Where Do eBook Buyers Live? Alaska Tops Per Capita List

Have you ever wondered where the most voracious ebook readers live?

I wondered, so I crunched Smashwords ebook sales data from Barnes & Noble for the three month period beginning December 2010 through March 2011. Some of the numbers are surprising (see the last section of the post for my methodology).

So here's the first set of data, where I look at which states generate the highest (and lowest) overall sales. Obviously, the states with the largest populations are likely to purchase the most ebooks.

US States, Ranked by Aggregate Ebook Purchases Source: Smashwords data

Rank	State	Percentage of US Ebook Sales
1	TX	8.57%
2	CA	7.99%
3	NY	5.99%
4	FL	5.93%
5	PA	4.13%
6	IL	3.90%
7	VA	3.62%
8	NC	3.36%
9	OH	3.16%
10	MI	3.12%
11	GA	2.88%
12	WA	2.81%
13	NJ	2.77%
14	IN	2.46%
15	MO	2.40%
16	AZ	2.26%
17	CO	2.09%
18	MN	2.07%
19	MA	2.04%
20	WI	1.91%
21	MD	1.91%
22	SC	1.78%
23	TN	1.63%
24	LA	1.52%
25	AL	1.45%
26	UT	1.44%
27	OK	1.38%
28	OR	1.35%
29	IA	1.33%
30	KY	1.31%
31	CT	1.13%
32	KS	1.09%
33	AR	0.98%
34	NV	0.83%
35	MS	0.72%
36	AK	0.66%
37	NE	0.66%
38	ID	0.65%
39	NM	0.65%
40	NH	0.61%
41	ND	0.48%
42	WV	0.45%
43	MT	0.42%
44	RI	0.37%
45	HI	0.32%
46	ME	0.32%
46	SD	0.29%
48	DE	0.29%
49	WY	0.26%
50	VT	0.20%
51	DC	0.09%

Now here's where it gets really interesting. Let's look at per capita consumption. Take a look at the Ebook Per Capita Sales Ratio column. This is how each state stacks up against the others, adjusted for population. Alaska, which ranks #47 in terms of overall population, ranks #1 for per capita ebook purchases measured by dollar volume.

With a score of 2.92, this means they purchase 292% of the per capita than the average state, or almost triple the national average. A score of 100% means average, 200% means double the average, etc. So as you see, Alaska, North Dakota and Utah round out the top three, and Mississippi, California and the District of Columbia round out the bottom three.

Per Capita Ebook Consumption

Source: Smashwords data

Rank	State	Ebook Per Capita Sales Ratio	% of US Ebook Sales	State Pop	US Pop	% US Pop
1	AK	2.92	0.66%	698,473	307,006,550	0.23%
2	ND	2.29	0.48%	646,844	307,006,550	0.21%
3	UT	1.58	1.44%	2,784,572	307,006,550	0.91%
4	WY	1.44	0.26%	544,270	307,006,550	0.18%
5	VA	1.41	3.62%	7,882,590	307,006,550	2.57%
6	NH	1.41	0.61%	1,324,575	307,006,550	0.43%
7	IA	1.36	1.33%	3,007,856	307,006,550	0.98%
8	MT	1.32	0.42%	974,989	307,006,550	0.32%
9	ID	1.30	0.65%	1,545,801	307,006,550	0.50%
10	WA	1.29	2.81%	6,664,195	307,006,550	2.17%
11	CO	1.28	2.09%	5,024,748	307,006,550	1.64%
12	MO	1.23	2.40%	5,987,580	307,006,550	1.95%
13	MN	1.20	2.07%	5,266,214	307,006,550	1.72%
14	SC	1.20	1.78%	4,561,242	307,006,550	1.49%
15	KS	1.18	1.09%	2,818,747	307,006,550	0.92%
16	IN	1.18	2.46%	6,423,113	307,006,550	2.09%
17	OK	1.15	1.38%	3,687,050	307,006,550	1.20%
18	NE	1.12	0.66%	1,796,619	307,006,550	0.59%
19	SD	1.10	0.29%	812,383	307,006,550	0.26%
20	NC	1.10	3.36%	9,380,884	307,006,550	3.06%
21	OR	1.08	1.35%	3,825,657	307,006,550	1.25%
22	RI	1.07	0.37%	1,053,209	307,006,550	0.34%
23	TX	1.06	8.57%	24,782,302	307,006,550	8.07%
24	AZ	1.05	2.26%	6,595,778	307,006,550	2.15%
25	AR	1.04	0.98%	2,889,450	307,006,550	0.94%
26	WI	1.04	1.91%	5,654,774	307,006,550	1.84%
27	LA	1.04	1.52%	4,492,076	307,006,550	1.46%
28	MD	1.03	1.91%	5,699,478	307,006,550	1.86%
29	PA	1.01	4.13%	12,604,767	307,006,550	4.11%
30	VT	1.00	0.20%	621,760	307,006,550	0.20%
31	DE	0.99	0.29%	885,122	307,006,550	0.29%
32	CT	0.99	1.13%	3,518,288	307,006,550	1.15%
33	NM	0.99	0.65%	2,009,671	307,006,550	0.65%
34	FL	0.98	5.93%	18,537,969	307,006,550	6.04%
35	NJ	0.98	2.77%	8,707,739	307,006,550	2.84%
36	NV	0.96	0.83%	2,643,085	307,006,550	0.86%
37	MI	0.96	3.12%	9,969,727	307,006,550	3.25%
38	MA	0.95	2.04%	6,593,587	307,006,550	2.15%
39	AL	0.94	1.45%	4,708,708	307,006,550	1.53%
40	NY	0.94	5.99%	19,541,453	307,006,550	6.37%
41	KY	0.93	1.31%	4,314,113	307,006,550	1.41%
42	IL	0.93	3.90%	12,910,409	307,006,550	4.21%
43	GA	0.90	2.88%	9,829,211	307,006,550	3.20%
44	OH	0.84	3.16%	11,542,645	307,006,550	3.76%
45	TN	0.80	1.63%	6,296,254	307,006,550	2.05%
46	HI	0.77	0.32%	1,295,178	307,006,550	0.42%
46	WV	0.76	0.45%	1,819,777	307,006,550	0.59%
48	ME	0.75	0.32%	1,318,301	307,006,550	0.43%
49	MS	0.75	0.72%	2,951,996	307,006,550	0.96%
50	CA	0.66	7.99%	36,961,664	307,006,550	12.04%
51	DC	0.46	0.09%	599,657	307,006,550	0.20%

