Search data · Beach safety
America's Beach Fears (2026)
What Americans worry about at the beach, measured by what they search for: estimated Google searches for nine beach fears in every state, adjusted for population, over the 12 months to September 2026.
By Laurence Tuchin, Founder, SurfSpotGuide
Americans search about sharks more than rip currents (about 25,900 a month), although rip currents killed 44 times as many people on US ocean coasts from 2010 to 2025, according to the National Weather Service and the International Shark Attack File.
- Google searches a month about sunburn, the most-searched beach worry
- 117,000
- where drowning is the standout beach fear, all of them inland
- 12 states
- the US rate: Oregon's searches about big waves and sneaker waves, the highest of any state
- 4×
Key takeaways
- 01Sunburn was the most-searched beach worry in the US in the 12 months to September 2026: about 117,000 Google searches a month, according to Google Ads search estimates analysed by SurfSpotGuide.
- 02Americans searched about sharks more than rip currents (about 29,500 vs 25,900 searches a month, not counting "shark attack", which Google doesn't report), although rip currents killed 44 times as many people as sharks on US ocean coasts from 2010 to 2025 (National Weather Service and ISAF data).
- 03Oregon searched about big waves and sneaker waves 4× as much per person as the US average, more than any other state, according to Google Ads search estimates analysed by SurfSpotGuide.
- 04Delaware (7.2× the US average) and Hawaii (7.2×) searched about jellyfish stings more per person than any other state, according to Google Ads search estimates analysed by SurfSpotGuide.
- 05Drowning was the standout beach fear in 12 states, none of them on the ocean: searches like "dry drowning" and "drowning signs" took a bigger share of their beach-fear searches than of the nation's.
What is each state's biggest beach fear?
It depends on the coast. The most common standout is drowning (12 states), then jellyfish, stingrays & other stings (11) and big waves (6). Rip currents lead only in Florida and North Carolina; sharks in Nevada, New Mexico and New York.
The fear that takes a bigger share of the state's beach-fear searches than of the nation's. States with fewer than 7 fears at 50+ searches a month are grey. Hover or tap a state for the figure.
Show the numbers
| Standout fear | States |
|---|---|
| Drowning | Arkansas (Drowning, 1.3×), Colorado (Drowning, 1.2×), Idaho (Drowning, 1.4×), Illinois (Drowning, 1.2×), Iowa (Drowning, 1.4×), Kansas (Drowning, 1.4×), Minnesota (Drowning, 1.4×), Missouri (Drowning, 1.4×), Montana (Drowning, 1.4×), Nebraska (Drowning, 1.3×), Oklahoma (Drowning, 1.4×), Wisconsin (Drowning, 1.4×) |
| Jellyfish, stingrays & other stings | Alabama (Jellyfish stings, 1.4×), Arizona (Stingrays, 1.6×), Delaware (Jellyfish stings, 3.1×), Hawaii (Jellyfish stings, 2.4×), Maryland (Jellyfish stings, 1.7×), New Jersey (Other sea creatures, 1.8×), Pennsylvania (Other sea creatures, 1.2×), South Carolina (Jellyfish stings, 2.5×), Texas (Jellyfish stings, 1.2×), Utah (Stingrays, 1.5×), Virginia (Jellyfish stings, 1.2×) |
| Big waves | California (Big waves, 2.9×), Maine (Big waves, 1.4×), Massachusetts (Big waves, 1.4×), New Hampshire (Big waves, 1.5×), Oregon (Big waves, 5.1×), Washington (Big waves, 2.4×) |
| Sunburn | Indiana (Sunburn, 1.5×), Kentucky (Sunburn, 1.4×), Michigan (Sunburn, 1.4×), Ohio (Sunburn, 1.4×), Tennessee (Sunburn, 1.3×), West Virginia (Sunburn, 1.4×) |
| Bacteria & dirty water | Connecticut (Bacteria & dirty water, 1.2×), Georgia (Bacteria & dirty water, 1.2×), Louisiana (Bacteria & dirty water, 1.6×), Mississippi (Bacteria & dirty water, 2.1×), Rhode Island (Bacteria & dirty water, 1.2×) |
| Sharks | Nevada (Sharks, 1.4×), New Mexico (Sharks, 1.6×), New York (Sharks, 1.2×) |
| Rip currents | Florida (Rip currents, 1.4×), North Carolina (Rip currents, 1.4×) |
Source: SurfSpotGuide analysis of Google Ads search estimates (DataForSEO), October 2025 – September 2026. All states as CSV.
What is America's biggest beach fear?
