America Is Weird, and These Maps Prove It

These weird maps of the U.S. are packed with fascinating facts you never knew about America.

Amazing Maps of the U.S.

Do you know which states in the U.S. prefer cats, and which prefer dogs? Or how about where people order "pop" vs. "soda" vs. "Coke"? What about the only places in the country where you won't find a single resident?

The following eye-opening maps of the U.S. answer these and other burning questions. Read on to learn about American food preferences, sports fandom, natural disasters, UFO sightings and more — and get ready to wow your friends at your next dinner party.

Is Oklahoma in the Midwest?

Ever get confused about which states are considered Midwestern, and which are considered Southern? Then keep this map handy until you memorize it.

As shown here, the U.S. Census Bureau designates not only four regions (the West, Midwest, Northeast and South) but nine additional divisions — New England and Middle Atlantic in the Northeast; East North Central and West North Central in the Midwest; South Atlantic, East South Central and West South Central in the South; and Mountain and Pacific in the West.

No wonder no one can keep it all straight!

*Note: Some of these maps contain slightly outdated numbers. Do some research before sharing this knowledge at your next dinner party!

Where to Park It

The National Park Service was officially established in 1916 to protect, at that time, 35 national parks and monuments (including the very first, Yellowstone, founded in 1872).

Today, the NPS oversees 61 national parks, as well as hundreds more monuments and nationally protected lands. California has the most national parks (9), but Alaska (8) is close behind. Indiana welcomed the newest national park this year, Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan, while Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited.

States without a national park include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Beloved Paws

The American Veterinary Medical Association found that 56 percent of Americans have a pet. But when it comes to dogs versus cats, there is a clear divide: The South loves dogs while the North loves cats.

There are 4 million more cats than dogs as pets in the U.S. Massachusetts has nearly two times more cats than dogs — the top state for cats — while Arkansas is considered the top dog for pups.

When it comes to pets overall, 72 percent of households in Wyoming have pets, making it the most pet-friendly state. Just behind it are West Virginia (71 percent), Nebraska (70 percent), Vermont (70 percent) and Idaho (70 percent).

Sports Fever

Considering how sports-happy the U.S. is, it's surprising to see just how many states have not a single major professional sports team to their name.

California, the most sports-packed state, makes up for the deficit with its incredible 19 teams, mostly concentrated in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, but including teams in San Diego (the MLB's Padres), Anaheim (the NHL's Ducks) and Sacramento (the NBA's Kings) as well.

"Google, Should I..."

Type in "Should I..." in Google, and the search engine will populate a list of searches most popular near you, like a modern-day Eight Ball.

In 2018, Google Trends and AT&T assessed this data to reveal which search terms were most used in each state. From "Should I Vote" in seven states to "Should I Text Him" in three states, some queries are popular in multiple places. Others, like "Should I Take Vitamins" in Alabama and "Should I Cut My Hair" in North Carolina, are most popular in one place only. (Alabamans, yes you should!)

Ice-Cream Flavor Preferences

When chocolate and vanilla are excluded from consideration, the most popular ice-cream flavor in the U.S. is, believe it or not, coffee. According to a review of sales by Frozen Desert Supplies, it's the most beloved flavor in 17 states. Cookies n' cream is a close second, earning raves in 15 states.

While flavor preferences vary, Americans are in wide agreement that ice cream is awesome — 90 percent of people in the U.S. like to eat ice cream and frozen treats.

Smiley Face, Heart, Thumbs Up

When Japanese artist Shiegtaka Kurita developed the first emojicon in 1999, he could hardly have known that soon the entire world would be speaking in emojis. His 176 original emojis are even a part of the Museum of Modern Art in New York's collection, and Oxford Dictionaries named "emoji" the Word of the Year in 2015.

Today, there are 1.3 billion emojis in use, with each state having its particular favorites. The most popular overall is the turtle emoji, which is the favorite in Utah, New Mexico and Massachusetts.

Interestingly, men and women don't use the same emojis. Obviously, men and women use male and female emojis, but men most frequently use flowers, a strong arm, a money bag, a couple kissing, fire, hearts, eyes and a crown, while women are most fond of purple and red hearts, heart and star eyes, a blushing smile and the speak-no-evil monkey.

