Americans have become increasingly concerned about saving money, with over 12,800 citizens searching for monthly tips to hold onto their cash. Among them, Oregon is most concerned.
As part of their recent merger with Thrifty Guardian, news outlet Mama Say What?! conducted a study that indicates that money-saving searches are spiking in Oregon as of late. By comparing the US states searching for savings-related keywords and phrases in Google, the team at Mama Say What?! ranks regions with greatest to least concern.
Which states are seeing surges? Where else in the country has the cost of living crisis created high levels of worry?
States Concerned With Saving Money in the Last 30 Days
Oregon stands out among American states, ranking first for the highest levels of money-saving queries in the last 30 days. The Beaver State scored 200 this month, securing a healthy gap between itself and the second-place state of South Carolina with 174 points – a 26-point spread. The surge in search volume is new for Oregon, as the state also shows a more significant increase in concern than any other state when comparing 30-day and 12-month data. Where Oregon lands a perfect score is its peak query of “saving money tips” in the last month.
Following Oregon and South Carolina is the state of Nebraska, with a score of 144. In fourth and fifth place are Georgia and Louisiana, which scored 126 and 114, respectively.
Between the top five and top ten ranking states, a notable gap of 57 points suggests a sizeable difference in the cost of living. The top five states are searching for ways to save far more than other areas of the country.
Ranking in the remaining top ten slots are North Carolina in sixth (57 points), New Jersey in seventh (45 points), Tennessee in eighth (38 points), New York in ninth (35 points) and Ohio in tenth (34 points).
States Concerned With Saving Money in the Last 12 Months
Looking at search volume over the last year allows for a line of sight on which states have sustained interest in saving money and where folks are most affected by long-term shifts in the cost of living.
Ranking first in the top ten list of states searching for money-saving related terms in the last 12 months is New York, with 264 points.
Following New York, Virginia secures second place with 238 points. In third, Ohio has 227 points for savings-related searches in the last year. Fourth and fifth place go to Michigan, with 207 points, and North Carolina, with 203 points.
Kentucky earns sixth place and peaks with the term “saving money tips,” with an overall score of 195. The remaining top ten slots go to Illinois in seventh with 190 points, Florida in eighth with 165 points, Massachusetts close behind in ninth with 164 points, and Indiana in tenth place at 162.
What the Data Reveals
In detail, trends have emerged that reveal valuable information about the states most affected by the cost of living increase.
First and foremost are the recent and substantial spikes in search volumes for Oregon and South Carolina, two states that appear at the top of the 30-day list but are not on the 12-month list. With a dramatic rise such as this, it is clear that a change in the last 30 days has residents concerned about their finances.
Conversely, Virginia, Michigan, and Kentucky all appear on the 12-month list but do not appear on the 30-day list, demonstrating a reduced interest in saving money and a more positive recent financial position overall for residents of these states.
New York placed prominently on both lists and scored very well for each search term analyzed, meaning residents of this state are looking for diverse ways to save money at a sustained interest rate.
Finally, a look at the point spread between 12-month and 30-day top tens shows a narrower gap (only 102 points) between the first and tenth for the last year, while a wider gap of 166 points exists for the latest 30 days. An increase in the spread denotes a clear imbalance of cost of living changes by the state in recent weeks.
Money Saving Strategies
When conducting this research, the team at Mama Say What?! assessed multiple search queries, including “saving money tips,” “money-saving tips,” and “money-saving apps,” to determine which states are most interested in saving money.
“Saving money tips” yielded the most searches, with 5,200 average monthly searches. “Money-saving tips” was next, with 4,900 monthly searches. “Money-saving apps” also ranked well, with a monthly search volume of 2,700.
By assessing various terms, researchers revealed that Ohio, Virginia, Illinois, and Michigan are most interested in using apps to save money, while Indiana, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Nebraska, while interested in saving money overall, express no interest in using apps to achieve these goals.
In the battle against inflation and rising rates, earning more money, reducing expenses, and saving current income are undoubtedly at the forefront of Americans’ concerns.
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The post first appeared on Mama Say What?!
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Jacob Lund
Rachael Westgate is a skilled writer specializing in political and economic journalism, often employing the Associated Press (AP) style in her work. Her articles are known for their clarity, precision, and adherence to the highest journalistic standards.
