Which U.S. States are the Most (and Least) Romantic?

Romance can be grand, awkward, thoughtful, impulsive — and sometimes a little last-minute. But however it shows up, it still matters. Most U.S. adults are married, living with a partner, or in a committed romantic relationship, according to national surveys — proof that love, in one form or another, is still very much in the picture.1

With Valentine’s Day approaching, we started wondering: does romance show up the same way everywhere? Are some states more likely to plan ahead, search for thoughtful gestures, or lean fully into the spirit of the holiday — while others keep things a little more low-key?

To find out, we analyzed a year’s worth of search trends across the country. What we found were clear regional patterns, a few surprises, and some very different approaches to romance — offering a revealing look at which U.S. states are the most romantic — and which are the least.

• Alabama is the most romantic state in the U.S. It narrowly edges out South Carolina and Oklahoma at the top of our rankings.
• Wyoming finishes dead last — and it isn’t a photo finish. Wyoming lands well behind the rest of the field, with Montana and Alaska rounding out the bottom three.
• The South absolutely owns the Top 10. Eight of the ten most romantic states are Southern, with Maryland and New York crashing the party as the only non-Southern standouts.
• America’s favorite romantic move isn’t flowers — it’s a love letter. “Love letter” is the highest-total topic nationwide in our study, beating out roses, gifts, and even Valentine’s dinner searches.
• For some, romance is about staying power. “Anniversary ideas” ranks among the top romantic searches nationwide and tops the list in multiple states.
• Americans are more likely to put on a romantic song than watch a romantic movie. Music-related romance searches significantly outpace movie-related ones, suggesting people prefer setting a mood over sitting through a love story.
• Apparently, romance comes with pressure. With “how to propose” and “marry me” landing in the top ten romantic searches, plenty of Americans seem determined not to mess up one of life’s biggest questions.
• Florida is the only state whose top romantic topic is “romantic cruise.” Of course it is.
• Matching couple tattoos aren’t most Americans’ idea of romance. They rank dead last among romantic search topics — though Hawaii appears to be an exception, proving that love (and ink) hits differently on an island.

If romance were a foot race, this one wouldn’t be decided by a victory lap — it would be decided by a nose.

Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma finish in a virtual three-way photo finish at the top of our rankings. But while it wasn’t a runaway, Alabama reigns as the most romantic state in our study this Valentine’s Day.

Here are the ten most romantic states:

1. Alabama
2. South Carolina
3. Oklahoma
4. Mississippi
5. Louisiana
6. Kentucky
7. Arkansas
8. Tennessee
9. Maryland
10. New York

Once you look past the top three, a pattern becomes impossible to ignore: the South absolutely owns the Top 10. Eight of the ten most romantic states are Southern, with Maryland and New York crashing the party as the only non-Southern standouts.

So what’s fueling all that Southern romance?

Part of the answer may be that romance in these states is taken seriously — almost like a project. In our analysis of search data, Southern states repeatedly show strong interest in things like proposals, love letters, and planning romantic gestures.

That lines up with some broader, well-documented patterns. Southern states tend to have higher marriage rates than many parts of the country, according to CDC data — meaning more people navigating engagements, anniversaries, and long-term partnerships that naturally come with romantic planning.2 One likely factor is culture: surveys from Pew Research Center show that Southern states tend to place greater emphasis on religion, which research has linked to higher marriage rates and a stronger focus on long-term partnership and family life.3 4

In other words: more people hitting relationship milestones means more people searching how to make those moments memorable.

There’s also one absence that’s hard to ignore. Virginia — home of the famous slogan “Virginia is for Lovers” — doesn’t crack the Top 10. The branding is iconic. The ranking? 21st — respectable, but not exactly swoon-worthy. Proof that even the best slogan can’t do all the work.

(Fun fact: the slogan dates back to a 1969 tourism campaign meant to broaden Virginia’s image beyond history and heritage.)5

And then there’s New York, which sneaks into the Top 10 despite its reputation for being busy, blunt, and allergic to unnecessary small talk. Apparently, the city that never sleeps has something more romantic than shuteye on its agenda.

Now, let’s pivot to look at the least romantic states:

1. Wyoming
2. Montana
3. Alaska
4. South Dakota
5. Vermont
6. Maine
7. North Dakota
8. Oregon
9. New Hampshire
10. Nebraska

Wyoming finishes last overall, with Montana and Alaska close behind — and what stands out isn’t what these states search for, but what they don’t.

Compared with higher-ranking states, the least romantic states show consistently lower interest across nearly every romantic category — from proposals and love letters to romantic music and anniversary planning. There isn’t a single alternative trend filling the gap. Romance just shows up less often as something people search for.

That pattern holds even outside the wide-open West. Several New England states land near the bottom as well, and they follow the same trend: fewer searches for big gestures, fewer searches for emotional expression, and fewer searches tied to relationship milestones. It may not be a coincidence that states like Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire are also among the oldest in the country by median age — which could naturally mean fewer people searching proposal-type terms in particular.6

Here are the full rankings of all states and the District of Columbia:

During our analysis, a few clear patterns emerged in how Americans search for romance — and what they’re really looking for when love is on the mind.

Love letters and poems

If you expected romance searches to revolve around flowers, gifts, or fancy dinners, here’s a surprise: written romance still ranks near the top. In several states — including Arizona, California, and Texas — “love letter” emerges as the single most popular romantic search topic, with related topics like “love poems” and “romantic quotes” also appearing frequently.

