America’s Couch Potato States: Where Winter Activity Drops the Most

America’s Couch Potato Rankings: Where Winter Most Encourages Staying In

Winter does its work quietly.

Cold weather, shorter days, and indoor routines don’t just change schedules — they change behavior. In some states, winter makes staying active a realistic part of daily life. In others, it shifts leisure toward screens, sitting, and staying in.

Vegas Insider’s America’s Couch Potato Rankings measure which U.S. states are most prone to winter inactivity, using state-level data on physical inactivity, winter temperatures, gym access, fitness participation, TV viewing time, and sports-watching interest.

This isn’t about motivation or willpower. It’s about conditions.

The rankings show where winter nudges people toward the couch — and where the environment makes it easier to keep moving.

Key findings

• West Virginia is the most “couch-prone” state in winter. It ranks #1 with the highest average daily TV viewing time (4.51 hours) and a physical inactivity rate above 30%.
• The South dominates the top of the rankings. Seven of the top 10 states — including Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas — combine higher inactivity rates with heavier screen-based leisure, even without severe winter weather.
• Cold weather matters — but it isn’t decisive. North Dakota ranks #5 due to extreme winter temperatures, while similarly cold states like Vermont (#45) and Alaska (#38) rank far lower, showing that fitness habits can offset climate.
• California is the least “couch potato” state in the country. It ranks #50, supported by the strongest gym-access signal in the dataset and one of the highest gym membership rates (29.2%).
• The Mountain West resists winter inactivity. Utah (#49), Colorado (#46), and Washington (#48) all rank near the bottom, driven by low inactivity rates and lower TV viewing despite colder winters.
• Winter couch behavior is as much cultural as seasonal. States with higher TV viewing and sports-watching interest consistently rank higher, regardless of temperature.

The Top 10 Couch Potato States This Winter

#1 West Virginia

West Virginia tops the rankings because winter inactivity is reinforced on every front. More than 30% of adults report no leisure-time physical activity, and residents watch an average of 4.51 hours of TV per day — the highest in the country. When cold winters meet heavy screen time and limited gym access, the couch wins.

Data signals: Inactivity 30.1% · Winter 32.8°F · Gym access 148 · TV 4.51 hrs/day · Sports interest 62.5

#2 Kentucky

Kentucky ranks second because winter doesn’t change habits — it amplifies them. The state posts a 32.5% inactivity rate alongside a low gym membership rate of 19.0%, leaving few structural supports to keep people moving once winter sets in.

Data signals: Inactivity 32.5% · Winter 35.9°F · Gym membership 19.0% · TV 3.36 hrs/day · Sports interest 57.5

#3 Mississippi

Mississippi enters winter with the highest physical inactivity rate in the dataset at 33.2%, and that baseline matters more than weather. Even with milder winters, higher TV viewing and limited fitness participation push the state firmly toward indoor, sedentary routines.

Data signals: Inactivity 33.2% · Winter 46.7°F · Gym access 309 · TV 3.49 hrs/day · Sports interest 64.0

#4 Delaware

Delaware ranks high not because winter is especially harsh, but because winter leisure stays indoors. Residents average 3.79 hours of TV per day, and sports-watching interest is among the highest in the country, creating a winter routine built more around screens than movement.

Data signals: Inactivity 27.2% · Winter 36.1°F · Gym access 141 · TV 3.79 hrs/day · Sports interest 84.5

#5 North Dakota

In North Dakota, winter itself becomes the barrier. With an average winter temperature of just 12.2°F and one of the weakest gym-access signals in the dataset, staying active becomes structurally harder once winter peaks.

Data signals: Inactivity 25.6% · Winter 12.2°F · Gym access 113 · TV 3.57 hrs/day · Sports interest 81.0

#6 Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s winter inactivity is driven less by cold than by routine. A 30.5% inactivity rate, combined with more than 3.6 hours of daily TV viewing, suggests winter leisure quickly shifts toward staying in.

Data signals: Inactivity 30.5% · Winter 39.1°F · Gym membership 21.8% · TV 3.61 hrs/day · Sports interest 65.25

#7 Louisiana

Louisiana shows that warm winters don’t guarantee active ones. Despite average winter temperatures near 51°F, the state pairs a 30.8% inactivity rate with low gym participation and heavy screen time, keeping winter routines largely sedentary.

