The most popular states where people are socially engaged online may surprise you.
Social media has become a ubiquitous means of communication for many Americans. With tech access through portable electronics such as smartphones leveling the playing field across many regions and socio-economic backgrounds, the states where social media is most popular are not necessarily those in areas considered high-tech hotbeds.
That data seems to be borne out in a recent study by QR Code Generator surveying the states where Internet-originated social media is the most popular. The survey found Tennessee ranked first with 81.1% of its population using the Internet for social media. Iowa came in second at 80%, while both North Dakota and South Dakota tied at 79.1%. Hawaii reported the lowest proportion of its population using the Internet for social media, at 67.9%.
California, a state traditionally associated with high-tech industries, came in at #28 with 73.6% of the population using social media, while New York came in at #30 with 73.4%.
QR Code Generator analyzed data from the NTIA Internet Use Survey to determine the percentage of each state’s population aged 15 or over using the internet for social media in 2021. These results were then compared to one another and ranked from highest to lowest to show which states used social media the most.
While social media platforms such as Facebook have historically accounted for a lot of social media usage, more recent platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are likely a major factor, according to Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator.
“While these results do not highlight which social media platforms were used in each state, it could be suggested that the release of TikTok in 2016 may have a significant impact on the number of social media users between 2015 and 2021,” said Porcar in a released statement. “The number of people using TikTok skyrocketed during this period, especially among teenagers.”
States Ranked Population Percentage Aged 15+ Using Social Media Online Per State In 2021
| Ranking | State | Number of population aged 15+ on internet using social media in 2021 | Percentage of population aged 15+ on internet using social media in 2021 |
| 1. | Tennessee | 3,770,392 | 81.1% |
| 2. | Iowa | 1,876,318 | 80% |
| 3. | North Dakota | 418,743 | 79.1% |
| 3. | South Dakota | 517,516 | 79.1% |
| 4. | Alabama | 2,475,159 | 78.3% |
| 5. | Mississippi | 1,439,767 | 78.1% |
| 6. | Illinois | 6,778,756 | 77.9% |
| 7. | Kansas | 1,546,339 | 76.9% |
| 8. | Ohio | 5,999,021 | 76.8% |
| 9. | Nebraska | 991,577 | 76.6% |
| 9. | Utah | 1,569,916 | 76.6% |
| 10. | Indiana | 3,509,367 | 76.5% |
| 11. | Florida | 10,921,970 | 76.4% |
| 12. | Missouri | 3,147,852 | 76.3% |
| 13. | Louisiana | 2,363,699 | 76.1% |
| 14. | Alaska | 369,890 | 76% |
| 15. | South Carolina | 2,642,951 | 75.5% |
| 16. | West Virginia | 863,696 | 75.4% |
| 17. | Kentucky | 2,271,218 | 75.3% |
| 17. | Minnesota | 3,036,919 | 75.3% |
| 18. | Arkansas | 1,635,134 | 75.2% |
| 19. | Georgia | 5,366,088 | 75% |
| 19. | North Carolina | 5,411,080 | 75% |
| 20. | Montana | 584,146 | 74.8% |
| 21. | Connecticut | 1,691,645 | 74.7% |
| 22. | Oklahoma | 2,055,738 | 74.5% |
| 23. | New Mexico | 1,091,522 | 74.4% |
| 24. | Texas | 13,706,464 | 74.3% |
| 25. | Wisconsin | 3,260,990 | 74.1% |
| 26. | Arizona | 3,702,192 | 73.9% |
| 26. | Vermont | 340,844 | 73.9% |
| 27. | Pennsylvania | 5,883,723 | 73.7% |
| 28. | California | 18,509,343 | 73.6% |
| 29. | Washington | 3,923,948 | 73.5% |
| 30. | New York | 8,935,096 | 73.4% |
| 31. | Rhode Island | 531,758 | 73.2% |
| 32. | Colorado | 2,945,530 | 73% |
| 33. | Virginia | 4,102,795 | 72.8% |
| 34. | Maine | 733,380 | 72.7% |
| 34. | Michigan | 4,920,401 | 72.7% |
| 35. | Idaho | 974,925 | 71.6% |
| 36. | Oregon | 2,214,548 | 71.3% |
| 37. | Nevada | 1,405,497 | 70.6% |
| 38. | Massachusetts | 3,271,514 | 70.5% |
| 39. | Maryland | 2,687,441 | 70.1% |
| 40. | New Hampshire | 664,039 | 70% |
| 41. | New Jersey | 4,123,203 | 69.9% |
| 41. | Wyoming | 277,224 | 69.9% |
| 42. | Delaware | 435,142 | 69% |
| 43. | Hawaii | 571,627 |