Where the Bucks Are

Of the 3,144 counties across the country, Loudon County, Virginia, had the highest median household income in 2016: $134,464.

Virginia counties took three of the top five spots, in fact. Of the top 25, the only counties west of the Mississippi were Douglas County, Colorado; Santa Clara County and Marin County, California; and Fort Bend County, Texas.

The average median income in the U.S. that year was $59,039 — barely a raise from $58,149 in 2007 and $58,665 in 1999 (in today's dollars).

No Sir, I Do Not Like Green Eggs or Ham

In 2017, dating app Hater's 750,000 users were matched based on shared things they hated. And one of those "things" was food.

There's plenty of American fare that deserves widespread disdain, like spray cheese, gas station wine, Flaming Hot Cheetos and well-done steaks (just why?). But there are also plenty of good things that, for whatever reason, just aren't universally loved. Montana doesn't like gluten-free foods, Idaho doesn't want dim sum, Florida doesn't like licorice and Kentucky hates on hummus, for example.

More Hate to Go Around

Hater didn't just stop at food, assessing all sorts of things people hate in states across the U.S. And for the most part, their findings make a lot of sense.

Washington, the birthplace of Starbucks, has no love for Keurig K-Cups. People in Massachusetts hate Eli Manning, which checks out considering the New England Patriots and Tom Brady play in the state. And Mormon-heavy Utah just says no to porn.

As for why Nevada hates feminism, Colorado disses NSYNC (blasphemy!) and people in Louisiana don't want to be the designated driver? That we can't explain.

Football Rules!

Is your highest-paid state employee the teacher who spends every day of the school year with your children? Nah. It's most often the football coach.

Football coaches at public universities make, on average, more than $1 million per year.

Only 11 states have non-jock employees earning the most coin. Top-paid employees include university presidents, deans and superintendents, with salaries ranging from $231,210 to $876,442.

It's Walmart's World, We Just Live in It

In 2017, Walmart employed 1.5 million people in the United States, and was the largest private employer in 22 states.

The company founded by Sam Walton in Arkansas leads U.S. retailer sales, with net sales in the country totaling nearly $332 billion across 4,769 stores.

Health-care companies and universities round out the mix of top employers in the U.S.

Behind Bars

The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, locking up 698 people per 100,000 residents. Most prisoners are in the South, with Louisiana imprisoning more people per capita than any other — more than 1,400 people per 100,000 residents.

In 2016, the Prison Policy Initiative estimated 0.7 percent of Americans were incarcerated, or nearly 2.3 million people. The majority of prisoners are held in state prisons, with the rest in local jails, federal prisons and jails, immigration detention centers, juvenile correction facilities and involuntary commitments.

Of those in jail, 63,000 are youth.

Hey, You Guys!

How exactly did "y'all" become a beloved Southern staple?

Some posit that it evolved from "ye aw," brought to the South by Scots-Irish immigrants. (Other Southern touchstones that trace their roots back to Scots-Irish immigrants include bluegrass music and clogging.)

Others believe "y'all" has its roots in African-American vernaculars or an African-English creole. Or maybe it comes from both the Scots-Irish and African-Americans.

As for the thoroughly charming "Youse Guys," used predominately in the Northeast? It originated in Ireland, among those switching from Gaelic to English.

Who's There?

Mapmaker Nik Freeman took the 2010 U.S. Census and created a map of all the blocks that have zero population (shown here in green).

Much of the land highlighted in green is owned by the federal government, which accounts for the emptiness. The National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service oversee 95 percent of the federally owned land.

In Alaska, 223.8 million acres belong to the Feds, a share of 61.2 percent. But while it has the largest chunk of federal land in terms of sheer size, it's Nevada that has the highest percentage of federally owned land — nearly 85 percent!

Sunny Side up in the South

Which city has the most Waffle Houses? In 2012, that honor went to Atlanta. Considering the chain began in Georgia in 1955, this only makes sense!

Many of the country's 2,100 Waffle Houses across 25 states are found in the South — 66 percent of them, to be exact. This means Southerners get served more waffles in the middle of the night than their Northern counterparts.

Lucky them.

Who's Who?

