U.S. States That Leave It Up To Chance the Most

From knowing when to place big bets on yourself to investing in high-risk assets, taking the right chances at the right time is an important skill when playing casino table games and or even navigating everyday life.

That got us thinking. Outside of the casino, how many chances are Americans taking? Are they taking big swings financially or leaving things up to chance when making career moves? Whether it’s investing in cryptocurrencies or something as benign as trying new foods, we wanted to learn more about where Americans are taking a chance.

We surveyed 2,200 people across the U.S. with scenario-based questions to find out in which parts of their lives they’re most and least likely to take a chance. Based on their responses, we developed a “chance score” where points were given based on how risky people were in each scenario we asked about. In the end, we determined the states where residents take the biggest chances and in what parts of their lives the average American is most willing to let the odds play out.

Let’s find out which U.S. states are home to residents most inclined to take chances. From embracing opportunities to making bold decisions, we’ve analyzed the data to reveal the states where leaving things up to chance is a way of life and some specific reasons as to why that’s the case.

States Where Residents Leave Things Up to Chance the Most

1. Iowa – With a chance-taking score of 74.5 out of 100, Iowa leads the pack. Residents from the Hawkeye State double down with confidence. 14% report being “likely” to place a significant amount of money on a single bet. Additionally, if they were to come into a large sum of money unexpectedly, only 6% would save a significant portion.
2. Idaho –  Coming in second with a score of 70.8, Idahoans demonstrate a fairly fearless approach to life, especially their work life. A whopping 55% would “likely” switch careers, even if it meant starting over in a new field entirely, 71% would happily move abroad for a dream job if needed, and 22% would take out a large loan to start their own business.
3. Oregon – Ranking third with a score of 66.7, Oregonians exhibit a penchant for adventure as they take the most chances when it comes to travel. 65% of Oregonians would likely take a trip abroad without any travel companions, and over one-third would gladly travel for an extended period of time without having any accommodations lined up ahead of time.
4. Washington – With a score of 64.6, Washington shares the Pacific Northwest chance-taking travel bug with Oregon. When planning trips, 47% of Washington residents might plan a few activities but like to leave the bulk of their experience in unplanned exploration. 23% say the lowest star rating they’d accept for a hotel on a trip would be 1 or 2 stars, among the highest percentage accepting that low of a rating in our study.
5. Virginia – Rounding out the top five on our chance-taking scale with a score of 64.2 is Virginia. Residents display a readiness to take their chances on a few fronts. 17% would purchase a home they wanted without seeing it in person first, over 80% happily try exotic foods when they can, and nearly 60% would go bungee jumping or skydiving.

States Where Residents Leave things Up to chance the Least

1. Missouri – Scoring a mere 17.5 out of 100, Missouri residents are the least inclined to take chances, both big and small. 72% would be “unlikely” to swipe their credit card if they thought there was even a chance it would be declined, and 82% would be reluctant to invest in high-risk, high-reward real estate markets, among the highest percentages in the study.
2. Connecticut – With a score of 26.3, Connecticut ranks second in chance-avoidance. Residents tend to exhibit financial prudence as 83% would be uncomfortable investing in high-risk assets like volatile stocks or cryptocurrencies, and 79% of residents have a fund set aside in case of emergencies, a much higher percentage than most other states. Additionally, 75% would never even consider skydiving (a larger percentage than in any other state).
3. Pennsylvania – Coming in third with a score of 28.2, Pennsylvanians are wary of leaving things to chance, especially in the real estate market. 90% would be unwilling to take on a mortgage with variable interest rates for lower initial payments, and only 7% would have any level of interest in investing in high-risk real estate opportunities.
4. Massachusetts – With a score of 28.8, Massachusetts residents lean towards security in their work-related decision-making. 55% of Massachusetts residents would never consider moving abroad for their dream job and 53% have never once quit a job without already having another one lined up, both among the highest percentages in the study.
5. Tennessee – Ranking fifth with a score of 33.6, Tennessee residents dislike leaving things up to chance in different aspects of their lives. For example, if they came into a large sum of money, 35% of Tennesseeans would put every penny of it into savings, 45% would never even consider traveling abroad alone, and the lowest star rating an accommodation can have for 30% of them would be 4 stars.

Next, we’ll take a look at Americans as a whole to discover where chances are being taken most often.