With the 87th Oscars just around the corner, one thing is certain: Americans are on the verge of yet another heated debate about Best Picture snubs and the night's most eye-catching fashion. But does where you live affect what movies you like?
Take a look at the following maps to see where certain types of movies are most popular. You can also see where people watch movies online, and where they still go to theaters to see them in-person.
Action movies tend to be Hollywood blockbusters, but they don't enjoy the wide support you'd expect. Like most of the following genres, they do well in urban areas. But people in the middle of the US are less likely to catch them in theaters than their urban counterparts.
Click any county to see see how likely someone in that is to watch an action movie in a movie theater.
Lowest Potential: Greensville County, Virginia (43)
* These numbers represent a market potential index, where 100 equals the national average. Anything above 100 signifies greater than average potential, and anything under 100 is below average potential. A figure of 110 means that an area is 10% more likely than the national average for the given measure.
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Comedies
The popularity of comedies tracks pretty closely with that of action movies, although comedies do enjoy a broader base of support than their explosive-laden counterparts. Many Northeastern states show at least an average support of comedies, through Utah also shows pretty solid support for comedies throughout the state. States like Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, though, don't appear to favor the funny quite as much.
Highest Potential: Arlington County, Virginia (122)
Lowest Potential: Harding County, New Mexico, and Wheeler County, Oregon (49)
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Dramas
The Northeast sure loves its drama, though California also seems to have an appetite for more serious films. On the flip side, movie studios would do well to avoid marketing their more dramatic peices in states like Kentcuky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, where only isolated pockets of support and interest exist.
Highest Potential: Teton County, Wyoming (130)
Lowest Potential: Mitchell County, Texas (45)
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Family Movies
Of all the genres, family movies enjoy the widest support. And that shouldn't be a surprise, since kids can have considerable sway over their families' purchases, no matter where they live. Northwestern Colorado and Minneapolis-St. Paul both show heavy pockets of support for such movies, as does the entirety of Southern California. The more sparsely populated parts of the country seem to be the areas where support is the lowest.
Highest Potential: Wade Hampton, Arkansas (127)
Lowest Potential: Greensville County, Virginia (54)
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Horror Movies
While most other genres seem to follow a somewhat similar pattern, horror movies completely break the mold. For whatever reason, people along the banks of the Mississippi River appear to absolutely love a good scare. The Northeast, which shows consistent support for most other types of movies, doesn't care much for horror movies. And the South in general shows more consistent support for horror movies than just about any other genre.
Highest Potential: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (145)
Lowest Potential: Banner County, Nebraska; Grant County, Nebraska; Loup County, Nebrasksa; and King County, Texas (45)
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Romance Movies
The Midwest seems to have a soft spot for the mushy stuff, with better support for romantic movies than almost any other genre. Urban areas tend to do well again, though there are interesting pockets of support that do not track with other grenres. Massachusetts may well be the most romantic state in the union, with nearly every county reporting average to well above average market potential.
Highest Potential: Arlington County, Virginia (133)
Lowest Potential: Mineral County, Colorado, and Hamilton County, New York (50)
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Watching Movies Online
While streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video have taken off, the vast majority of people still prefer to watch movies the old-fashioned way: in theaters or on physical discs. The popularity of online movies appears to correlate with areas that are typically designated as tech hubs, though a few isolated pockets stand out (such as parts of Colorado and northern Arizona). Even major urban areas don't show the sort of market potential here that one might assume.
Highest Potential: Radford, Virginia (257)
Lowest Potential: Greensville County, Virgnia (34)
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Watching Movies in a Theater Once or More a Week
Avid movie-goers exist throughout the country, though they're most prevalent throughout the South. Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina all report very high movie-going rates, despite not rating particularly high on most measures for genres.
Highest Potential: Quitman County, Georgia; Taliaferro County, Georgia; Owsley County, Kentucky; Issaquena County, Mississippi; and Wilkinson County, Mississippi (185)
Lowest Potential: Kalawao County, Hawaii (50)
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Where Do Americans Watch Movies?
With the 87th Oscars just around the corner, one thing is certain: Americans are on the verge of yet another heated debate about Best Picture snubs and the night's most eye-catching fashion. But does where you live affect what movies you like?
