The Most Popular Celebrity of 2018 from Each State
Using advanced analytics and data from multiple search engines and social media websites, I determined the most subjectively popular celebrity of 2018 from each state.
Maps by @nickturani
Alabama: Cole LaBrant (YouTuber)
Edging out Condoleezza Rice and YBN Nahmir, the sexually-active YouTube star had another wildly successful year, highlighted by breaking 8 million subscribers, writing a best-selling book, and staging a wildfire evacuation in order to get more views on his YouTube channel.
Alaska: Mario Chalmers (Basketball Player)
Edging out Khleo Thomas (Holes) and Sarah Palin’s daughter (maybe Teen Mom), the superstar point guard from Anchorage had over 3 points and 2 assists per game in the 2017–2018 NBA season.
Arizona: Hailey Bieber (Justin Bieber’s Wife)
Edging out Joe Jonas and Samantha Ponder, Alec Baldwin’s niece made a (new) name for herself in 2018 after multiple breakout accomplishments, including an engagement to Justin Bieber and a marriage to Justin Bieber.
Arkansas: Bill Clinton (Hillary Clinton’s Husband)
Edging out Sarah Huckabee Sanders (The White House) and world-renowned Bill Gates impersonator Bill Heath (Nathan for You), the 72-year-old author had his first novel published, which currently has 4 stars on Amazon.
California: Jeffree Star (Internet Celebrity/Makeup Mogul)
Edging out Ben Shapiro, Chrissy Teigen, and several of the most recognizable A-list celebrities in the world, Star, 33, amassed more than 11 million YouTube subscribers and over 1.2 billion views in 2018.
Colorado: Sommer Ray (Instagram Model)
Coming a long way from raising chickens on her rural Colorado ranch, the all-natural 22-year-old country girl grinded her way to a whopping 19.6 million Instagram followers in 2018.
Connecticut: P.T. Barnum (Former Circus Tycoon/Slave Owner)
Riding the coattails of the 2017 blockbuster hit The Greatest Showman, P.T. Barnum was the most searched celebrity (dead or alive) from Connecticut in 2018.
Delaware: Molly O’Malia (Underage Instagram Model/Former Recipient of Controversial DMs from Tyga)
Despite being from a state that’s permanently forgotten about by the entire country, including Delaware itself, the 17-year-old Instagram star skyrocketed to nearly 500K followers in 2018.
Florida: XXXTentacion (Former Rapper)
Edging out baby-faced superstar Ariana Grande and literal baby Danielle “Bhad Bhabie” Bregoli, the late rapper — who was the third most streamed artist on Spotify in 2018 — proved that merely existing isn’t necessary for achieving extreme levels of success in the music industry.
Georgia: tie Donald Glover (Everything) and Matty B (Hip Hop Artist)
Edging out Dwight Howard and Young Thug, the multi-talented creative genius and Donald Glover tied for Georgia’s most popular celebrity of 2018.
Hawaii: Barack Obama (Twitter Personality)
Edging out Bruno Mars and Tua Tagovailoa, the 57-year-old viral Twitter phenom from Honolulu broke 100 million followers in 2018.
Idaho: Sacagawea (Former Native American)
Edging out Boise State’s head football coach and a local potato farmer, the 18th century explorer (born in present-day Idaho) was the state’s most Googled celebrity in 2018.
Illinois: Mason Ramsey (Country Singer/Meme)
Edging out Ninja and Ellie Schnitt, the yodeling 12-year-old was a viral phenomenon in 2018.
Indiana: Teanna Trump (Actress)
Edging out Jenna Fischer (The Office) and Mike Pence (Hamilton attendee), Teanna Trump (Curvy Caramel Skin Hottie Fucked By A Blind Man) broke 100 million PornHub views in 2018 and had the internet buzzing with rumors of a potential collaboration between her and Instagram Model Brittany Renner.
Iowa: Farrah Abraham (Reality TV Star/Actress)
Edging out Ashton Kutcher (That ‘70s Show) and Shawn Johnson (The 2008 Olympic Games), Farrah Abraham (16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Farrah Abraham Sex Video, Farrah Abraham Part 2: Farrah Fucked On A Sex Swing After Stripping) amassed more online views than any other celebrity from Iowa in 2018.
Kansas: @ColeyVance (College Kid)
Edging out nobody, the heartthrob Twitter Model posed his way to over 60K followers — more than the total population of Kansas — in 2018.
