International Podcast Day: America’s favorite podcasts and listening habits
Do you listen to your favorite podcast while cleaning or during your #hotgirlwalk? You’re not the only one. Last month, 135 million Americans tuned in to a podcast – that’s 15 million more than the average monthly listeners in 2023 [Backlinko]!
International Podcast Day is coming up on September 30th, and we’re tuning in by unveiling America’s favorite podcasts and listening habits! We surveyed 3,000 podcast listeners to determine what podcasts each state is obsessed with. So grab your headphones and hit play!
Key Findings:
- The Joe Rogan Experience tops the charts as America’s most popular podcast, ranking #1 in 23 states
- Crime Junkie takes 2nd place overall, followed by This American Life in 3rd place
- On average, Americans listen to their favorite podcasts for 4.1 hours per week
- Americans prefer to listen to podcasts while doing chores
- 53.2% of listeners enjoy podcasts for entertainment reasons
Each state’s favorite podcast
The Joe Rogan Experience is the nation’s favorite podcast, with 23 states naming it their top pick. With over 1,000 high-profile guests (Elon Musk, Dwayne Johnson, and Mike Tyson to name a few), Rogan’s podcast has amassed a huge following: 16 million on YouTube, 1 million on the /JoeRogan subreddit, and 350+ million views from his top 10 episodes on YouTube. Earlier this year, he renewed his Spotify deal for $250 million, proving he’s not just popular, but also a podcast powerhouse.
Crime Junkie, you’re under arrest…for being the 2nd most popular podcast in America! Six states are guilty of loving the popular true crime podcast. Since its launch in 2017, the true crime sensation has released over 500 episodes and racked up over 1 billion downloads. Listeners are hooked by the gripping storytelling of Ashely Flowers and Elizabeth Smart, whose detailed breakdowns of criminal cases keep listeners on the edge of their seats. It’s no mystery why Crime Junkie is a podcast favorite!
Coming in at 3rd place, This American Life is a crowd favorite, according to 9.8% of respondents. The true story podcast tells stories that plays out like cinematic movies – full of personal stories, surprising plot twists, and humor, keeping listeners coming back for more. Unlike Crime Junkie, This American Life offers a lighter, more uplifting listen. With over 3.5 million listeners tuning in each week, it’s the perfect podcast to hit ‘play’ when you’re wanting a comforting story.
Rounding out the top 5 national podcast favorites, the true crime thriller Dateline NBC takes 4th place, while the news-focused podcast, The Daily, secures 5th place. Whether you’re in the mood for spine-chilling criminal investigations or staying up to date on current events, these podcasts help keep listeners informed every step of the way.
Here are the rest of the podcast rankings: Call Her Daddy (6th), Ramsey Show (7th), Stuff You Should Know (8th), Club Shay Shay (9th), New Highest with Jason and Travis Kelce (10th), This Past Weekend w/Theo Von (11th), MrBallen Podcast (12th), Serial (13th), Mordbid (14th), Smartless (15th).
America’s podcast listening habits
On average, Americans spend about 4.1 hours each week listening to podcasts. That’s equivalent to listening to the US national anthem 124 times, running a full marathon (for an average runner), or binge-watching a six-episode TV season!
Why are people pressing play so often? Over half (53.2%) listen for pure entertainment, while nearly a quarter (23.7%) use podcasts to learn. About 19.8% like to pop on their headphones to pass time while doing tasks, while 2.9% finds inspiration in podcasts. Only a small 0.5% cited ‘other’ reasons.
So, when do Americans like to tune in? The top spot goes to chores (35.7%), making vacuuming or laundry folding a little more bearable. 20.5% listen during their commute, while 12.6% are skipping their playlist for podcasts during their #hotgirlwalk or workout. Only 11.7% listen while at work. Surprisingly, 10.4% drift off with podcasts before bed – hopefully not true crime podcasts! About 5.6% like to listen while eating, and 3.4% cited ‘other’ reasons.
Who’s listening? The states hooked on podcasts – and those not so much
From our survey, we crunched the numbers to see which states rack up the most/least hours each week in podcast listening.
Here’s how much time residents in these top states spends spend with their favorite shows:
#1 Delaware – 7 hours
#2 Kansas – 6.6 hours
#3 Oklahoma – 6.1 hours
#4 Washington – 5.8 hours
#5 Oregon – 5.6 hours
Here’s how little time residents in these states spend listening to their favorite podcasts:
#1 Rhode Island – 1.9 hours
#2 West Virginia – 2 hours
#3 (TIED) Kentucky, New Mexico – 2.4 hours
#4 Louisiana – 2.9 hours
#5 (TIED) North Dakota, Nevada, Maine – 3 hours
That’s a wrap!
In the end, it’s clear that the podcast industry is booming in America—there’s truly something for everyone! Whether you’re into true crime, comedy, sports, daily news, or even a little gossip, there’s a podcast waiting for you. Celebrate International Podcast Day by tuning into your favorite show or discovering one of these popular picks. Happy listening!
Methodology
In September 2024, we conducted a nationwide survey of 3,000 American podcast listeners. The average age of respondents was 36.7 years old. The representative sample comprised of 59.7% female, 38.5% male, 1.5% non-binary, and 0.4% transgender.
We used Edison Research’s top 50 podcasts in the US (2024) to determine our seed list. We took the top 15 podcasts with the most total audience reach each week.
Please note that Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming were not included in the study due to insufficient data.
Fair use
Feel free to use the data or visuals on this page for non-commercial purposes. Please be sure to include proper attribution linking back to this page to give credit to the authors.
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