Why Utahns are the Nerdiest People in the Entire United States

There’s a lot of things you can say about Utah. It’s where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints calls home, it’s where funeral potatoes and fry sauce reign supreme, and it’s also obsessed with Post Malone for some reason; However, there is one fact that feels pretty obvious after living in the beehive state for an extended period of time.  

Utah is the nerdiest place in the country. There aren’t many other places where you can go to a random Facebook group, ask if a Dungeons and Dragons group is looking for new players, and immediately get four replies. 

There are many reasons for this, but I think one of the primary reasons is due to the need for some kind of nighttime entertainment. Most states have an active environment for evening leisure. Stuff like bars, clubs, and other places where members of the church don’t frequent. 

This means everyone needs to entertain themselves somehow without committing sins and junk. It’s the same reason why there’s so many soda and snack shops on every corner like they were New York delis. 

There are some pretty influential figures in geek culture in Utah as well. Many readers of Brandon Sanderson novels will tell you he’s the modern king of fantasy literature, and where does this regal author live? The beehive state baby.  

The video game scene is absolutely insane for Utahns. There are groups of players you can find online based in Utah specifically for dads raising infants while looking for friends to play with. This fits in perfectly with the birth rate seen throughout the state, and also provides ammunition for the nerdy state argument.  

More than anything, I know that Utah is the nerdiest state because I, the writer of this article, am part of two DND groups, play an MMO on occasion, participate in musical theater, and consume an ungodly amount of nerdy content on a nerdy basis. My friends are also very similar. 

If you want more statistical reasons why Utah is the nerdiest state in the U.S., both Zippia and The Travel ranked Utah as the nerdiest state thanks to the avid fans of Star Wars, Star Trek, Dungeons & Dragons, LARPing, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings.