Our financial state of mind varies from state to state

The study, which used Google Trends as its base for analysis, found that money-related queries vary across the U.S. Some states are more apparently most concerned with eliminating debt, others on saving for retirement, while issues like car loans and healthcare are the most popular areas of focus for other states. Cities also tend to have their own most likely money searches.

“We started with keywords we wanted to capture, then we looked at geographical insights,” Elyssa Kirkham, content writer at Student Loan Hero and the lead researcher on this project tells NBC News BETTER. “We also looked at [activity in] metropolitan areas which is how we got lists of cities.”

The motivation for this study, the first of its kind for Student Loan Hero, came from the company’s desire to learn what money questions were top of mind over the past year, from both a big picture, and a more localized viewpoint.

Some states may be stressing more over loans, others over the best credit cards

“Are people looking more on debt management [in one area]? Or are they more likely to be worried about late payments? By taking a state-level look at what people are interested in, we got an indicator of possible concerns there, and where people are more likely to be financially aware,” says Kirkham, adding: “However, if residents aren't searching on Google, that doesn't mean they don't have these questions, they just may not be looking online for answers there, or they’re putting these questions on the back burner.”

The study considered every state, including the District of Columbia, and found that while in some cases there’s no evident direct link between what’s happening at the local level, often there is a connection.

“Oregon’s top search was mortgage, and their housing market is booming, so that makes sense,” says Kirkham. “D.C. was searching student debt and public student loan forgiveness, which also makes sense because that may have a government job or work for a non-profit. Kentucky has had a lot of [debate] over pension policies, and people there were likely to be searching for the term ‘pension’.”

Residents are also reflecting their respective state’s economic woes in their Google searches.

“In states like Louisiana and Mississippi, there’s indication that people are struggling more to stay afloat,” noted Kirkham. In Louisiana, “payday loan” is searched for the most, and essential financial products like “auto insurance” and “checking account” are also popular. Missouri’s top search was social security, a state that is grappling with profound poverty.

United States of ‘Huh’? We’re All Searching These Four Terms

The popularity of our financial concerns and interest may run the gamut, geographically, but in some sense we’re all in this together. The study found that in key search terms soared this past year, landing as the most popular money search terms in the U.S — and as Zack Friedman, founder and CEO of Make Lemonade, a personal finance comparison site, notes, there are clear reasons why.