When Barstool Sports analyzed multiple search engines and social media sites to determine the most popular celebrity in every U.S. state, it turned up a wild mix of athletes, actors, singers, historical figures, politicians, YouTubers and Instagram models.

The state with the weirdest celebrity fascination? Texas, where there's a dead-heat tie between...Ted Cruz and Beyonce?!

Not Just in Kansas

Fifty-six years of data give us a look at where tornados strike the most, and they are definitely not limited exclusively to Tornado Alley in the central U.S.

The brighter the lines, the stronger the tornados, with the Western states receiving the fewest tornados. (Makes sense since tornadoes need humidity.)

In 1971, the Fujita scale began categorizing tornadoes by the damage they did, from an F0 (light damage and winds under 73 miles per hour) to F5 (incredible damage with winds between 261 and 318 miles per hour). By 2007, an enhanced version extended damage to 28 different indicators.

What a Way to Go

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a graph of the most distinctive causes of death for each state between 2001 and 2010.

We were surprised to learn that, according to the findings, there were 22 deaths from syphilis in Louisiana and 679 deaths from tuberculosis in Texas, and that the flu was a killer in four states.

The Glass Ceiling

In 2014, when this map was made, only 24 Fortune 500 companies had a woman CEO. (Of the Fortune 1000 companies, just 27 were run by women.)

The good news? Numbers went up in 2019. There are now 33 women CEOs in the Fortune 500. The bad news? This is still a startlingly low number, accounting for just 6.6 percent of CEOs running America's most successful companies.

Most Dangerous States for Driving

According to research conducted by Safewise in 2017, the safest states for drivers are Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and Washington.

As for the most dangerous? That "honor" belongs to Wyoming, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico and North Dakota.

Most deaths are attributed to speed, and four of these states have average highway speed limits above 68 miles per hour. Moreover, all five of the most dangerous states are the worst in terms of drunk-driving fatalities. Wyoming, the most deadly on this front, recorded 12.21 DUI occurrences per 1,000 people.

States That Sit on Their Butts

Americans are known to enjoy their quality couch-potato time, spending their hours streaming television shows, playing video games and just-plain sitting around.

Need proof? Estately analyzed the number of hours per day spent watching TV, plus the number of Laz-E-Boy retailers, fast-food restaurants per capita, obesity rates and a host of additional factors, to determine the states that could stand to encourage a bit more time walking outdoors and a bit less time relaxing.

The top five most couch-potato-y states? Ohio, Alabama, West Virginia, Arkansas and Louisiana.

Where's Our Water?

There are more than 88,000 dams in the United States, collecting water from nearly 17 percent of America's rivers. The majority of dams were built between 1921 and 1990.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) finds that of the state-regulated dams, nearly 30,000 have high or significant hazard potential. Half of the dams in North Carolina are considered high-hazard and are of the greatest concern.

Sprichst du Deutsch?

Among Americans with European ancestry, most claim to be German. (This map's findings are based on self-reporting.)

German immigrants first began arriving in the New World in the 1680s (my family included!). From Quakers to Mennonites to Amish, German communities originally settled mainly in Pennsylvania, with the first U.S. Census in 1790 showing a third of the state was German.

Another wave of German immigrants came in the early 1800s, many escaping the conquests of Napoleon. By 1854, American immigration ports accepted more than 220,000 people from Germany, and once again following World War II, 786,000 Germans came to America for a better life.

By 2013, 49 million people in the United States listed German ancestry.

"Santa? I Know Him!"

Of the most-beloved holiday films, per Google Search, many are also the highest-grossing:

"Home Alone" – This 1990 film boasts the most box-office revenue of any Christmas film ever made, having earned $285.76 million. "Home Alone 2" netted another $173.59 million.
"The Grinch" – The 2018 version earned $189.67 million; the 2000 release earned $260.04 million.
"Elf" – The comedy classic raked in $173.40 million when released in 2003.
"The Santa Clause" – The original of the trio of hits earned $144.83 million. "The Santa Clause 2" took in $139.24 million and the third film earned $84.5 million.
"Bad Santa" — One of the top 25 highest-grossing Christmas movies, it earned $60.06 million.