By search volume, sunburn: about 117,000 searches a month, ahead of bacteria & dirty water (91,900). Sharks get about 29,500 and rip currents about 25,900.
- Sunburn117,000
- Bacteria & dirty water91,900
- Jellyfish stings51,000
- Other sea creatures46,800
- Sharks29,500
- Rip currents25,900
- Drowning21,700
- Stingrays21,600
- Big waves9,650
Each fear is the sum of its search phrases (listed in the methodology). Source: Google Ads via DataForSEO.
Which states worry most about sharks?
Per person, Florida searches about sharks the most (13.7 searches a month per 100,000 residents, 1.5× the US average). Vermont and West Virginia, with no ocean coast, make the top 10. Sharks are the standout beach fear in Nevada and New Mexico, which have no ocean coast at all.
- Florida13.7
- Maine11.9
- Hawaii11.8
- Vermont (no coast)10.6
- Delaware10.4
- Rhode Island10.3
- Alabama9.9
- West Virginia (no coast)9.9
- Connecticut9.7
- Massachusetts9.7
Small states rest on small numbers, so read close values as ties.
Are Americans afraid of the right things?
Not quite. Rip currents killed 667 people on US ocean coasts from 2010 to 2025, sharks 15: 44 times as many. Yet sharks get more searches than rip currents, about 29,500 a month against 25,900.
| Searches a month (US) | Deaths on US ocean coasts, 2010 to 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sharks | 29,500 | 15 |
| Rip currents | 25,900 | 667 |
Deaths: National Weather Service surf-zone fatalities (rip currents) and the International Shark Attack File (unprovoked fatal bites), 50 states. See America's most dangerous beaches.
Where do people worry about big waves?
Oregon, where sneaker waves (sudden surges that run far up the beach) regularly sweep people into the sea. It searches about big waves 4× as much per person as the US average, and they are its standout beach fear by the widest margin of any state (5.1× their national share).
When do Americans worry most about sharks and rip currents?
Rip currents and jellyfish are summer worries: searches for them in the quietest month were 24% and 14% of their peaks in July and August. Sharks never go away: even the quietest month had 65% of the July peak.
Show the numbers
| Fear | Busiest month | Searches a month (average) |
|---|---|---|
| Sunburn | June | 117,000 |
| Bacteria & dirty water | August | 91,900 |
| Jellyfish stings | August | 51,000 |
| Other sea creatures | August | 46,800 |
| Sharks | July | 29,500 |
| Rip currents | July | 25,900 |
| Drowning | September | 21,700 |
| Stingrays | October | 21,600 |
| Big waves | June | 9,650 |
How does my state compare?
Searches a month per 100,000 residents for each fear, with the state's standout fear. Compare states down a column: within a row, the biggest number is usually just the most-searched fear nationally.
| State | Standout fear | Sharks | Rip currents | Jellyfish stings | Drowning | Bacteria & dirty water | Sunburn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Jellyfish stings (1.4×) | 9.9 | 12.4 | 31 | 7.6 | 50.4 | 45.2 |
| Alaska | – | 9 | 5.2 | 7.6 | 5.3 | 24.4 | 16.2 |
| Arizona | Stingrays (1.6×) | 8.9 | 4.3 | 8.5 | 5.8 | 20.2 | 27.4 |
