The average American has visited 16 states besides the one where they currently live, a new YouGov survey finds.
Older Americans are likelier to have visited more states than younger Americans. 32% of Americans 65 or older say they've visited at least 30 states, compared to just 5% of adults under 30. College graduates are also more likely to be well-traveled; 25% of them have visited at least 30 states, compared to 11% of Americans without college degrees, according to the survey, which was last conducted in 2022. (Counts of states visited in this article exclude residents' current home states and include Washington, D.C.)
People living in the Northeast are less likely than other Americans to have visited at least 20 states, even though many of them can reach many states in a day's drive from home.
The states Americans are most likely to say they have visited are either large, or important tourist destinations, or both. 64% of Americans say they have visited Florida, the most of any state. Other frequently visited states include New York (56% of Americans), Texas (51%), and California (50%). 54% say they have visited Washington, D.C.
Only 12% of Americans say they have been to Alaska, the smallest share of any state. 14% say they have visited North Dakota, the smallest share of any state in the contiguous United States.
Most-visited states by region
The most frequently visited states vary by where in the country people live. For example, while 50% of Americans say they have visited California, 79% of people who live in the West and 35% of Northeasterners have. 83% of Northeasterners have visited New York, and 73% of Southerners have visited Florida.
Northeasterners are most likely to have visited the northeastern states of New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, as well as the East Coast vacation destination of Florida. About as many in the region have visited New Hampshire (33%) or Maine (33%) as California (35%).
Southerners are most likely to say they've visited Florida and Texas. 31% have visited West Virginia, about as many as have visited Nevada (34%).
Midwesterners are most likely to have visited Illinois and Indiana, followed by Florida. Only 22% have been to North Dakota.
Westerners, meanwhile, are most likely to have visited California, Nevada, and Arizona. 20% of Westerners have been to Alaska, which is about as far from parts of California as New York is.
Related: Which states have Americans visited, and which are their favorites?
Methodology: The poll was conducted among 1,125 U.S. adult citizens. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of U.S. adult citizens. A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status. 2024 presidential vote, at time of weighting, was estimated to be 48% Harris and 50% Trump. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondent’s most recent answer given around November 8, 2024, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (31% Democratic, 32% Republican). The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 4%.
Image: Getty (Jordan Siemens)
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