze dried food
And a handful of other items including the types of products we sell such as generators and backup power solutions.
Secondly, we used the premium version of a search analysis tool called Mangools which provides unique insights into Google search activity not available elsewhere.
Via the Google search API this tool allowed us to see how often people in each state were searching for each of our survival-related search terms referenced above.
We ran every search query through the tool for all 50 states, then added the results to together. This number appears as "Total Search Activity Score" in column 4 of our ranking table.
Thirdly, we pulled the latest confirmed population data for each state in 2022. We then compared the total search volume numbers on a state level to the number of people living in each state. This gave us the "Population to Search Score Ratio" numbers which you'll see in column 5 of the rankings table.
We sorted the results by "People Per Search" from lowest to highest. This gave us the final rankings and allowed us to determine the best states for preppers, based on a strong indication of which areas in the US are most actively interested in and searching for the top selling survival products online, while allowing for large differences in population sizes between states.
What do you think of our findings? Do do you have your own opinions around which states are best for preppers and survivalists?
One key aspect of being as well prepared as possible is ensuring you always have a power source available no matter what happens. Buying a portable generator is an important part of your overall plan. If you don't have one yet, check out our buying guide to help you choose the best portable generator for you.
And as always, if you have any questions about portable power or want some help deciding which model best meets your needs, just feel free to contact our team.