Economy

Residents of Which State Will Spend the Least for Valentine's?

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: February 13, 2016 9:15 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 1:14 pm

Residents of New Hampshire are exceedingly cheap, at least as measured by Valentine’s Day spending. A survey of about 3,000 respondents by Finder.com showed that people in the northeastern state will spend only $31 on their partners. This compares to the state at the top of the list: Kansans will spend $117.

The key findings:

• Respondents in Kansas spent the most on their partners on Valentine’s Day, with an average spend of $117, followed by Nevada ($112), Idaho ($111), North Dakota ($108), Hawaii ($102), Arkansas ($93), Virginia ($87), Florida ($83), California and South Carolina ($82).
• The states that spent least on their Valentine were New Hampshire ($31) and South Dakota, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, Wyoming and Kentucky (all $36).
• 34% of Americans plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day by going to a restaurant
• Those who are in 2 to 5 year relationship will get the highest valued gifts
• Married couples were the most likely not to buy a gift at all
• 30% of Americans have hidden purchases from their loved ones

Among the most well-followed research studies about Valentine’s Day is the National Retail Federation’s. Data from its study were very different from those of Finder.com. However, the methodology and survey pools were not the same. Its results:

From a night out on the town to flowers and jewelry, Americans are planning to spoil their loved ones this Valentine’s Day. According to the National Retail Federation’s Valentine’s Day Consumer Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics, 54.8 percent of consumers will celebrate Valentine’s Day, spending an average of  $146.84 on flowers, jewelry, candy, apparel and more, up from $142.31 last year.

One of the organizations is well off base. Unless there is detailed follow up on what spending for Valentine’s Day 2016 actually is, no one will ever know the truth.