Data signals: Inactivity 30.8% · Winter 50.9°F · Gym membership 20.9% · TV 3.69 hrs/day · Sports interest 63.5

#8 Indiana

Indiana’s winter profile reflects a colder season layered onto weaker fitness participation. Nearly 29% of adults are inactive, and strong sports-watching interest pulls more winter leisure indoors.

Data signals: Inactivity 28.5% · Winter 29.4°F · Gym membership 19.8% · TV 3.08 hrs/day · Sports interest 73.5

#9 Alabama

Alabama ranks high largely because fitness participation is low year-round. The state has the lowest gym membership rate in the dataset at 18.3%, leaving fewer buffers against winter inactivity even with milder temperatures.

Data signals: Inactivity 30.7% · Winter 46.5°F · Gym membership 18.3% · TV 3.46 hrs/day · Sports interest 52.25

#10 Nevada

Nevada rounds out the top 10 as winter pushes leisure indoors. With 26.0% inactivity, colder winter temperatures than many expect, and strong sports interest, winter routines lean more toward watching than moving.

Data signals: Inactivity 26.0% · Winter 32.2°F · Gym membership 22.1% · TV 3.58 hrs/day · Sports interest 79.0

The Least Couch Potato States This Winter

These states are the most resistant to winter inactivity — where colder weather doesn’t automatically translate into staying in.

#1 California

California ranks as the least couch-prone state in winter thanks to sheer fitness infrastructure and participation. Nearly 29.2% of residents hold a gym membership, the highest rate in the dataset, while average TV viewing stays relatively low at 2.65 hours per day.

Data signals: Inactivity 21.2% · Winter 46.2°F · Gym membership 29.2% · TV 2.65 hrs/day · Sports interest 67.5

#2 Utah

Utah resists winter inactivity better than almost any other state. It posts one of the lowest inactivity rates in the country at 18.2%, and residents watch just 2.23 hours of TV per day.

Data signals: Inactivity 18.2% · Winter 28.2°F · Gym membership 25.7% · TV 2.23 hrs/day · Sports interest 61.75

#3 Washington

Washington shows that winter weather alone doesn’t dictate behavior. Only 18.4% of adults are physically inactive, and average TV viewing stays low at 2.59 hours per day.

Data signals: Inactivity 18.4% · Winter 33.0°F · Gym membership 24.6% · TV 2.59 hrs/day · Sports interest 62.75

#4 Hawaii

Hawaii benefits from the strongest natural advantage in the dataset. With an average winter temperature of 67.4°F, winter friction is effectively removed.

Data signals: Inactivity 21.7% · Winter 67.4°F · Gym membership 23.1% · TV 2.55 hrs/day · Sports interest 66.75

#5 Colorado

Colorado’s ranking reflects a deeply embedded activity culture. The state has the lowest inactivity rate in the dataset at 17.7%.

Data signals: Inactivity 17.7% · Winter 25.8°F · Gym membership 24.8% · TV 2.47 hrs/day · Sports interest 79.75

States Ranked 6–10 (Still Least Couch-Prone)

#6 Vermont: Despite harsh winters averaging 19.4°F, Vermont keeps inactivity relatively low.

#7 Connecticut: High gym membership provides structure and routine.

#8 Oregon: Lower inactivity and restrained TV viewing.

#9 Virginia: Moderate winters and lower screen time.

#10 New York: Strong gym participation and lower screen time.

Expert comment

“By late winter, activity is shaped more by environment than intention,” said an Vegas Insider analyst. “Where inactivity and screen time are already high, winter makes staying active much harder — regardless of temperature.”

“The data shows cold alone doesn’t drive winter inactivity,” the analyst added. “Fitness culture and how people spend their indoor time matter just as much.”

Conclusion

The data shows that winter inactivity follows clear patterns.

States that rank highest on the Couch Potato Index consistently combine higher physical inactivity rates, heavier screen time, and weaker fitness participation signals.

By contrast, the least couch-prone states share a different profile: lower inactivity rates, lower daily TV viewing, and stronger gym participation.

The couch isn’t inevitable — but in some states, the data suggests it’s far easier to end up there.

How to Beat the Couch (According to the Data)

1. Treat screen time like a tradeoff
2. Make movement unavoidable
3. Build routine, not intensity
4. Don’t let sports become sedentary-only
5. Use winter friction strategically

What this ranking measures

The America’s Couch Potato Rankings estimate where U.S. states are most prone to winter inactivity using a proxy-based index.

Data sources and metrics

• CDC BRFSS
• NOAA
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Statista
• BLS American Time Use Survey
• Google Trends

Full dataset: View the full Couch Potato Index dataset