Methodology: Here's how I pulled together the numbers above. My company Smashwords is an ebook distributor. We distribute over 20,000 titles to Barnes & Noble. They report to us a breakdown of sales by state. I summed up all Smashwords sales, broken down by state, from Barnes & Noble for the three month period of December, 2010 through February, 2011. Next, I divided each state's sales by the sum of the total to determine the percentage of all ebooks sales from each state. Then I added US population data from the latest US census. Next, I determined what percent of the US population lives in each state. Finally, to determine the how states rank against each other on ebook sales, I normalized the data on a per capita basis. I did this by dividing each state's percentage of overall sales they represent by the percentage of the US population they represent. Dizzy yet? This gave me the final, coolest numbers of them all, the normalized measure of per capita ebook consumption for each state that you see above.

Poking holes in my data: This data only looks at sales through Barnes & Noble. It doesn't take into account the geographic distribution of B&N's physical stores (this might impact where they've sold nooks, which would then impact customer counts). It doesn't take into consideration B&N's market share in each state. It doesn't take into consideration the age, sex, per capita income levels or language breakdowns of each state's population, or the penetration of broadband or dial-up access. I don't disclose the unit sales represented by these three months of sales, or the aggregate sales value (though I can tell you it's a statistically significant number). Since the average price of a Smashwords ebook is under $4.99, this data may not accurately represent the geographic sales behavior of higher priced books.

I published my raw data online over at Slideshare, where you can access it as as spreadsheet. I invite the true statisticians among you to download my numbers as a starting point for further number crunching. For example, the US Census Data page, where I gathered the population data, has other interesting data sets you can throw against my data, such as median household income, age of population (under 18, over 65), college education, home ownership rates, etc., so I encourage others to mine the data for more meaning. All I ask is that you reference Smashwords as the source of the data and link back to this post at HuffPost. Add links to your findings in the comments below so others can benefit from your findings.

Any idea why Alaska, North Dakota and Utah are more into ebooks than Washington, DC, California and Mississippi? Share your thoughts below.

 

 

 

Follow Mark Coker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/markcoker

Comments

[Melissa Myer]

05:11 PM on 04/08/2011

Having lived in Alaska, I can tell you why this state makes the most sense. Even in Anchorage -- a moderate sized town of around 250,000 -- there were not that many bookstores. Shipping anything in or out of the state is extremely expensive, because everything is considered an "import."

Finally, the arctic climate. When you have nine months out of the year when ice and snow covers the ground (not to mention the sub-degree temps), there's not a lot of incentive to get out of the house unless you absolutely must. The very last thing I wanted to do at the end of the workday -- or on a weekend -- was to go shopping for *anything,* much less books. Alaska is very sedentary state compared to other states in which I've lived.

[Mici Gerkins]

05:01 PM on 04/08/2011

Just wait to see those numbers until Harry Potter hits the eBook stacks as J.K. Rowling is now FINALLY seriously considering! I forsee servers crashing...

