Oregon, Maine, and Massachusetts are showing the most interest in social media, according to a new study.   

The research, conducted by digital marketing agency Hennessey Digital, examined average monthly search volumes for “Facebook”, “Instagram”, “TikTok”, “YouTube”, “Reddit”, “LinkedIn”, and “Pinterest” in each U.S. state. These volumes were then considered per 100,000 people to determine the most social media-obsessed states.  

Oregon takes the crown as the state most invested in social media. In Oregon, residents have searched for these social media platforms 140,378 times per 100,000 people over the last 12 months; YouTube is the most popular platform, with 53,541 average monthly searches per 100,000 people, followed by Facebook and Instagram.   

Maine takes silver, with 139,460 average monthly searches per 100,000 people. Facebook has 69,659 average monthly searches per 100,000 people, making it the most popular platform in the state, followed by YouTube and Instagram.   

According to the research, Massachusetts residents search for social media platforms an average of 139,266 per 100,000 people. YouTube comes out on top in the state, with 53,691 searches per 100,000 people, followed by Facebook and Instagram, ranking the state in third place.   

In fourth place, with 138,163 average monthly searches per 100,000 people, is New York. The state’s favorite app is YouTube, according to the research, with 57,418 average monthly searches per 100,000 people; Facebook and Instagram follow suit in second and third place, respectively.   

With 136,373 average monthly searches per 100,000 people, Washington is the fifth most social media-obsessed state. YouTube again takes the crown in Washington, with 53,039 searches per 100,000 people; Facebook and Instagram come in at second and third, according to the research.   

Virginia ranks sixth. In Virginia, residents search for social media platforms a total of 135,893 times a month per 100,000 people; YouTube accounts for 54,770 of these searches, followed by Facebook and Instagram.   

In seventh, Maryland has an average monthly search volume of 135,875 per 100,000 people. The state’s favorite social media app is YouTube, with 54,834 average monthly searches per 100,000 people; Facebook and Instagram come in second and third place, respectively.   

Georgia ranks in eighth, with 134,690 average monthly searches per 100,000 people, followed by New Hampshire in ninth, with 133,911 average monthly searches per 100,000 people, and North Carolina in tenth, with 133,110 average monthly searches per 100,000 people.   

Jason Hennessey, CEO of Hennessey Digital, commented on the study: “America is home to approximately 320.6 million social media users, according to recent data from Statista in 2024. This study highlights the states most likely to be interested in social media by analyzing online search data on Google, with Oregon, Maine, and Massachusetts coming out on top.   

“It is interesting, however, to see that the most popular social media platform, according to the study, is YouTube, compared to other popular apps such as TikTok and Instagram; this may suggest that people are more interested in video-based content or, on the other hand, that people are less likely to have YouTube downloaded as an app, boosting online searches in turn.”