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Each State’s Favorite Romantic Movie

By Sky Ariella
Jan. 19, 2022
Last Modified and Fact Checked on:

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Each State’s Favorite Romantic Movie in 2026

each state's favorite romantic movie

As Valentine’s Day approaches in 2026, couples are once again embarking on the quest to create the ideal romantic experience.

Will you treat your partner to a gourmet candle-lit dinner, escape for a weekend getaway in a cozy cabin, or perhaps ascend into the sky in a hot-air balloon with a glass of wine in hand?

There are countless ways to spread joy and affection this Valentine’s Day. Yet, a timeless and reliable way to set the mood is by snuggling up on the couch with popcorn and a beloved romantic movie.

If this sounds like your perfect Valentine’s celebration, discover each state’s favorite romantic film below to curate the ultimate date night.

Most Interesting Findings

  • Residents of Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee continue to cherish the classic film Gone With The Wind, 83 years after its debut.

  • The vibrant musical West Side Story remains the favorite of New Yorkers, with New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Utah also singing along to its iconic tunes.

  • Alaska tops the list of fans for the 1997 classic Titanic, perhaps due to their affinity for epic love stories set against icy backdrops. This trend also resonates with many Midwestern states.

  • North Carolina, Mississippi, and West Virginia show a strong preference for the 2004 classic The Notebook, with North Carolinians leading the charge as the film’s setting.

  • South Dakota has an unexpected fondness for the sci-fi romance Her, with Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, and California joining in on the robot love.

  • The classic romantic comedy, Annie Hall, remains popular in the South, with Arizona and Maryland also celebrating this genre-defining film.

  • Before Sunrise has captured hearts nationwide, from Maine to Hawaii.

  • Casablanca, regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, is a romantic favorite among many in Florida.

  • More contemporary films like Call Me By Your Name and The Shape Of Water have gained popularity particularly in the northeastern and northwestern regions of the U.S.

How We Figured This Out

To identify each state’s favorite romantic movie for Valentine’s Day 2026, we compiled a list of the top 10 most beloved romance films, combining timeless classics with modern masterpieces based on their box office success and cultural impact.

Our list of the top ten romance movies (in no particular order) includes:

  1. Casablanca (1943)

  2. The Shape of Water (2017)

  3. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

  4. West Side Story (2021)

  5. Her (2014)

  6. Annie Hall (1977)

  7. Gone With The Wind (1939)

  8. Before Sunrise (1995)

  9. Titanic (1997)

  10. The Notebook (2004)

With this curated list, we utilized Google Trends to identify which states showed the highest search interest for specific romantic films in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day.

For example, Wyoming showed the greatest interest in Casablanca, while Mississippi had a significantly lower search interest for the film.

Through these insights, we determined the romantic movie that each state’s residents are most enthusiastic about as Valentine’s Day approaches.

Each State’s Favorite Romance Movie to Watch on Valentine’s Day

State Favorite Romantic Movie
Alabama Gone With the Wind
Alaska Titanic
Arizona Annie Hall
Arkansas Annie Hall
California Her
Colorado The Shape of Water
Connecticut The Shape of Water
Delaware Casablanca
Florida Casablanca
Georgia Gone With the Wind
Hawaii Before Sunrise
Idaho The Shape of Water
Illinois Before Sunrise
Indiana Call Me By Your Name
Iowa Titanic
Kansas Titanic
Kentucky Annie Hall
Louisiana Annie Hall
Maine Before Sunrise
Maryland Annie Hall
Massachusetts Call Me By Your Name
Michigan Titanic
Minnesota Before Sunrise
Mississippi The Notebook
Missouri Casablanca
Montana Call Me By Your Name
Nebraska Her
Nevada Her
New Hampshire West Side Story
New Jersey West Side Story
New Mexico Her
New York West Side Story
North Carolina The Notebook
North Dakota Titanic
Ohio Gone With the Wind
Oklahoma Titanic
Oregon The Shape of Water
Pennsylvania West Side Story
Rhode Island Her
South Carolina Gone With the Wind
South Dakota Her
Tennessee Gone With the Wind
Texas Before Sunrise
Utah West Side Story
Vermont Call Me By Your Name
Virginia Before Sunrise
Washington Before Sunrise
West Virginia The Notebook
Wisconsin Casablanca
Wyoming Casablanca

  1. Casablanca (1943)

    Domestic Box Office: $10,462,500 (Adjusted for inflation: approximately $168,610,747.11 today)

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. Wyoming

    2. Delaware

    3. Wisconsin

    4. Missouri

    5. Florida

  2. The Shape of Water (2017)

    Domestic Box Office: $63,859,435

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. Oregon

    2. Connecticut

    3. Idaho

    4. Colorado

  3. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

    Domestic Box Office: $18,065,180

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. Montana

    2. Vermont

    3. Massachusetts

    4. Indiana

  4. West Side Story (2021)

    Domestic Box Office: $32,819,804

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. Utah

    2. New Jersey

    3. New York

    4. New Hampshire

    5. Pennsylvania

  5. Her (2014)

    Domestic Box Office: $25,568,251

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. South Dakota

    2. Rhode Island

    3. California

    4. Nebraska

    5. Nevada

    6. New Mexico

  6. Annie Hall (1977)

    Domestic Box Office: $38,251,425 (Adjusted for inflation: approximately $175,983,065)

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. Arkansas

    2. Maryland

    3. Louisiana

    4. Arizona

    5. Kentucky

  7. Gone with the Wind (1939)

    Domestic Box Office: $198,680,470 (Adjusted for inflation: approximately $914,067,861.34)

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. Georgia

    2. South Carolina

    3. Alabama

    4. Tennessee

    5. Ohio

  8. Before Sunrise (1995)

    Domestic Box Office: $5,274,005

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. Washington

    2. Maine

    3. Virginia

    4. Illinois

    5. Hawaii

    6. Texas

    7. Minnesota

  9. Titanic (1997)

    Domestic Box Office: $659,363,944

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. Alaska

    2. North Dakota

    3. Iowa

    4. Michigan

    5. Oklahoma

    6. Kansas

  10. The Notebook (2004)

    Domestic Box Office: $81,001,787

    Favorite romance film, in order, in:

    1. North Carolina

    2. Mississippi

    3. West Virginia

References:

  1. Rotten Tomatoes. “TOP 100 ROMANCE MOVIES”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  2. Google Trends. “Casablanca Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  3. Google Trends. “The Shape of Water 2017 Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  4. Google Trends. “Call Me By Your Name Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  5. Google Trends. “West Side Story 2021 Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  6. Google Trends. “Her Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  7. Google Trends. “Annie Hall 1997 Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  8. Google Trends. “Gone With The Wind Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  9. Google Trends. “Before Sunrise 1995 Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  10. Google Trends. “Titanic 1997 Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  11. Google Trends. “The Notebook 2004 Film”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  12. The Numbers. “Casablanca (1943)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  13. The Numbers. “The Shape of Water (2017)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  14. The Numbers. “Call Me By Your Name (2017)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  15. The Numbers. “West Side Story (2021)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  16. The Numbers. “Her (2014)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  17. The Numbers. “Annie Hall (1977)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  18. The Numbers. “Gone With The Wind (1939)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  19. The Numbers. “Before Sunrise (1995)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  20. The Numbers. “Titanic (1997)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

  21. The Numbers. “The Notebook (2004)”. Accessed on January 15, 2022

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Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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