*All numbers as of December 2018

The Salty Snack You Grab

Lay's may sell more than 160 varieties of potato chips, but its classic version is the most popular around the country. The company sells nearly 4 billion ounces of potato chips every year!

Lay's is owned by Frito-Lay, which also owns Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos, making it one of the most popular snack-producing companies in the United States. Forbes even ranks Frito-Lay as the 40th Most Valuable Brand in the World.

Halloween Movie Costumes Loved by Kids in Your State

When it comes to finding the perfect Halloween flick for the whole family, forget Jason or Freddie. Analysis conducted by Frontier revealed that the most popular, family-friendly Halloween flicks are light on gore and jump scares. Faves include "ET," "Frankenweenie," "Coco" and "Beetlejuice."

The top movie on the list? "Ghostbusters," which is the most beloved in 11 states. Bonus: This movie provides great inspiration for Halloween costumes for the little ones.

Hablas Español?

A U.S. Census survey conducted between 2012 and 2016 revealed that 21.3 percent of people over the age of 5 speak a language other than English at home — and 13.2 percent speak Spanish at home.

The state with the highest proportion of people who speak languages other than English at home, including Spanish, is Hawaii.

Data like this helps the U.S. determine English-speaking abilities for schools and to ensure equal opportunities. Many studies show that children who are bilingual have a leg up over monolingual kids.

Take Me to Your Leader

When this map was created in 2015, it displayed more than 90,000 places dating back to 1905 where UFO sightings were recorded, according to the National UFO Reporting Center. Since then, that number has gone up greatly; the organization recorded 454 new reports between Sept. 19 and Oct. 4 of this year alone!

The states with the most sightings per capita are Washington, Montana, Vermont, Alaska and Maine, according to the 2019 National UFO Reporting Center stats.

Are You My Pal, Dude?

"Pal" comes from a Romani word meaning "brother" or "comrade," and was first used back in the 1700s. "Dude," meanwhile, has a more surprising history.

Though it's most associated with surfer culture today, "dude" was actually first used to describe a Victorian man who was meticulous about his grooming, clothing and manners (it was an offspring of "dandy"). Over the years, the word became slang for a friend. Today, it's not even typically gender-specific.

Besides dude and pal, "buddy" and "bro" are pretty popular, as well. Buddy is mostly used in the Midwest, while bro is common in Texas and surrounding states.

Amber Alert

It's a tragic reality that children go missing in the United States. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has a map that shows the active FBI cases of missing children (red) along with the number of unidentified bodies of children found since 1933 (blue).

The non-profit organization works to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation and prevent child victimization. The website shows active AMBER Alerts as well (there were two as of press time).

AMBER Alerts are named for a 9-year-old girl who went missing in 1996; her body was found two days later. The emergency-response system broadcasts an abducted child alert in the hopes of preventing cases like Amber's.

Grand Theft Auto

According to FBI reports, the cities with the most cars stolen in 2016 were:

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California — 47,511 thefts
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California — 23,267 thefts
Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, California — 20,556 thefts
Seattle, Washington — 15,537 thefts
Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas — 13,992 thefts

That same year, the National Insurance Crime Bureau's annual "Hot Wheels" report found the most stolen cars to be:

Honda Accord (1997) — 50,427 thefts
Honda Civic (1998) — 49,547 thefts
Ford Pickup (2006) — 32,721 thefts
Chevrolet Pickup (2004) — 31,238 thefts
Toyota Camry (2016) — 16,732 thefts

Hey Good Lookin', Whatcha Got Cookin'

The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association reports that seven in 10 adults in the U.S. own a grill or a smoker, and use them all year long. Independence Day is the biggest grilling day of the year, with 73 percent of survey respondents cooking on that day. Other big grilling days include Memorial Day (60 percent) and Labor Day (58 percent).

As for what's being grilled, well, that varies by state. When YouTube released data about how U.S. users engage with grilling-related content on its platform, it revealed that shrimp is disproportionately popular along parts of the coasts, steak is beloved in the Northwest, hot dogs are big in the South and ribs dominate in the Midwest.

How Much Are You Worth?

