Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on U.S. Money Reserve.
Gold has long been valued as a safe-haven asset, particularly during times of economic instability and inflation. Today, gold remains a key part of consumer portfolios because it holds its purchasing power even when other assets, such as stocks or real estate, may falter.
In recent years, interest in gold has seen significant growth, largely driven by uncertain global economic conditions. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 triggered a surge in gold prices as consumers sought refuge from the volatility of stock markets.
According to recent data from Gallup, when Americans were asked to identify what they consider the best long-term investment, gold emerged as a popular choice.
Despite the growing interest in newer asset types like cryptocurrencies, gold’s reputation as a stable and secure asset continues to resonate with a sizable portion of the population, particularly in certain parts of the U.S.
While the same Gallup poll indicates that gold’s reputation as a reliable asset varies by income and political affiliation, interest in gold also varies regionally. In some states, internet searches for terms containing “gold prices” outpace searches for terms containing “stock prices.”
Following is a breakdown of the top states with more interest in gold prices relative to stock prices. The analysis was conducted by U.S. Money Reserve, a leading distributor of government-issued gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, using data from Google Trends from 2019-2024. See the methodology section at the end for additional information.
15. Washington
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 55%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 45%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +1
14. Oklahoma
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 57%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 43%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +15
13. Hawaii
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 58%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 42%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +22
12. North Dakota
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 59%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 41%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +41
11. Wyoming
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 59%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 41%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +51
10. South Dakota
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 61%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 39%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +10
9. New Hampshire
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 61%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 39%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +23
8. Oregon
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 62%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 38%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +4
7. Utah
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 62%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 38%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +9
6. Idaho
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 65%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 35%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): -14
5. Arizona
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 65%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 35%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +11
4. New Mexico
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 66%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 34%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +6
3. Nevada
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 66%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 34%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +19
2. Montana
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 68%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 32%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +34
1. Alaska
- Relative search interest for gold prices: 76%
- Relative search interest for stock prices: 24%
- Change in gold price searches since 2019 (percentage points): +44
Methodology
The data used in this study is from Google Trends. To identify the states most interested in gold prices relative to stock prices, researchers at U.S. Money Reserve calculated the share of searches containing the phrase “gold prices” relative to those containing “stock prices” over the study period (2019-2024).
In the event of a tie, the state with the greatest percentage point change in the share of “gold prices” searches relative to “stock prices” searches from 2019 to 2024 was ranked higher.
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