Striking Gold: 2 States Lead The Nation In 'Marrying For Money'
It may not be romantic, but when it comes to picking a spouse, the truth is that money matters. A survey conducted by matchmaking service Tawkify found that nearly half of the Americans polled said they would choose money over love if they had to decide between the two. If you're in this camp, and marrying for money is a top priority, you may want to consider relocating to Florida or Nevada. These two states were recently named the top spots for "gold diggers."
The gold digger study was conducted by the app SplitUp, which helps people navigate the process of filing for divorce or other related issues, such as separations and custody agreements. It looked at various data points to first determine where the wealthiest people in America live by analyzing figures such as average annual income, the number of millionaires and billionaires in each state, and the cost of living in those places. It then factored in the increase in Google searches for top gold digger phrases such as "sugar daddy," "sugar mommy," "sugar baby," and "marry rich." The survey also accounted for money spent on dating services. Based on the data, each state was assigned a score out of 10, with the highest scores indicating the most "gold diggers." Both Florida and Nevada topped the chart with scores of 8.24.
Why Florida and Nevada are said to have the most gold diggers
Florida had a particularly high number of millionaire and billionaire households, with almost 500,000 millionaires, making it the fourth highest in the country. Meanwhile, nearly 100 billionaires live in the state, earning it the third spot nationwide. The state also had notable increases in Google searches for the phrases "sugar daddy" and "sugar baby" — 77% and 74%, respectively. The number of millionaire and billionaire households in Nevada was significantly lower — roughly 63,000 and 17, respectively. One area where the state really stood out, however, was its spike in searches for the term "sugar daddy," which jumped 90% from the previous year. Other searches also saw substantial increases with "sugar mommy" up 69%, "sugar baby" up 74%, and "marry rich" up 55%.
Texas was right behind Florida and Nevada with a score of 8.23. California and New York filled out the rest of the top five slots on the list. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Vermont was found to have the fewest number of gold diggers, with a score of 4.83. Nebraska and Montana followed with scores of 4.94. If you're living in a state flush with gold diggers and plan to marry someone you suspect may be after your money, consider getting a prenup to protect your finances. If you're already married but fear your fortune may be at risk, it's a good idea to educate yourself about postnuptial agreements and why you might need one.