Kentucky: Billy Ray Cyrus (Father)
As the father of rap superstar Lil Xan’s ex-girlfriend, Mr. Cyrus, 57, experienced a huge boost in popularity in 2018 after getting the opportunity to meet and take a picture with Xan (short for Xanax) in August.
Louisiana: Stormy Daniels (Presidential Mistress)
Edging out multimillionaire moguls Ellen Degeneres and NBA YoungBoy, the 39-year-old actress and political figure from Baton Rouge spent the majority of 2018 in the national spotlight.
Maine: Francis Ellis (Comedian/Harvard Grad)
Edging out Anna Kendrick and Stephen King, the stand-up comedian and Barstool Sports writer/radio host jumped to over 90K followers and a viral tweet in 2018.
Maryland: Logic (Biracial Rapper)
Edging out Kyle Snyder and Abigail Mac, the 28-year-old mixed musical mastermind from Maryland had an exciting year, which included a chart-topping mixtape, two Grammy nominations, and one amicable divorce.
Massachusetts: John Cena (WWE Champion/College Football Star/Award-Winning Actor/Rapper/TV Host/Best-Selling Author/Entrepreneur/Humanitarian/Record-Breaking Make-A-Wish Foundation Wish Giver)
Edging out Steve Carell, Mark Wahlberg, Jared Carrabis, John Krasinski, and Chris Evans, the 41-year-old miracle-worker continued to make dreams come true for both terminally ill and completely healthy children in 2018.
Michigan: Eminem (Rapper)
The up-and-coming Detroit rapper exploded in popularity in 2018 after a feud with hip hop legend Machine Gun Kelly helped him gain mainstream attention.
Minnesota: Yung Gravy (Rapper)
Edging out Judy Garland and F. Scott Fitzgerald, the flashy 22-year-old rapper followed up a breakout year in 2017 with more sold-out tours, successful tracks, and swooning female fans.
Mississippi: Soulja Boy (Rapper/Entreprenuer)
Despite unknowingly suffering a loss to @kbnoswag in the Sweet 16 of the 2018 Twitter Brackets, the omniscient hip hop deity claimed on Twitter that he “had the biggest come back of 2018 big facts.” The former Batesville, Mississippi resident did, indeed, have a monstrous year, which included a new record deal, four new TV shows, the release of his own smart watch and video game console, and an alleged financial gain of “20 M’s.”
Missouri: Akon (R&B Singer/Philanthropist/Crypto Genius)
While Akon may rep’ the African country of Senegal and vehemently deny being from Missouri, he was born in St. Louis, and therefore, automatically gets the nod for Missouri’s most popular celeb of the year. The platinum-selling performer made headlines in June when he started his own futuristic cryptocurrency called Akoin.
Montana: Brock Osweiler (NFL Star)
As the only person from Montana to appear on national television in 2018, the Miami Dolphins backup quarterback had no trouble securing his spot as the state’s most popular celebrity of the year.
Nebraska: JoJo Siwa (Worldwide Icon)
The lovably petite 5’10” entertainment goddess from Omaha solidified herself as the face of Caucasian tweens and Gen Zers in 2018.
Nevada: Rice Gum (YouTuber)
Edging out Bryce Harper (MLB all star) and Tana Mongeau (?), the 22-year-old YouTube sensation from Las Vegas did whatever it is he does to eclipse 10 million subscribers and a net worth of over $8 million in 2018.
New Hampshire: Adam 22 (Uncanceled Internet Personality/YouTuber)
Dislike him or hate him, Adam 22, 35, was the only person from the state of New Hampshire to break 750K YouTube subscribers — or post a video on YouTube — in 2018.
New Jersey: Grayson Dolan (YouTuber)
Edging out mega-successful superstars like Halsey and Ethan Dolan, the 19-year-old hottie stud hit 8.2 million YouTube subscribers and 8.5 million Instagram followers in 2018 despite being hindered by a slightly less attractive identical twin brother.
New Mexico: Demi Lovato (Pop Singer)
Barely edging out world-famous TweetDecker @Ruckin, Demi Lovato (born in Albuquerque) was the MOST searched American of 2018.
New York: The Chainsmokers (Grammy-Winning DJs)
Edging out the likes of Donald Trump, James Charles, and FuckJerry, the New York City-based music duo who’s widely regarded as the Simon & Garfunkel of EDM pressed their way to more widespread fame and chart-topping bops in 2018.
