The Most Impulsive States in America: Who Can’t Say No?
Whether it’s booking a spontaneous weekend getaway, splurging on late-night takeout, or saying “yes” to one more round, it seems some states just live a little more on the edge.
Our latest campaign set out to uncover which U.S. states are the most impulsive, using a blend of behavioral data, search trends, and spending habits to create an Impulsiveness Index - and the results might just surprise you.
From surging last-minute flight bookings to spikes in online shopping after midnight, certain regions displayed clear patterns of on-the-whim decision-making. States like California, Florida and Nevada scored high, reflecting their reputations as playgrounds for the spontaneous and thrill-seeking.
Meanwhile, traditionally more reserved states like Wyoming and Nebraska leaned toward the cautious side, with slower, more deliberate spending and lower levels of spontaneous activity.
But it’s not just about geography, generational habits as lifestyle preferences, and even climate played a role in shaping impulsive behavior.
Warmer states, for instance, saw a noticeable uptick in impromptu travel and entertainment spending, likely due to year-round accessibility to outdoor events and nightlife. By digging into the data, we’ve been able to paint a vivid picture of where impulsivity thrives — and where people prefer to think twice before diving in.
What Makes a State Impulsive?
Impulsivity isn’t just about acting on a whim. It’s a pattern of behavior tied to lifestyle, culture, spending, and even stress. To get a fuller picture, we analyzed:
- Search trends for spur-of-the-moment behavior (like “flights today” and “spontaneous trip”)
- Spending data on fun, entertainment, and retail indulgence
- Alcohol consumption and binge drinking rates
- Credit card debt per capita (because impulsive spending often comes with a cost)
- And other signals of a “why not?” mindset
All of this was combined into a comprehensive score for each state. Have a look at the top 25:
| Rank | State | Impulse Score |
| 1 | New York | 352 |
| 2 | California | 238 |
| 3 | Georgia | 198 |
| 4 | Texas | 183 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 169 |
| 6 | New Jersey | 167 |
| 7 | Florida | 164 |
| 8 | Michigan | 146 |
| 9 | Colorado | 135 |
| 10 | Maryland | 119 |
| 11 | Nevada | 113 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 113 |
| 13 | Illinois | 111 |
| 14 | South Carolina | 102 |
| 15 | Indiana | 100 |
| 16 | North Carolina | 98 |
| 17 | Ohio | 90 |
| 18 | Washington | 86 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | 88 |
| 20 | Louisiana | 86 |
| 21 | Vermont | 88 |
| 22 | Arizona | 80 |
| 23 | Utah | 75 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | 74 |
| 25 | Minnesota | 70 |
With a score of 352, New York is far ahead of the rest of the pack. High entertainment spend, fast-paced lifestyles, and constant search interest in impulsive terms (ranked third for last-minute flights searches) all played a role.
California, Georgia, Texas, and Florida all cracked the top 7 - showing that warm weather may go hand-in-hand with spur-of-the-moment decisions. California, for instance, ranked third under the heading ‘most money spent on fun’.
Whether it’s the thrill-seeking culture or just more freedom to explore, states like Colorado (135) and Nevada (113) show strong signs of impulsivity. Nevada unsurprisingly ranked as high as second for ‘spontaneous purchases per capita’, only beaten by Georgia.
While States like Minnesota (70) and Indiana (100) landed slightly lower in the rankings, suggesting more measured or conservative behaviors overall.
The least impulsive states, meanwhile, ranked like this.
| Rank | State | Impulse Score |
| 40 | Mississippi | 59 |
| 41 | Maine | 56 |
| 42 | Kentucky | 55 |
| 43 | Iowa | 54 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 53 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 52 |
| 46 | Nebraska | 50 |
| 47 | Wyoming | 84 |
| 48 | West Virginia | 50 |
| 49 | South Dakota | 47 |
| 50 | New Mexico | 46 |
From this table, it is clear that New Mexico is the least impulsive state in the entire country, closely followed by South Dakota and West Virginia. In fact, there is a significant gap between Wyoming (84 impulse points) in 47th place and West Virginia (50 impulse points) in 48th position, showing that the bottom three have significantly different cultural habits than their fellow Americans.
Understanding impulsive behavior across the U.S. isn’t just fun trivia, but a valuable look into how people make decisions, spend money, and prioritize experiences. This new study has certainly done just that and there is plenty to take away from the research!
All data is correct as of July 2025. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regard to the sources provided.