When the Fair Labor Standards Act was established in 1938, it set a 44-hour workweek, banned child labor and set the minimum wage at 25 cents per hour. As of 2019, the federal minimum wage is $7.25, which it has been for 10 years.

Some states, however, have their own laws governing minimum wage, ensuring higher earnings for their residents. Washington, California and Massachusetts are most generous to their employees.

It's Gonna Cost Ya

When reviewing the tuition and fees at more than 3,100 colleges and universities, How Much discovered 18 schools that cost more than $60,000 per year.

The states with the greatest number of expensive schools are New York, California, Illinois, New Hampshire and Vermont. Those with the least expensive schools are Georgia, New Mexico, Montana, Michigan and South Dakota.

As of 2019, the most expensive college is California's Harvey Mudd, which costs a staggering $79,539 per year.

Beachin' It

Of course the states with the longest coastlines have the most beaches, but do you actually want to go to one of the beaches along Alaska's 6,640 miles of coastline bordering the Arctic and Pacific?

For a better beach environment, head to Florida, which touts 1,350 miles of coastline and 81 official beaches; California, with 1,350 miles and 48 official beaches; and Hawaii, where 750 miles and 15 official beaches beckon. (Fun fact: New Jersey has just 130 miles of coastline, but 50 official beaches.)

Impacts of the Great Migration

Between 1916 and 1970, 6 million African-Americans made their way out of the South to escape racism and racial segregation, and to find better economic conditions.

The exodus known as the Great Migration dramatically shifted the country's regional demographics. In 1900, 90 percent of African-Americans lived in the South; during the migration, that share dropped to 50 percent.

Since then, according to "The Atlantic," black people have started returning to the South, and they today make up 57 percent of the Southern population.

Filled with Cheer

During the holiday season, Americans add so many lights to their properties that our biggest cities get 50 percent brighter!

Putting up Christmas lights outside began in Germany in the 17th century — also the birthplace of the traditionally decorated Christmas tree. Before electricity, candles were attached to tree branches and used in windows.

In 1880, Thomas Edison was the first person to use lights to decorate for Christmas, with his assistant creating the first string of lights made of tiny bulbs. By 1890, stringing lights was officially a thing in the United States.

Twinkle, Twinkle

When the holiday lights are taken down, you'll still find the country alit, thanks to light pollution — man-made lights that brighten the night sky and prevent us from seeing stars. A 2016 study found that 80 percent of the world lives with light pollution, including 99 percent of U.S. citizens.

As seen on this map, you'll have an especially tough time seeing the stars in the eastern half of the United States and along the West Coast.

Want to seek out places where you can still enjoy true darkness? The International Dark Sky Places conservation program has designated more than 120 places as Dark Sky communities, parks, reserves, sanctuaries, places and "Developments of Distinction," which you can find on its interactive finder.

Wanna Go for a Ride?

One man loves amusement parks so much, he created a map of all the parks that have at least one roller coaster — but he didn't get them all. There are even more than shown here!

In the United States, 675 businesses were classified as amusement parks in 2019, bringing in more than $20 billion in revenue. Those with the biggest share include Walt Disney, NBCUniversal Media, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, SeaWorld Entertainment and Cedar Fair.

As for roller coasters? There are upwards of 600 found in the U.S.

Native Languages in the U.S.

Before Europeans arrived in North America, the indigenous people had their own languages. The Indigenous Language Institute found more than 300 indigenous languages, with 175 still spoken in the United States today.

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the Native American language most used in the U.S. was Navajo, with most of its speakers found in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The survey revealed that 7,600 people spoke Navajo exclusively, while nearly 170,000 spoke it in some capacity.

Sadly, the Institute estimates that by 2050, only 20 of the original indigenous languages will still be spoken.

What Do You Call It?

I was born in Illinois and began asking for "pop" as a young kid. But then I moved to Florida before high school and quickly learned to ask for a Coke — and specifically what kind of Coke, like Sprite. College in Boston introduced me to the term soda, and sure enough my time in Atlanta reverted me right back to Coke. Now I'm back in the land of soda, and believe me, I'm just as confused as you are!

When carbonated beverages were first introduced in 1809, they were called soda water due to the sodium salts they relied on for carbonation. This sodium bicarbonate was used to aid upset stomachs.

