Why California Is America’s Most Lovestruck State This Valentine’s Day
Romance rarely announces itself loudly. It settles in through lingering glances, unhurried plans, and the quiet desire to feel close to someone else.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, that tenderness becomes more visible, shaping how people think about connection and how much they value it.
Love seems to linger longer in California, where romance feels woven into daily life rather than saved for special occasions.
A recent study of romantic behavior revealed a strong collective pull toward affection and emotional closeness. The finding speaks less about trends and more about temperament.
There is a willingness here to lean into feeling, to acknowledge longing, and to let romance exist without irony. That openness gives love room to breathe.
Relationships are nurtured through intention, curiosity, and presence rather than performance.
The atmosphere encourages people to slow down and notice one another, to make space for intimacy without needing a reason.
Valentine’s Day may heighten the glow, but the warmth is already there, steady and unmistakable. Romance here does not rush or demand attention. It stays, quietly confident, and deeply felt.
1. California Crowned The Most Lovestruck State In America
California residents topped the nation in searches for romantic media, earning the state a romantic media score of 92.4 according to a study conducted by Muse.
This impressive figure reflects the collective searching habits of millions of Californians who actively seek out content centered on love and relationships.
The study examined data from January through December 2025, providing a full year’s worth of insights into how people engage with romantic themes.
Approximately 9,430 romance-related searches per 100,000 residents occurred each month across California during the study period.
That level of engagement significantly outpaced other states and demonstrated a consistent interest in romantic content throughout the year, not just around Valentine’s Day.
The searches spanned multiple categories of media, showing that Californians appreciate romance in various formats.
This recognition comes at a time when digital behavior offers valuable insights into cultural trends and personal interests. The way people search for entertainment reveals what matters to them in their daily lives.
California’s top ranking suggests that residents value emotional connection and romantic storytelling in their media consumption habits more than people in other states do.
2. Valentine’s Day Is Approaching And Love Is In The Air
February brings one of the most celebrated romantic occasions of the year, and California is preparing for Valentine’s Day 2026 with characteristic enthusiasm.
Stores across the state have already begun stocking their shelves with cards, chocolates, flowers, and gifts designed to help people express their feelings.
The holiday creates a noticeable shift in atmosphere as restaurants prepare special menus and entertainment venues plan romantic events.
The timing of this study’s release adds extra meaning to California’s top ranking as the most lovestruck state.
Valentine’s Day serves as a cultural touchstone for romantic expression, and knowing that California leads the nation in romantic media searches makes the holiday feel even more significant for state residents.
Many people use this time to reflect on their relationships and find new ways to celebrate love.
Beyond commercial aspects, Valentine’s Day encourages people to think about the connections that matter most in their lives.
Whether through romantic partnerships, friendships, or family bonds, the holiday creates opportunities for meaningful gestures.
California’s high engagement with romantic content throughout the previous year suggests that residents approach this day with genuine interest rather than obligation.
3. Why California Took The Title
Several factors contribute to California’s position as the most lovestruck state in America.
The state’s large and diverse population creates a significant volume of search activity, but population size alone doesn’t explain the high per-capita engagement rates.
California’s cultural landscape includes a strong entertainment industry presence, which may influence how residents consume and value romantic media content.
The climate and lifestyle in much of California support year-round outdoor activities and social gatherings that foster romantic connections.
Beach sunsets, mountain getaways, and urban cultural scenes provide countless settings for romantic experiences.
This environment may naturally lead residents to seek out romantic stories that mirror the possibilities they see around them in daily life.
California’s demographic diversity also plays a role in the variety of romantic content that resonates with residents.
Different communities within the state bring varied cultural perspectives on love and relationships, creating demand for romantic media that represents multiple experiences and storytelling traditions.
The entertainment industry centered in Los Angeles produces much of the romantic content consumed nationwide, giving Californians early access and heightened awareness of new releases.
4. Study Method: How The Data Was Analyzed
The Muse study relied on Google search data collected throughout 2025 to determine which states showed the highest engagement with romantic content.
Researchers tracked searches across four distinct categories of romantic media, creating a comprehensive picture of how people seek out love-themed entertainment.
The methodology focused on search volume per capita rather than raw numbers, ensuring that larger states didn’t automatically dominate the rankings simply because of population size.
By examining an entire year of data rather than just the weeks surrounding Valentine’s Day, the study captured sustained interest in romantic content.
This approach revealed patterns in how different states engage with romantic themes throughout all seasons and occasions.
The per-100,000-residents metric allowed for fair comparison across states with vastly different population sizes, from small states to California with its nearly 40 million residents.
Google search data provides a relatively unfiltered look at what people actually want to find and consume online.
Unlike survey responses that might be influenced by social desirability, search behavior reflects genuine interests and curiosities.
The study’s focus on multiple media categories prevented any single type of content from skewing results and provided a more balanced view of romantic engagement.
5. Romantic Media Categories Tracked
The study examined four specific categories of romantic media: love songs, romantic movies, romantic TV series, and romance books.
Each category represents a different way people engage with romantic storytelling and emotional content.
Love songs capture quick moments of romantic feeling through music, while movies offer complete narrative arcs in a single sitting.
Romantic TV series provide extended storytelling that allows viewers to develop deeper connections with characters and relationships over time.
