Iowa is Among the States Where TikTok is Less Popular

Since 2020, namely during the pandemic, TikTok has captivated the internet and become an integral part of the online stratosphere. You can find TikTok videos beyond the social media app, including on Facebook and Twitter/X, just to name a few. But TikTok's ubiquity and popularity isn't shared state-to-state.

In fact, in a new study from QRFY, a QR code generating-website, found that Iowa is one of the states where TikTok is the least popular. The ranking was defined by analyzing nationwide Google search volume behind 28 keywords related to TikTok (IE: "TikTok app," "TikTok dances," "TikTok songs," etc). The goal was to find which states are the most and least obsessed with the app.

Another survey from Surfshark recently found that 77.7% of "Gen Z" kids in the United States feel "addicted" to scrolling on the app. That's not exactly the case for the states we're about to look at. The state found to be the least-interested in TikTok is Wyoming, which had the lowest number of TikTok-related searches at only 2,252 per month (per 100,000 people).

For perspective, that's a whopping 57% less than the most obsessed state, California.

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Montana came in second place as the least TikTok-obsessed state with only 2,439 monthly searches based on the same average of 100,000 people. Coming in at #10 was Iowa with 2,817 monthly searches per 100,000 people.

One thing that must be considered with most of the states included on this list (Montana, Wyoming, Vermont, even Iowa) is that these are, perhaps not coincidentally, states with significantly smaller populations than some of the most obsessed states (California, New York, Nevada).

Here is the top ten states that are the least interested in TikTok, per QRFY:

Going back to California, the state found to be the most obsessed with the app, the state boasts a search volume of 5,202 per 100,000 residents. This isn't necessarily a shock, given the enormous amount of social media influencers, unique storefronts, pop-up shops, and wealth of celebrities that live in California.

Right behind California is Nevada, with an average of 4,983 searches per 100,000 residents. New York rounds out the top three with an average of 4,899 monthly searches per 100,000 residents.

Marc Porcar, the CEO of QRFY, commented on the findings:

This study highlights the nation’s ongoing obsession with TikTok, most notably in California where the influencer market is extremely saturated. The data pinpoints the areas most addicted to TikTok, and while the platform can be an amazing tool for sharing information and content across the globe, it can also tempt users to spend excessive amounts of time scrolling and consuming content that isn’t always beneficial for their mental health – especially if it prevents them from other activities.

Read more about QRFY's findings regarding the United States' ongoing TikTok obsession on The CW33's website. You can also take a look at what is considered to be the most scenic and "Instagrammable" city in all of Iowa here.