NEW YORK (NEWS10) — Turns out a majority of New Yorkers prefer showing affection to a pet compared to other humans. According to a Preply report from December 2022, New Yorkers rank among the least affectionate states but are among the top for showing affection to their pets.
For their report, Preply surveyed over 2,300 people across the country to see how every state expresses and receives affection. Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming were excluded due to a lack of statistically significant response volume. Their report led to some interesting findings.
According to the report, a majority of people in the U.S. are generally affectionate, with 2 in 3 people (66%) on average sharing fond words daily. 45% of people say they show their affection by making phone calls, 35% say they send cards or letters, and 20% say they show their affection by texting.
The report lists the following states as the top 10 most affectionate:
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Kentucky
- Indiana
- West Virginia
- Nebraska
- Pennsylvania
- Oklahoma
- Colorado
- North Carolina
The same cannot be said for New York, however, as the states that rank among the least affectionate are the following:
- Illinois (least affectionate)
- Massachusetts
- Oregon
- Hawaii
- New Hampshire
- Florida
- Ohio
- Maine
- New York
- Maryland
Despite New York’s low rank for human affection, the state ranks within the top 10 in showing affection to pets, sitting at number eight. New Hampshire, Arizona, Utah, and Texas also rank toward the top when it comes to showing affection to pets.
Other report findings
- 95% of Americans share affection partners, 64% with pets, 46% with mothers, 35% with friends, and 27% with siblings.
- Fathers are five times less likely to say “I love you” than mothers.
- Maryland as a state shows the least affection towards pets.
- More than two in five people sometimes say “I love you” without actually meaning it.
- 55% of people sometimes find it hard to express affection through words.
- People are more affectionate to their pets than everyone except their partners.
