Study: Illinois Is Most Astrology-Obsessed State In The Midwest

If you're anything like me, you'll make sure that your friends know that you think astrological signs, the zodiac, and the movement of planets playing some role in our everyday lives is...well...complete and utter BS.

You'll then spend an hour reading a social media thread about how to find the ice cream flavor that matches your sign, followed by scoffing at the idea once again, before seeing today's horoscope says nice things about you, which you'll be forced to agree with.

Sound familiar in any way? Maybe it's just me.

A New Study Looked Into Which Parts Of The Nation Are Most Obsessed With Astrology, And I'll Admit To Being Surprised By Just How Into It Illinoisans Really Are

My surprise might stem from the fact that I don't have any family members or friends who are astrology devotees...that I know of. But seriously, it's been years since I've been around someone who brought the topic up in any way.

The last time it happened, a friend of mine was asked by a woman that he'd met what his sign was. His response? Uterus.

As you may have guessed, their conversation ended right about then. I didn't have my camera out at the time, but this is what happened next:

Out Of All 50 States, Illinois Ranks 15th Overall In Astrological Obsession, But Highest Of All Midwestern States

That's according to a new study from ShaneCo.com, who figured out which states are most obsessed by checking the search numbers.

We began by searching for concepts that align with astrology and reviewed frequently asked questions. We gathered 69 search terms from sources, including Astrology.com, The Astrology Dictionary, and Answer the Public, and used search interest from the past five years to determine which states were seeking signs from the stars the most.

The highest possible score a state can receive is 6,900 points, and the national average, based upon ShaneCo.com's study, is 3,105. It's completely understandable, and in keeping with what you'd expect, to see that California is the most astrology-obsessed state with a score of 5,018. 

South Dakota is the country's least obsessed, with a score of 1,769.

Here's How Illinois, The 15th-Most Astrologically-Obsessed State, Stacks Up With The Rest Of The Midwest (based upon points)

• Illinois: 3,539
• Wisconsin: 2,429
• Iowa: 2,095
• Indiana: 2,909
• Missouri: 2,966
• Michigan: 3,190
• Kentucky: 2,885