There are two truths you can certainly hold to be self-evident. Or, self web-ident. Or, maybe just dented and demented? But, any way you look at it, those truths are:
- Before purchasing something, we like to know how much it will cost, and
- We use the Internet to search for that cost information.
It’s what that item might be that could be demented, though.
Fixr contributor Raul, who researched the most popular Google searches for item prices associated with each state, discovered we’re looking up some straaaange stuff.
The cost of plastic surgery, for example, ranging from breast implants to facelifts, was the most popular “cost of” search for eight different states. Prostitution holds the lead for two states; not just the sole state of legality, Nevada (where prostitution is allowed in all but four counties), but those searching in or about Connecticut most commonly looked up the cost of hook-ups with hookers, too.
Paternity and maternity issues seem to dominate the south, and in subjects that only contrast with the “Bible Belt” status of those states. Searching surfers want to know about the costs of DNA tests in Mississippi and Tennessee, for example, while abortion prices were the most searched “cost of” term for Alabama and Florida.
Others searched most for legal costs, specifically for cases of traffic tickets and DUIs. The cost of beer is most important for two states, and marijuana costs for two others.
Check the map below to see which “cost of” search was most dominant about your state (and an alphabetical listing is at the close of this posting, too):
Image from Fixr.com
The data was comprised with simple fill-in searches. For example, “how much does * cost in California?” instructs Google’s search engine to fill in the wildcard asterisk with the most commonly used word in that quoted sentence. Fixr contributor Raul also added the capital cities of the states in his searches.
Here’s an alphabetical state-by-state listing of the results:
| State | Capital | Keyword Result |
| Alabama | Montgomery | abortion |
| Alaska | Juneau | gallon of milk |
| Arizona | Phoenix | vasectomy |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | breast implants |
| California | Sacramento | facelift |
| Colorado | Denver | Weed |
| Connecticut | Hartford | prostitute |
| Delaware | Dover | DUI |
| Florida | Tallahassee | abortion |
| Georgia | Atlanta | taxi |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | gas |
| Idaho | Boise | liposuction |
| Illinois | Springfield | Day care |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | breast implants |
| Iowa | Des Moines | Botox |
| Kansas | Topeka | marriage license |
| Kentucky | Frankfort | Adopt a child |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge | Succession |
| Maine | Augusta | State Inspection |
| Maryland | Annapolis | DUI |
| Massachusetts | Boston | The T |
| Michigan | Lansing | Liquor License |
| Minnesota | Saint Paul | Taxi |
| Mississippi | Jackson | DNA Test |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | Build a house |
| Montana | Helena | Fishing license |
| Nebraska | Lincoln | Keg |
| Nevada | Carson City | prostitute |
| New Hampshire | Concord | passport |
| New Jersey | Trenton | Funeral |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe | CDL |
| New York | Albany | Pound of weed |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | Nose job |
| North Dakota | Bismarck | a minor |
| Ohio | Columbus | private investigator |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | breast lift |
| Oregon | Salem | water |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Liquor License |
| Rhode Island | Providence | State ID |
| South Carolina | Columbia | Liquor License |
| South Dakota | Pierre | vasectomy |
| Tennessee | Nashville | DNA Test |
| Texas | Austin | Nanny |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | speeding ticket |
| Vermont | Montpelier | cord of wood |
| Virginia | Richmond | facelift |
| Washington | Olympia | passport |
| West Virginia | Charleston | Drill a well |
| Wisconsin | Madison | Electricity |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne | Keg of beer |
(By the way, “The T” in Massachusetts is the name commonly used for the state’s public transportation system.)
H/T and Image: Fixr
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