Take a look at the following maps to see where certain types of movies are most popular. You can also see where people watch movies online, and where they still go to theaters to see them in-person.
Action movies tend to be Hollywood blockbusters, but they don't enjoy the wide support you'd expect. Like most of the following genres, they do well in urban areas. But people in the middle of the US are less likely to catch them in theaters than their urban counterparts.
Click any county to see see how likely someone in that is to watch an action movie in a movie theater.
Lowest Potential: Greensville County, Virginia (43)
* These numbers represent a market potential index, where 100 equals the national average. Anything above 100 signifies greater than average potential, and anything under 100 is below average potential. A figure of 110 means that an area is 10% more likely than the national average for the given measure.
Facebook Twitter Share
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Comedies
The popularity of comedies tracks pretty closely with that of action movies, although comedies do enjoy a broader base of support than their explosive-laden counterparts. Many Northeastern states show at least an average support of comedies, through Utah also shows pretty solid support for comedies throughout the state. States like Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, though, don't appear to favor the funny quite as much.
Highest Potential: Arlington County, Virginia (122)
Lowest Potential: Harding County, New Mexico, and Wheeler County, Oregon (49)
Facebook Twitter Share
Tap for details
Swipe to explore
LEARN MORE
Tap to go back
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Dramas
The Northeast sure loves its drama, though California also seems to have an appetite for more serious films. On the flip side, movie studios would do well to avoid marketing their more dramatic peices in states like Kentcuky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, where only isolated pockets of support and interest exist.
Highest Potential: Teton County, Wyoming (130)
Lowest Potential: Mitchell County, Texas (45)
Facebook Twitter Share
Tap for details
Swipe to explore
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Tap to go back
Swipe to explore
Family Movies
Of all the genres, family movies enjoy the widest support. And that shouldn't be a surprise, since kids can have considerable sway over their families' purchases, no matter where they live. Northwestern Colorado and Minneapolis-St. Paul both show heavy pockets of support for such movies, as does the entirety of Southern California. The more sparsely populated parts of the country seem to be the areas where support is the lowest.
Highest Potential: Wade Hampton, Arkansas (127)
Lowest Potential: Greensville County, Virginia (54)
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Swipe to explore
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Tap to go back
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Horror Movies
While most other genres seem to follow a somewhat similar pattern, horror movies completely break the mold. For whatever reason, people along the banks of the Mississippi River appear to absolutely love a good scare. The Northeast, which shows consistent support for most other types of movies, doesn't care much for horror movies. And the South in general shows more consistent support for horror movies than just about any other genre.
Highest Potential: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (145)
Lowest Potential: Banner County, Nebraska; Grant County, Nebraska; Loup County, Nebrasksa; and King County, Texas (45)
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Swipe to explore
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Romance Movies
The Midwest seems to have a soft spot for the mushy stuff, with better support for romantic movies than almost any other genre. Urban areas tend to do well again, though there are interesting pockets of support that do not track with other grenres. Massachusetts may well be the most romantic state in the union, with nearly every county reporting average to well above average market potential.
Highest Potential: Arlington County, Virginia (133)
Lowest Potential: Mineral County, Colorado, and Hamilton County, New York (50)
Facebook Twitter Share
Tap for details
Swipe to explore
LEARN MORE
Tap to go back
Swipe to explore
Watching Movies Online
While streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video have taken off, the vast majority of people still prefer to watch movies the old-fashioned way: in theaters or on physical discs. The popularity of online movies appears to correlate with areas that are typically designated as tech hubs, though a few isolated pockets stand out (such as parts of Colorado and northern Arizona). Even major urban areas don't show the sort of market potential here that one might assume.
Highest Potential: Radford, Virginia (257)
Lowest Potential: Greensville County, Virgnia (34)
Facebook Twitter Share
Tap for details
Swipe to explore
LEARN MORE
Tap to go back
Swipe to explore
Watching Movies in a Theater Once or More a Week
Avid movie-goers exist throughout the country, though they're most prevalent throughout the South. Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina all report very high movie-going rates, despite not rating particularly high on most measures for genres.
Highest Potential: Quitman County, Georgia; Taliaferro County, Georgia; Owsley County, Kentucky; Issaquena County, Mississippi; and Wilkinson County, Mississippi (185)