That may feel unexpected in an era of texts, DMs, and heart-eyed emojis, but it actually reflects one of Valentine’s oldest traditions. Long before the holiday became associated with candy and restaurant reservations, Valentine’s Day centered on written expressions of affection.7 By the 18th century, exchanging romantic verses and handwritten notes was already a common way to mark the occasion, especially during courtship.

In the 19th century, the rise of printed Valentine’s cards helped spread that practice even further — standardizing the idea that love should be put into words, thoughtfully chosen, emotionally explicit, and often saved long after the chocolates were gone.8 Writing became the default language of the holiday.

Seen in that light, it’s less surprising that “love letter” still resonates today. When people feel pressure to say something meaningful — whether for a new relationship or a major moment — many still turn to the same instinct that shaped Valentine’s celebrations for centuries: write it down.

Anniversary ideas

Right behind love letters, another theme rises to the top: anniversary planning. In several states — including Idaho, Kansas, South Dakota, and Virginia — searches like “anniversary ideas” (along with related date-night planning searches) emerge as the most popular romance-related topics.

That’s notable, because anniversaries aren’t automatic. You only search for anniversary ideas if:

• You’re already in a committed relationship
• You remember the date
• And you want to do something other than “happy anniversary, want pizza?”

Research helps explain why that matters for romance. Studies on long-term relationships show that celebrating anniversaries and other shared rituals is linked to higher relationship satisfaction and stronger emotional bonds, particularly as relationships mature.9 These moments act as intentional checkpoints, reinforcing commitment and shared identity.

Unlike Valentine’s Day — which arrives with ads, reminders, and expectations — anniversaries are personal. They reflect the history of a specific relationship, not a cultural script.

In these states, romance isn’t driven by a holiday. It’s driven by shared history.

Proposals and “marry me”

One of the clearest signals of romantic pressure shows up around wedding proposals. Across the country, terms like “how to propose” and “marry me” land among the top ten romantic search topics, and in states including Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, and Tennessee, they rise to the very top.

That suggests one clear thing: when it comes to proposals, many people don’t want to improvise. Whether the moment is public or private, elaborate or simple, asking someone to spend their life with you tends to come with pressure — and people look for reassurance, ideas, or a way to avoid obvious missteps.

Not every proposal needs a plan, but plenty of people still feel the need not to wing it.

Romantic songs

Music stands out as one of the most common ways Americans search for romance. In several states — including Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Oregon, and Wyoming — the most popular romantic searches center on romantic songs, love songs, or romantic music.

That preference has deep roots. Long before Valentine’s cards, music was one of the primary ways people expressed romantic interest. Serenades, love ballads, and courtship songs appear across cultures and centuries — often serving as a way to communicate affection when direct expression wasn’t socially acceptable.10 In many traditions, singing or playing music was a sanctioned way to say what couldn’t be spoken outright.

As popular music evolved, that role didn’t disappear — it scaled. By the 20th century, love songs had become one of the dominant themes in recorded music, shaping everything from jazz standards to modern pop.11 Even today, romance remains one of the most common lyrical subjects across genres, reinforcing music’s role as a default emotional language.

A few reasons music continues to dominate romantic search topics:

• Love songs carry emotional meaning without requiring explanation
• Music can set a mood instantly, whether the moment is big or small
• Romantic songs feel personal, even when millions of people know the same lyrics

Streaming platforms consistently report February spikes in listening and searches with a Valentine’s theme, suggesting that when romance is top of mind, many people still reach for a song first.12

Romantic dinners

For many Americans, romance comes with a reservation. In states such as Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, searches tied to romantic restaurants or Valentine’s Day dinner rise to the top.

That pattern reflects a relatively modern version of Valentine’s Day. While the holiday has centuries-old roots, dining out as a Valentine’s tradition didn’t fully take hold until the mid-1900s, when restaurants began promoting special menus for couples.13 As eating out became more affordable and widespread, Valentine’s Day expanded to include nights out designed for two — ones that could be planned, packaged, and, yes, booked weeks in advance.

By the end of the twentieth century, dinner had become one of the holiday’s default rituals. Today, Valentine’s Day consistently ranks among the busiest restaurant nights of the year in the U.S., with millions of couples choosing to celebrate over a meal rather than at home.14

In a holiday full of expectations, dinner offers something appealingly simple: show up, sit down, and spend time together.

A few romance outliers worth noting

Not every state follows the same romantic script. A handful stand out for doing things a little differently — and that’s half the fun of the data.

Together, these patterns show that romance doesn’t look the same everywhere — and that’s exactly what makes it interesting.

Here are the most popular romantic topics from all states and the District of Columbia:

To find out which U.S. states are the most (and least) romantic, we analyzed Google Trends search data across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

We began by compiling a list of dozens of diverse search topics that were all related to romance, including Valentine’s Day–specific terms as well as broader searches tied to relationships, romantic gestures, and milestones like proposals and anniversaries. Using Google Trends, we looked at how interest in each of these terms varied by state over a 12-month period, capturing both everyday search behavior and seasonal spikes around Valentine’s Day.

For each state, we combined search interest across all included romantic terms to create an overall romance score. We then used those scores to rank states from most to least romantic.

Innerbody Research is committed to providing objective information and research to help our readers better understand trends related to health, relationships, and everyday life. We invested significant time and effort into creating this report to explore how romance-related interests vary across the United States.

We hope to reach as many people as possible by making this information widely available. As such, you’re welcome to share this content for educational, editorial, or discussion purposes. We only ask that you link back to this page and credit Innerbody Research as the source.