Romance books offer the most immersive experience, requiring readers to actively imagine scenes and emotions as they progress through written narratives.
Together, these four categories cover the major formats through which people consume romantic content in modern media.
The decision to track these specific categories reflects how people actually engage with romantic themes in their entertainment choices.
Music streaming services, video platforms, and online bookstores all report strong demand for romantic content across these formats.
By measuring searches across all four categories, the study captured different aspects of romantic engagement rather than relying on a single metric that might favor certain demographic groups or consumption habits over others.
6. California’s Dominance In Romantic Movies Searches
Romantic movies represent one of the most popular categories tracked in the study, and California showed particularly strong engagement in this area.
The state’s connection to the film industry through Hollywood may contribute to residents’ heightened interest in cinematic romance.
People who live near where movies are made often develop a deeper appreciation for the medium and follow new releases more closely than residents of other states.
Searches for romantic movies span classic films from previous decades as well as new releases hitting theaters and streaming platforms.
Some people search for specific titles they’ve heard about through recommendations, while others look for curated lists of the best romantic movies to watch.
The variety of search behaviors within this category demonstrates that Californians engage with romantic cinema in multiple ways.
Streaming platforms have made romantic movies more accessible than ever, allowing people to watch whenever the mood strikes rather than waiting for a theatrical release or television broadcast.
This convenience may contribute to increased search activity as people look for their next romantic film to watch.
California’s strong showing in this category suggests that residents regularly turn to romantic movies for entertainment and emotional engagement throughout the year.
7. Top Romance Book Searches In The Golden State
Romance novels represent a massive segment of the publishing industry, and California readers contribute significantly to this market based on their search behavior.
Book searches reveal what stories people want to read and which authors capture their attention.
The romance genre includes numerous subgenres, from contemporary romance to historical settings, paranormal elements, and everything in between.
Online bookstores and digital reading platforms have transformed how people discover and purchase romance novels.
Readers can browse thousands of titles, read samples, and purchase books instantly without visiting a physical store.
This accessibility may encourage more frequent searches as readers look for their next compelling love story to experience.
California’s diverse population supports interest in romance books that represent varied experiences and cultural backgrounds.
Authors who write inclusive romance that reflects different communities find engaged audiences in the state.
The search data suggests that California readers actively seek out romance novels rather than passively stumbling upon them, indicating genuine enthusiasm for the genre and its ability to provide both entertainment and emotional satisfaction through written storytelling.
8. TV Series And Love Song Searches In California
Romantic TV series and love songs round out the four categories tracked in the study, and California showed strong engagement in both areas.
Television series offer extended romantic storytelling that unfolds over multiple episodes and seasons, allowing viewers to become deeply invested in character relationships.
Streaming platforms have created a golden age for romantic series, with new shows launching regularly across various services.
Love songs provide a different kind of romantic engagement, offering emotional connection through music and lyrics.
People search for love songs for various reasons: to create playlists for special occasions, to find music that expresses feelings they struggle to articulate themselves, or simply to enjoy the emotional experience music provides.
The searches reveal both classic love songs that have endured for decades and new releases from contemporary artists.
California’s music industry presence, particularly in Los Angeles, may influence residents’ engagement with love songs similar to how Hollywood affects movie searches.
The state produces much of the popular music consumed nationwide, potentially creating heightened awareness among residents.
Combined with searches for romantic TV series, these categories demonstrate that Californians engage with romantic content across multiple media formats throughout their daily lives.
9. How California Stacks Up Against Other States
California’s romantic media score of 92.4 placed it at the top of the rankings, but other states also showed significant engagement with romantic content.
The scoring system allowed researchers to compare states on a level playing field despite vast differences in population size.
States with smaller populations could still achieve high scores if their per-capita search rates were strong enough.
The gap between California and other top-ranking states reveals meaningful differences in how residents engage with romantic media.
Some states showed strength in particular categories while performing moderately in others, but California demonstrated consistent high engagement across all four tracked categories.
This balanced performance across romantic movies, TV series, books, and songs contributed to the state’s top overall ranking.
Regional patterns emerged in the data, with certain parts of the country showing higher romantic media engagement than others.
Coastal states generally performed well, possibly due to urban population centers with high internet usage and media consumption rates.
The study’s findings offer insights into cultural differences across America and how romantic content resonates differently depending on location, demographics, and local culture.
10. Top 5 Most Lovestruck States In the Country
While California claimed the top spot as the most lovestruck state, four other states rounded out the top five in the rankings.
These states demonstrated strong engagement with romantic media across the tracked categories, though none quite matched California’s comprehensive performance.
The top five represent different regions of the country, showing that romantic media engagement isn’t limited to any single geographic area.
Each state in the top five brought different strengths to their overall scores.
Some excelled particularly in music searches, while others showed exceptional interest in romantic books or movies.
The variety in how these states achieved their high rankings demonstrates that people engage with romantic content in different ways depending on local culture and preferences.
The recognition of these top five states highlights communities across America where romantic media clearly resonates with residents.
These aren’t just places where people happen to live; they’re communities where residents actively seek out content that explores love, relationships, and emotional connections.
The study’s findings celebrate this engagement and recognize that interest in romantic storytelling remains strong across diverse American communities in the digital age.
