These states have the most engaged stock-market investors – Equities News for Impact

Beer, cheese and … stocks? You betcha. Wisconsin is the state whose residents are most interested in investing information, according to a new survey.

The study, conducted by CreditDonkey, a review and comparison website that Forbes has ranked highly in personal finance, analyzed nationwide Google search volumes for 135 terms related to stocks, shares and investing — including “how to get into trading,” “stock opportunities” and various major stock indexes such as the “Financial Times stock exchange.”

This search volume data was then adjusted for each state’s population to determine which states are most actively searching for stock trading information and tools.

Wisconsin came out on top with an average monthly search volume of 8,149 per 100,000 residents. The monthly average across the entire U.S. was just 4,595 searches per 100,000 residents.

CreditDonkey said the result wasn’t as surprising as it might seem: The state prioritizes financial education, as evidenced by the recent bill mandating high schools teach at least one semester of financial literacy to every student in the state.

Midwesterners claimed the second and third spots on this list as well: Iowa was No. 2 with monthly search average of 7,360 per 100,000 residents and Minnesota ranked third with an average of 7,095 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, South Dakota, Vermont and Rhode Island rounded out the top 10.

On the other end of the scale, Mississippi ranked last, having searched for stock market-related topics only 1,950 times each month per 100,000 people. Louisiana, Texas, Alaska and Oklahoma rounded out the bottom 5. CreditDonkey pointed out that only 58% of U.S. households own stocks, which could affect where states ranked.

“It’s encouraging to see states like Wisconsin and Iowa leading the charge in stock market interest. Their high search volumes indicate a growing awareness and enthusiasm for investing and financial freedom,” said Anna Ge, director of research at CreditDonkey. “However, it’s also clear that some states are lagging behind.”

“States such as Mississippi and Louisiana must prioritize financial education to ensure residents are not left behind in an increasingly investment-oriented economy,” she said. “By enhancing access to financial literacy programs, these states can empower their populations to make more informed decisions about their financial futures.”

Two other items of note from the study:

Stock-related searches peaked in April, coinciding with the end of tax season, when finances are on everyone’s mind and many folks might be looking to invest refunds.
“Dow Jones” was the most popular search term in every state throughout the year, as the index of 30 large-cap stocks continues to be the key indicator the public associates with the stock market.