With Halloween just days away, even Floridians skeptical of ghostly apparitions, extraterrestrial spacecraft in the skies or Bigfoot roaming the wilderness may be tuning in to unexplained phenomena, according to a new report.
Despite its reputation for unusual happenings, Florida ranked among the least paranormal states in the country, according to a new study.
The Sunshine State came in 42nd out of 48 states in a ranking examining reports of paranormal activity across the United States, earning an overall score of 16.80 out of 100.
This is not science, or even science fiction. Listings and reports using keywords such as "paranormal activity" don't automatically mean residents of a particular state are living a Halloween-like reality 365 days a year. But the report is fun and seasonal, and who are we to say Florida residents didn't see a UFO, Bigfoot or a ghostly apparition?
The "America's Most Paranormal States" ranking comes from TripSIM, a company that provides mobile data services to international travelers. The company said Wyoming ranks first in paranormal activity, followed by Vermont and Oregon. At the bottom of the overall ranking are Mississippi, Texas and North Carolina.
"With Halloween approaching, it's interesting to see how those reports and stories compare across the country," Arber Abdullahu, spokesperson for TripSIM, said in a news release. "The ranking is about reported activity and interest, not proof that anything supernatural is happening."
The study compared 48 states using five different measures. Researchers adjusted the data for population, meaning states were compared by the number of reports or listings per 100,000 residents, rather than just their total numbers.
Here's what the study found for Florida:
Different states led in different categories.
Vermont has the highest rate of reported UFO sightings, while Washington leads for Bigfoot reports, at 9.09 per 100,000 residents. Wyoming has the most haunted-location listings relative to population. New Mexico, meanwhile, has the highest rate of paranormal-related Reddit mentions, with 796 per 100,000 residents.
"Every state has stories that local residents have heard about, whether they're ghost tales, unusual sightings or legends passed down over time," Abdullahu said.
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