New Data Reveals Where U.S. Investors Are Using AI The Most

TL;DR

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Investing.com’s analysis of 12 months of U.S. user activity ranks California first for AI-related investing, followed by Ohio and Colorado in a tie. Florida had the highest activity in AI-assisted investment research, while Pennsylvania led in engagement with AI-focused stocks; the index measures platform activity, not investment performance.

California ranks first in Investing.com’s new state-by-state analysis of AI-related investing activity, while Ohio and Colorado tie for second. The index draws on 12 months of user activity involving AI investment research and engagement with AI-focused stocks, adjusted for audience size in each state.

Florida and Texas round out the top five, according to the release. Utah, Hawaii, Michigan and Minnesota also appear in the top 10. New York ranks 13th, and New Jersey ranks 27th, placing both below states more commonly associated with technology or financial markets.

The analysis separates two types of activity. Florida recorded the highest activity in AI-assisted investment research among states included, while Pennsylvania led in engagement with AI-focused stocks. The research activity included investor use of AI to explore stock statistics, technical analysis, company news, economic events, dividends and financial statements.

Investing.com said it adjusted activity for each state’s audience size. The release does not provide the full state-by-state scores or the exact dates covered by the 12-month period. The index reflects activity on the platform, rather than a direct measure of how many residents use AI, whether their investment decisions performed well, or how AI use compares with all investors in each state.

AI Investing Beyond Wall Street

The ranking suggests that activity in AI-assisted investing is not concentrated only in established financial and technology centers. Ohio and Colorado’s joint second-place position, alongside Florida’s research activity and Pennsylvania’s stock engagement, points to participation across states with different economic profiles.

For retail investors, AI tools can help organize and explore financial information, but platform activity does not show whether users rely on the tools appropriately or make better decisions. The index measures engagement, not accuracy or returns. Its geographic findings are useful as a snapshot of activity, but should not be read as evidence that residents of higher-ranked states are more successful investors.

The study also provides a limited view of how access to research tools may be changing. Investing.com’s analyst argues that AI may make some financial information easier for individual investors to examine. That is an interpretation of the platform’s data, not a finding that the analysis independently tests.

How Investing.com Built the Index

Investing.com says its AI Investing Index analyzed 12 months of user activity in the United States, combining use of AI for investment research with engagement involving AI-focused stocks. State results were adjusted for audience size. The release does not explain the weighting assigned to each measure or publish the underlying state-level values in its summary.

The announcement also cites a separate survey conducted in March 2026. It says 62% of U.S. retail investors surveyed had used AI to help inform an investment decision, and more than half expected their use to increase. The release does not identify the survey’s sample size, methodology or field dates, so those figures should be treated as survey results rather than a census of U.S. investors.

The company places the U.S. state ranking within a wider international index. It says the United States ranked 19th among 66 qualifying countries, behind a global top five of Italy, Poland, Israel, Chile and Argentina. The release does not provide enough detail to compare national scores or explain how country and state rankings relate.

What the State Data Cannot Show

The exact 12-month measurement window is not stated in the news release, and the summary does not include state scores, sample sizes or the index’s detailed weighting. Those omissions make it difficult to judge how large the gaps between states are or how sensitive the ranking may be to the method used.

It is also unclear how representative Investing.com’s users are of investors in each state. Activity on one platform may not reflect use of other AI tools or broader investor behavior. The data does not establish that AI use improves investment decisions, reduces risk or leads to higher returns.

The cited March 2026 survey adds a separate measure of reported use, but the announcement provides no survey methodology. The figures therefore cannot, on the information released, be independently assessed for representativeness or compared directly with the platform-based index.

Full Scores and Methods to Watch

Investing.com directs readers to a full U.S. ranking and the complete AI Investing Index dataset. Those materials may provide further detail on state scores and methodology, although the announcement does not specify when additional information will be released.

Further methodological detail will be needed to assess how the index weights research and stock engagement, which dates its 12-month window covers, and how user activity is normalized. Until then, the published rankings offer a snapshot of activity on Investing.com, not a definitive measure of AI investing across the country.

Key Questions

Which state ranks first for AI-related investing activity?

California ranks first in Investing.com’s index, which combines platform activity related to AI investment research and engagement with AI-focused stocks.

Which states are second in the ranking?

Ohio and Colorado tie for second, followed by Florida and Texas in the top five, according to the release.

Which states lead the two activity categories?

Florida had the highest activity in AI-assisted investment research, while Pennsylvania led engagement with AI-focused stocks.

Where does New York rank?

New York ranks 13th in the state index. New Jersey ranks 27th, according to Investing.com.

Does the ranking show that AI improves investment results?

No. The index tracks user activity on Investing.com; it does not measure investment returns, decision accuracy or whether AI use makes investors more successful.

Source: primary