[Mici Gerkins]

04:56 PM on 04/08/2011

Perhaps all eBook readers do not buy from Barnes and Noble, or buy eBooks at all with all the free, legal options out there. I know I don't.

[Pembrokelib]

02:02 PM on 04/04/2011

Most avid readers get their books at pulic libraries so this article is irrelevant as far as citing how much people in different states read. Even if you live in the country, there is almost always a library within driving distance. If the library does not have the book you want, they will send for it at another library and you will have it in a few days. Buying books makes sense only if you can afford it and like to reread or want the book for reference. Free public libraries are one of America's greatest assets.

[odyssey58]

11:02 PM on 04/04/2011

This article IS relevant because public libraries offer ebooks to borrow. When I first read the headline of this article Alaska popped into my head and it makes sense. When you live in a rural area (which I do) downloading books makes so much sense. And the Nook is able to borrow books from libraries or at least the network that my library is part of. I love not having to drive to my library.

[iwritereadrate]

12:27 PM on 04/04/2011

Really interesting stuff, Mark, thanks for posting.

All the best

Adam Charles

[NancyPeske]

09:01 AM on 04/03/2011

It's harder to get to a library or a bookstore in less populated states!

It'd be interesting to know how many eBook purchasers are baby boomer women (the #1 book buying demographic) versus other groups, and how many eBook purchasers have visual issues. I bought a Kindle for my son with visual processing issues. When I tried reading on it, I was so much more comfortable than I was reading a heavy physical book with small type and black-on-white pages that reflect the light in the room that I started buying books to read for pleasure for the first time in years.

It'll be interesting to see what types of books do better in electronic form than hardcover or paperback.

http://www.nancypeske.com

[odyssey58]

10:53 PM on 04/04/2011

I've been reading ebooks for almost a year. I'm currently reading an actual book because it's not available from my library as an ebook and I really wanted to read the book. I MUCH prefer an ebook. These big old paper books are so clumsy and take up so much more space in my backpack. Plus, I don't need reading glasses with the ereader. I'm a convert to ebooks.

[p c r]

11:17 PM on 03/31/2011

I was a book collector all of my life, even as a toddler a had stacks. Unfortunately, moving from place to place as a travel nurse made my library difficult. I got hooked on audiobooks. Now I multitask, cross-stitiching, crocheting or driving while I listen. E-books are a possibility, but my I-Pod and I are good friends now.

[deepintheheartoftejas]

07:24 PM on 03/31/2011

Alaska hardly seems surprising. Shipping prices for physical books can be high. Ebooks make a lot of financial sense.

[magree]

04:30 PM on 03/31/2011

As a DC resident, I can poke holes in the data as stated. Although there are Barnes and Nobles stores in DC, most residents shop in VA or MD.

I also think that other E-readers like Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader should have been included.

[zdeedle]

11:19 AM on 03/31/2011

to use an eBook reader, you need an internet connection and probably some common interaction with computers, right? i mean, my in-laws use a computer, but only a few times a week. my own parents even less, and they don't have internet where they live. so this is also indicative of internet/web infrastructure, right?

[NancyPeske]

09:02 AM on 04/03/2011

You don't need an internet connection to use Kindle. I've bought books while sitting and waiting for a plane to arrive, or sitting in my living room (no hot spots there).

[52tucker]

10:48 AM on 03/31/2011

I'd like to see the data from Amazon, as they've not only been in the game longer but it seems most Nooks are sold at the Barnes and Noble brick-and-mortar stores, rather than online as most Amazon Kindles are.
Interesting story though!

[Andrea Doherty Leo]

04:58 PM on 04/08/2011

I agree, I"m sure they sell more ebooks and kindles and I would assume the top states like AK don't have B&N's within close proximity to consumers. Buying physical books online would incur some heavy shipping fees for ppl in AK.

[Mici Gerkins]

04:58 PM on 04/08/2011

Peanut Press and Fictionwise now eReader.com predate the Kindle by many years as a popular app for the old Palm Pilot.

[shespeaks]

10:38 AM on 03/31/2011

Why would this be a big question. ..The population is more spread out with less access to book stores.

[stampy420]

10:00 AM on 03/31/2011

love my Kindle!
some folks say they want the smell, the feel of a book.
I'm done- gave away all my books except those from micro publishers that will never be e-book-ed!

[52tucker]

10:49 AM on 03/31/2011

I love my Kindle too, and still purchase a lot of books as well. I used to buy a lot of used books and collect discards from libraries as well. One thing I know I don't miss is the smell of some of those books. Gross.

[kresenda]

09:54 AM on 03/31/2011

When you share this, HP made an oops... AK = Alaska, not Arkansas. :P

[Annieke]

03:23 AM on 03/31/2011

Utah; is the bible already available as e-book?

[Gelfling]

09:40 AM on 03/31/2011

Book of Mormon. : )