In 1886, a Georgia pharmacist created Coca-Cola, a medicinal beverage that became a popular drink. It was likely called "pop" because of the sound the bottle makes when opened.

Meanwhile, as Coke swept across the South, people began referring to all soda as Coke.

Ashes to Ashes

More than half the country chooses to be cremated, 13 percent more than opt to be buried. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, cremation has outpaced burials for three consecutive years, and is continuing to grow in popularity.

In fact, by 2030, the association predicts 12 states will have cremation rates higher than 80 percent: Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

However, just because cremation is on the rise doesn't mean that cemeteries are losing business. More than 37 percent of cremated remains are buried at cemeteries.

But What About Black?

When Jacob W. Davis and Levi Strauss first debuted denim jeans in 1873, they were meant to be tough and long-lasting work pants. Today, jean pants — which are made not only by Levi Strauss, but by scores of other designers — are no longer just worn as work pants; they are worn to offices on casual Fridays, date nights and everywhere in between.

Americans are renowned for loving jeans, a fact solidified by the 450 million pairs sold every year. And over time, different states have acquired their own color preferences.

Who "Discovered" America?

As elementary school kids are taught, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." On his exploratory sail sponsored by Spain, Columbus is often credited with "discovering" of America.

But not everyone buys that version. After all, when Columbus and many others sailed to America, there were already millions of indigenous people living in the "New World." Moreover, Columbus engaged in brutal acts of violence against the native people he erroneously called "Indians," took them for slaves and introduced devastating diseases to their communities.

It's no surprise, then, that many states aren't keen on observing a day in his honor. Many have outright stopped observing Columbus Day, while a few — New Mexico, South Dakota and Maine — have used it as an opportunity to celebrate the country's indigenous peoples instead.

Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On

Could an earthquake hit your neck of the woods? The U.S. Geological Survey's National Seismic Hazard Map shows the states and areas that have experienced an earthquake and have a 1-in-50 chance of experiencing an even greater one by 2064. (The scale goes from white, meaning no risk, to red, indicating highest risk.)

The deadliest earthquake to hit the United States was in San Francisco in 1906. The 7.9 quake killed more than 3,000 people and created fires that nearly destroyed the city.

The largest earthquake ever recorded in the U.S. was a 9.2 quake in Alaska in 1964.

Well, Color Me Pink

Not every state is lucky enough to have an official state color, but those that do typically have two. Texas, Idaho, Louisiana, Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have three, and Maryland has four, drawn from the coat of arms of the Calvert and Crossland families. The Calverts founded the Maryland Colony, while the Crosslands were Lord Baltimore's paternal side.

Hawaii doesn't have a state color, but each of its eight islands has its own color.

The Times, They Are a Changin'

If you haven't been paying attention to the news, the United States is beginning to legalize marijuana at a rapid pace. As of June 25, 2019, 11 states — Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington — had adopted laws to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Many others allow for limited use of medical marijuana under certain circumstances.

Marijuana was originally made illegal in 1937, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an act to prohibit the substance. The Supreme Court overturned the law in 1970, but this was repealed by Congress, which also passed the Controlled Substances Act to further keep marijuana illegal. While states have their own legislation, it is still federally illegal today.

These States Could Take 'Em!

The United Kingdom is 93,628 square miles in size. Alaska, by comparison, is seven times as large!

Comprised of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, all four countries could fit into Texas almost three times and California nearly twice.

All of the United States is nearly 3.8 million square miles, which makes our nation 40 times as large as the UK. In fact, there are 11 states that are larger than the four countries combined, as shown here.

Shopping Heaven

There are just five states that do not have a sales tax, which means consumers do not pay fees for goods and services in New Hampshire, Delaware, Alaska, Montana and Oregon. (Alaska does allow localities to charge sales tax, but the average is a very low 1.43 percent.)

As of 2019, the states with the highest sales tax are Tennessee (9.47 percent), Louisiana (9.45 percent), Arkansas (9.43 percent), Washington (9.17 percent) and Alabama (9.14 percent).

States with the lowest sales tax are Hawaii (4.41 percent), Wyoming (5.36 percent), Wisconsin (5.44 percent) and Maine (5.50 percent).