North Carolina: Nash Grier (Former Vine Star)
Edging out fellow North Carolina legends Michael Jordan and J. Cole, the former Vine Star and current Former Vine Star achieved 10 million Instagram followers in 2018 (more than Jordan and Cole combined).
North Dakota: Carson Wentz (NFL Star)
After a breakout rookie season in 2016, the Eagles quarterback became the first person from North Dakota to ever earn a verified checkmark on Twitter.
Ohio: Kaitlin Bennett (Gun Star)
Edging out big names like Jake Paul and LeBron James, the Kent State grad who does, in fact, own a gun racked up more quote tweets and Twitter replies than any other celebrity (real or fake) from Ohio.
Oklahoma: Dr. Phil McGraw (Doctor)
Edging out Carrie Underwood and Brad Pitt, the 68-year-old psychologist unintentionally obtained international fame in 2017 when footage of him providing therapy to his abrasive, 13-year-old client Danielle Bregoli went massively viral.
Oregon: Hannah Stocking (Instagram Star)
With over 15 million followers, the 26-year-old social media juggernaut continued to make a splash on Instagram in 2018 by posting and starring in a new-age genre of comedy videos that is completely devoid of comedy.
Pennsylvania: Johnny Sins (Actor)
Edging out Taylor Swift and Kevin Hart, the award-winning, versatile actor from Pittsburgh earned more internet views in 2018 than anyone else from the state, including Philadelphia*’s Clickbait Smits.
Rhode Island: Mike Stud (Hip Hop Artist)
The 30-year-old rapper and former Duke baseball player released his 4th album, 4THEHOMIES, in November and defeated Michael Rapaport in a Twitter dispute in March.
South Carolina: Charlamagne Tha God (Internet Personality)
Charlamagne the God was South Carolina’s breakout star of 2018 after appearing in the background of a viral clip of Ray J in December. The 40-year-old social media user also gained popularity when he was a guest on a 2017 episode of Hot Ones.
South Dakota: Tomi Lahren (Former TV Host)
Edging out Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, the rambunctious Republican rebel from Rapid City ranted her way to 4.5 million Facebook fans in 2018.
Tennessee: Keaton Jones (Student)
Edging out Memphis’ Drake and Nashville’s Clay Travis, the controversial 12-year-old spent 2018 in the limelight after a bizarre rollercoaster ending to 2017, which saw him go from locally bullied to universally adored to $60,000 richer to allegedly racist to universally hated in a span of 48 hours.
Texas: tie Ted Cruz (Political Figure) and Beyonce (God-Like Figure)
Edging out Houston’s Drake and Travis Scott, the pair of Gen X sex symbols with cult-like fanbases tied for the most popular celebrity from Texas in 2018 despite ending 2017 on low notes (getting cheated on by spouse; getting caught favoriting porn on Twitter).
Utah: Wayne Sermon (Rockstar)
The Imagine Dragons guitarist strummed his way to a baker’s dozen Billboard nominations and a seemingly infinite about of Top 40 hits in 2018.
Vermont: Calvin Coolidge (Former President)
Edging out Chester A. Arthur and Brigham Young, the 30th president of the United States had more views on his Wikipedia page than any other person from Vermont in 2018.
Virginia: Jacob Sartorius (Singer/Songwriter/Self-Made Millionaire at 13)
Despite getting owned and ratio’d countless times on Twitter by long-time rival and 25-year-old blogger @kbnoswag, the prepubescent recording artist had yet another insanely successful year, which helped him beat out Sandra Bullock and Pusha T for the most popular celebrity from Virginia in 2018.
Washington: Macklemore (Grammy-Winning Rap Savior)
From waltzing into nightclubs with braggadocios greetings about his large genitalia to singlehandedly ending homophobia by bravely recounting a traumatic 3rd grade incident, the 35-year-old Seattle native has been one of the most powerful and influential artists in the world since 2012.
West Virginia: Trevor Kiess (The Mountaineer Mascot)
Edging out his father and cousin, the WVU mascot was West Virginia’s most recognizable public figure in 2018 by a significant margin.
Wisconsin: Caucasian James (Dancer/Model)
Edging out Manitowoc County’s Brendan Dassey and Milwaukee’s Jeffrey Dahmer, the non-problematic white male catapulted from 4K to 234K Twitter followers (a 5,750% increase) in 2018.
Wyoming: The Governor of Wyoming (Politician)
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