Study: The Most Popular Color in Every State

What’s your favorite color? This simple question is surprisingly personal. We ask it on first dates as an icebreaker, or as a security question to gain access to a banking account. If your color preference can provide insights into their personality, can it also reveal where you’re from? To find out, we sought to identify the most popular color in every state.

Using Google Trends, we looked at the most searched-for paint colors throughout the United States over the past year. This geographical data gives us an idea of which colors people across the country prefer to use to decorate their homes. 

With these findings handy, we’ve also included tips on how you can incorporate your favorite colors at home. Whether you need help choosing the right paint color, color coordinating your furniture, or accessorizing to enhance your home decor, you’ll find the answers you need here. 

The Most Popular Colors by State

We started by taking a look at the most searched paint colors over the past year. Across the country, 38 out of 50 states favored blue paint—making blue the most country’s popular color in 2022.

Most states may be “feeling blue,” but the color is known to have a calming effect and is generally associated with stability and tranquility. This may explain why so many want the color in their home. Who wouldn’t want their home to provide feelings of safety and comfort? Now that we have an overview, let’s take a closer look to see what we can learn about each state’s preferred color palette.

Blue Is the Most Popular Color in the U.S.

From deep navy to serene cerulean, most states preferred the color blue for their painting needs. However, the search data shows that blue is particularly popular in the northeastern United States.

By percentage of searches, blue is the most popular color in states with close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, such as Delaware and Rhode Island. Other New England states Connecticut and Massachusetts also searched for blue with the third and fifth greatest frequency in the U.S., respectively.

New Jersey, Florida, New Hampshire, Mississippi, and Maryland also led the country in searches for blue paint.

The top 10 states (by percentage of “blue paint” searches) are:

1. Delaware (45%)

2. Connecticut (42%)

3. Rhode Island (42%)

4. South Carolina (40%)

5. Massachusetts (40%)

6. New Jersey (40%)

7. Florida (39%)

8. New Hampshire (38%)

9. Mississippi (38%)

10. Maryland (38%)

While blue takes the top spot as the most popular color in the U.S., other colors have also gotten plenty of attention from homeowners.

The Greenest States in the U.S.

Green was the second most popularly searched color this year. This makes sense, as the color green has recently received numerous honors. For example, shades of green like October Mist 1495 and Evergreen Fog were awarded Color of the Year 2022 by Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams, respectively.

As a color that’s commonly associated with nature and renewal, it’s interesting to see where green is most popular on a state-by-state basis:

1. North Dakota (41%)

2. Vermont (37%)

3. District of Columbia (36%)

4. Idaho (34%)

5. Wisconsin (33%)

6. Oregon (32%)

7. Washington (32%)

8. Kentucky (32%)

9. Montana (32%)

10. New Hampshire (32%)

Green was the top color in mountain states like Idaho, Montana, and Nevada. It was also popular in Pacific Northwestern states known for their abundant forestry, like Oregon and Washington.

By percentage of search results, North Dakota is the state most fond of green. Perhaps this is due to pride in the state’s flagship university, the North Dakota State Bison, whose school colors are green and yellow.

Red Is the Most Popular Color in NM and SD

Known as a warmer color associated with passion and strength, red came in as the third most frequently searched color.

A couple of states stood out in particular: Red made up the majority of searches among residents of New Mexico and South Dakota. Perhaps in the case of New Mexico, this can be attributed to the region’s red clay and desert aesthetics.

Interestingly, Wyoming had the second most searches for red paint by percentage. However, blue was actually the most popular color in the state.

The top 10 states that searched for “red paint” are:

1. South Dakota (38%)

2. Wyoming (32%)

3. New Mexico (29%)

4. Nevada (25%)

5. Utah (25%)

6. West Virginia (24%)

7. Vermont (23%)

8. Kentucky (23%)

9. Montana (23%)

10. Alaska (23%)

Tips For Using Color At Home

Blending, matching, and mixing colors can help you achieve the right look and feel for every room in your home. We’ll walk you through picking interior paint colors, matching furniture, and using accessories to get the results you want.

1. How to Choose the Perfect Paint Color 

Color psychology suggests that a fresh coat of paint can completely transform the energy of a room and impact your mood. So, you’ll want to consider what vibe you’d like on a room-by-room basis.

These tips will help you choose the right paint color for each room:

• Bedroom: Shades of blue, purple, taupe, white, and pink are notable for their calming and relaxing effects—ideal for a good night’s sleep.

• Bathroom: Bright colors can give the room a joyful and refreshing feeling. Consider shades of yellow, blue, sapphire, white, and mint.

• Living Room: Neutral colors like beige, black, or gray can give the living area a clean, sophisticated look.

• Kitchen/Dining Room: Strong colors like shades of red and orange can create a warm and vibrant eating environment.

Whichever color and room you choose, consider hiring a local interior painter to give every room a clean, crisp look.

2. How to Match Furniture 

Matching furniture with your color palette will depend on your decor style, but there are a few tricks to spruce up your living space.

• Create a design board to visualize a look that inspires you.

• If you’re going for an eclectic design style, add a few pieces at a time to ensure that every design decision has a purpose.

• For minimalist design, less is more. Try to maintain a balanced and simple design with controlled bursts of color.

• You can even paint your furniture to give it a whole new look or match it with a new room color.

An experienced local interior designer can also help you seamlessly blend your furniture and home colors to match your design style.

3. How to Use Accessories

Even if you have limited space at home, there are plenty of accessories you can use to give your home a designer look. Here are just a few examples of how a simple addition can upgrade every room.

• Coffee table books can add a touch of color to your living room and create a visual focal point.

• Down throw pillows are an easy way to give a bed or couch a luxurious feeling and add comfort to a room.

• Indoor plants like orchids can improve indoor air quality and serve as a beautiful centerpiece in a dining room or a bathroom counter.

• Silver picture frames can blend in well with most wall colors while offering an elegant look.

When it comes to experimenting with color at home, there are unlimited possibilities for creating an environment that you’ll love.

If your home could use a fresh coat of paint, it pays to stay up to date on the cost of interior painting. For any other planned home upgrades, a licensed contractor in your state can help ensure that the job is done properly. 

Methodology

Data was collected using Google Trends. Search data was collected from April 1, 2021, to April 1, 2022, for the terms “blue paint,” “red paint,” “green paint,” yellow paint,” and “purple paint” in the Home & Garden category.