People in These 15 States Spend the Most on Holiday Shopping
For many people, shopping for gifts is one of the most hated holiday traditions around. Fighting the crowds is never fun, and too much holiday spending just causes more headaches. But some folks don’t seem to care. People in these states spend thousands on their holiday shopping every year, according to research by TitleMax.
There are plenty of ways to save on holiday shopping, but the residents of these states don’t care. People in the small state at No. 3 spends more than most, but no one is coming close to the No. 1 location anytime soon.
15. Maryland

Amount spent per capita: $1,032
Population: 6.05 million
Maryland has more millionaire households, and apparently, they don’t mind going big with their holiday spending. Based on the population and the per capita figure, The Old Line State drops more than 6.4 billion around during the holiday season every year.
Next: Home to financially savvy big spenders.
14. Massachusetts

Amount spent per capita: $1,072
Population: 6.85 million
You’ll find some of the most financially savvy people in America living in Massachusetts. Either they throw caution to the wind when they do their holiday shopping, or they can afford to get out of control around the holidays since they’re so smart for the rest of the year. Whatever the cause, Bay Staters drop more than $1,700 when they do their holiday shopping.
Next: Big holiday spenders despite rough circumstances.
13. Montana

Amount spent per capita: $1,078
Population: 1.05 million
Montana is one of the worst states to make a living in the U.S., but that doesn’t matter when winter arrives. In spite of or because of the fact it’s so hard to make ends meet, people in Montana have no problem opening their wallets when they shop for presents.
Next: We can’t chalk up this total to reality TV stars.
12. New Jersey

Amount spent per capita: $1,089
Population: 9 million
Teresa Giudice from the Real Housewives of New Jersey and Pauly D from Jersey Shore. Those are just two of the rich reality TV stars from The Garden State, but they can’t be the only ones responsible for the big holiday spending. All told, folks in New Jersey spend close to $10 billion total around the holidays every year.
Next: This state has rich people who spend big around the holidays.
11. Connecticut

Amount spent per capita: $1,091
Population: 3.58 million
It’s widely known that Connecticut is an affluent state, and the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk metro area is stacked with millionaires. Well, the rich residents of The Nutmeg State love to show it during the holidays. They spend $1,091 on gifts and other holiday necessities, which is more than $200 above the national average of $967.
Next: We move into the top 10.
1o. Hawaii

Amount spent per capita: $1,092
Population: 1.42 million
It’s not cheap living in Hawaii, and that carries over to the holiday shopping. Hawaii and Connecticut are neck-and-neck, but residents of The Aloha State do a tad more holiday spending each year. Even though they shell out $1,092 every year, Hawaiians aren’t anywhere close to being No. 1 on the list.
Next: Two big things in our next state.
9. Alaska

Amount spent per capita: $1,094
Population: 739,795
Alaska has several sprawling American cities with the largest footprints, but those aren’t the only big things in the state. The bills around the holidays are big, too, as residents spend close to $1,100 on their shopping. Given the population and the per capita spending amount, all of Alaska forks over nearly $810 million each holiday season.
Next: Holiday spending isn’t a reason to hate this state.
8. Florida

Amount spent per capita: $1,105
Population: 20.9 million
There are plenty of reasons to hate Florida, but residents show the love come holiday season. The residents of The Sunshine State spend a bundle on their presents. We can admit the $1,105 per capita figure is impressive, but it’s not for us to say if Floridians’ holiday spending is one of the best or one of the worst holiday traditions.
Next: Perhaps big spending is a form of retail therapy.
7. Wyoming

Amount spent per capita: $1,119
Population: 579,315
The soaring mountains with majestic peaks provide natural beauty in Wyoming, but there are some negatives, too:
- It’s one of the worst places to live for people over 65.
- Wyoming is one of the most corrupt states in America.
- There are rampant drug problems, especially from an enforcement standpoint.
Maybe going big with the holiday spending is a form of retail therapy for folks in the Cowboy State.
Next: The struggling economy doesn’t show in December.
6. South Dakota

Amount spent per capita: $1,154
Population: 869,666
South Dakota is a state with one of the worst economies in America, but you wouldn’t know it when December rolls around. The Mount Rushmore State is firmly in the top 10 of states with the biggest holiday spending. Resident dish out nearly $200 more than the $967 national average.
Next: High taxes don’t impact the holiday shopping.
5. Maine

Amount spent per capita: $1,196
Population: 1.33 million
Soaring property, income, and sales taxes give Maine one of highest tax burdens of any state in the U.S. All in all, residents of The Pine Tree State see more than 11% of their income go back to the government. Despite that, citizens shell out nearly $1,200 every year on their holiday spending.
Next: Big holiday shopping bills are a sure thing.
4. Nevada

Amount spent per capita: $1,210
Population: 2.99 million
We all know about Nevada’s love for gambling, but the gaming tables aren’t the only places people put their money down. Folks in The Silver State go big with their holiday spending and shell out more than $1,200 every year. All told, the final bill comes out to be around $3.61 billion.
Next: Holiday spending is one reason to get excited about this state.
3. Delaware

Amount spent per capita: $1,213
Population: 961,939
We know Wayne from the movie Wayne’s World wasn’t very excited to virtually visit Delaware, but it might have helped if he went for Christmas. People in The First State go wild with their holiday spending every year, plopping down $1,213 per capita. The small population plus the big spending equal about $1.16 billion worth of holiday shopping.
Next: Comfortably No. 2 in America.
2. Vermont

Amount spent per capita: $1,249
Population: 623,657
We’ve already visited a wide swath of New England states so far, and we’re back again. Vermont has its share of expenses — housing, food, and gasoline among them — but that doesn’t impact the pocketbook. People in The Green Mountain State are comfortably No. 2 in terms of holiday spending at $1,249, which is $36 more than No. 3 Delaware.
Next: No one is coming close to the No. 1 state.
1. New Hampshire

Amount spent per capita: $1,567
Population: 1.34 million
New Hampshire is one of the greenest American states taking care of the environment. Mother Nature’s beauty is the only green citizens are interested in saving come holiday season. The Granite State spends the most on holiday shopping, and it’s not even a contest. No. 2 Vermont is nearly $300 behind New Hampshire’s per capita holiday spending figure.
All population figures are 2017 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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