Utah is once again near the top of the nation’s holiday spirit rankings, placing second in Innerbody Research’s annual analysis of the most festive states in America during Christmas.
The study, based on Google search trends in November and December, found Utah matched its rank from last year, trailing only West Virginia for the top spot. Researchers said Utahns showed especially strong interest in Christmas movies, gingerbread houses, Christmas lights, white-elephant exchanges, wrapping paper and the classic Dr. Seuss character the Grinch.
Nationwide, West Virginia, Utah and South Dakota topped the “nice list,” while Washington, D.C., New York and Hawaii ranked among the least festive.
Utah also stood out for its enthusiasm for Christmas characters. The report notes that Utah and Oklahoma searched for the Grinch more than any other state, while Pennsylvania and Tennessee showed the strongest interest in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Nationally, Santa hats were the most searched holiday item for the second year in a row. Some longstanding holiday staples—such as decorations, Christmas lights, gift exchanges and presents—ranked among the least-searched topics nationwide, reflecting what researchers say may be a modest shift away from materialism.
Innerbody Research says 91% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate or observe winter holidays this year, down only slightly from 2024. The organization has published its festive-state rankings for four consecutive years.
Utah is one of three Mountain West states ranked highly on the 2025 festive list, joining Idaho in fourth place and Wyoming in eighteenth.
Utah’s total search-interest score was 2,346, well above most states and nearly identical to last year’s results.