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If you’ve ever checked your bank balance, closed the app and immediately reopened it in case something improved, congratulations, you’re in excellent company.
New York has landed at No. 1 on a new ranking of most paranoid states in America, with financial concerns topping our collective browser history. The analysis comes from VIP-Grinders, which used Google Ads Keyword Planner to examine searches across seven categories: health, finances, relationships, personal security, work, artificial intelligence and gambling. Researchers adjusted state search volumes for population to compare places of very different sizes.
New York recorded 6,671 monthly worry-related searches per 100,000 residents, ahead of Nevada’s 6,027. Connecticut, Vermont and Maryland rounded out the top five states. According to the site, New Yorkers generated roughly 1.35 million searches a month across the categories studied.
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Money accounted for the largest chunk: 2,941 monthly searches per 100,000 New Yorkers, or about 44 percent of the state’s total. That was the highest financial-search rate in the analysis, with the category covering concerns about recession, stock market crashes, debt and identity theft. Sample queries included “is my money safe in the bank” and “am I being scammed”.
One geographical clarification before we accept our anxiety crown: Washington, D.C., ranked highest overall, with 8,578 monthly searches per 100,000 residents. New York takes first place among the 50 states; the district leads when included. Our neighbors had different preoccupations: Workplace searches led in Connecticut and Vermont, while health led in Oregon and Wisconsin.
There is one methodological catch. These figures measure estimated search activity, not how many people feel anxious—and certainly don’t establish a clinical diagnosis of paranoia. One person can make multiple searches and looking up financial information doesn’t automatically mean they’re panicking. The researchers also acknowledge that Keyword Planner rounds volumes and that state figures are indicative.
The findings cover the whole state, too, so this isn’t a separate verdict on New York City, however tempting it might be to blame our apartment listings. We may disagree about neighborhoods, subway etiquette and the correct bagel order, but apparently our bank accounts have everyone’s attention.