| Arkansas | Drowning (1.3×) | 7.3 | 4.3 | 7.9 | 6.4 | 22.2 | 30.6 |
| California | Big waves (2.9×) | 7.3 | 9.2 | 10 | 5 | 24.4 | 23.7 |
| Colorado | Drowning (1.2×) | 8.8 | 4.8 | 9.9 | 6.6 | 24.1 | 31 |
| Connecticut | Bacteria & dirty water (1.2×) | 9.7 | 5.9 | 10.5 | 6.4 | 31.2 | 30.1 |
| Delaware | Jellyfish stings (3.1×) | 10.4 | 9.2 | 110.8 | 8.5 | 34.3 | 43.7 |
| District of Columbia | Jellyfish stings (1.7×) | 14.8 | 13.1 | 49.9 | 11.3 | 53.9 | 47.9 |
| Florida | Rip currents (1.4×) | 13.7 | 20 | 33.4 | 6.9 | 48.4 | 62.2 |
| Georgia | Bacteria & dirty water (1.2×) | 9.4 | 7.9 | 16 | 7.7 | 33 | 33.2 |
| Hawaii | Jellyfish stings (2.4×) | 11.8 | 24.8 | 110.4 | 8.9 | 33.7 | 90.2 |
| Idaho | Drowning (1.4×) | 6.4 | 4 | 7.8 | 6.3 | 20.6 | 23.7 |
| Illinois | Drowning (1.2×) | 7.1 | 5.3 | 8.8 | 5.9 | 21.9 | 32 |
| Indiana | Sunburn (1.5×) | 7.9 | 4.9 | 8 | 7 | 21.2 | 45.1 |
| Iowa | Drowning (1.4×) | 6.9 | 3.9 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 19.2 | 30.9 |
| Kansas | Drowning (1.4×) | 8.4 | 4.1 | 7.9 | 6.4 | 20.1 | 29.2 |
| Kentucky | Sunburn (1.4×) | 8.2 | 4.2 | 8.8 | 7.6 | 24.5 | 43.8 |
| Louisiana | Bacteria & dirty water (1.6×) | 7.8 | 6.6 | 15.7 | 7.1 | 43.1 | 27.6 |
| Maine | Big waves (1.4×) | 11.9 | 7.1 | 14.7 | 8 | 32.1 | 37.1 |
| Maryland | Jellyfish stings (1.7×) | 9.2 | 7.3 | 32.7 | 7 | 34.1 | 28 |
| Massachusetts | Big waves (1.4×) | 9.7 | 8.6 | 14 | 6.6 | 30.9 | 34.6 |
| Michigan | Sunburn (1.4×) | 8.1 | 4.6 | 7 | 6.2 | 19.4 | 37.9 |
| Minnesota | Drowning (1.4×) | 7 | 4.5 | 7.5 | 6.4 | 22 | 28.2 |
| Mississippi | Bacteria & dirty water (2.1×) | 6.2 | 4.7 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 59.3 | 25.2 |
| Missouri | Drowning (1.4×) | 8.4 | 4.7 | 8.6 | 7.2 | 22.7 | 34 |
| Montana | Drowning (1.4×) | 7.4 | 4.3 | 7.5 | 6.3 | 20.8 | 25 |
| Nebraska | Drowning (1.3×) | 7 | 4.5 | 7.5 | 6 | 19.5 | 31.3 |
| Nevada | Sharks (1.4×) | 9.1 | 5 | 8.3 | 6 | 22 | 25.3 |
| New Hampshire | Big waves (1.5×) | 9.7 | 5.6 | 11.5 | 7.9 | 26.4 | 34 |
| New Jersey | Other sea creatures (1.8×) | 9.5 | 8.2 | 17 | 6 | 23.8 | 31.3 |
| New Mexico | Sharks (1.6×) | 8 | 3.6 | 7.1 | 4.7 | 17.9 | 17.1 |
| New York | Sharks (1.2×) | 9.3 | 7 | 11.5 | 6 | 26.7 | 28.1 |
| North Carolina | Rip currents (1.4×) | 9.6 | 14.5 | 25.1 | 8.6 | 32.5 | 51.1 |
| North Dakota | – | 6.4 | 4.5 | 8.5 | 6.5 | 19.3 | 31.7 |
| Ohio | Sunburn (1.4×) | 8.5 | 5.4 | 8.8 | 7 | 21.9 | 42.1 |
| Oklahoma | Drowning (1.4×) | 7.7 | 4 | 7.6 | 6.8 | 19.8 | 33.1 |
| Oregon | Big waves (5.1×) | 9 | 4.8 | 8 | 6.4 | 23 | 21.9 |
| Pennsylvania | Other sea creatures (1.2×) | 9.7 | 5.3 | 14.2 | 7 | 24.2 | 37.8 |
| Rhode Island | Bacteria & dirty water (1.2×) | 10.3 | 8.7 | 9.5 | 6.5 | 34.5 | 36.1 |
| South Carolina | Jellyfish stings (2.5×) | 9.2 | 15.1 | 64.5 | 8.1 | 32 | 53.9 |
| South Dakota | – | 7.1 | 4.1 | 8.2 | 6.1 | 19.3 | 29.3 |
| Tennessee | Sunburn (1.3×) | 8.4 | 4.7 | 9.5 | 7.4 | 26.7 | 40.7 |
| Texas | Jellyfish stings (1.2×) | 8.9 | 6.1 | 18.5 | 6.8 | 29.9 | 28.9 |
| Utah | Stingrays (1.5×) | 7.4 | 4 | 9.4 | 6.6 | 19.1 | 28.2 |
| Vermont | – | 10.6 | 5.1 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 24.1 | 28.1 |
| Virginia | Jellyfish stings (1.2×) | 9.2 | 9.1 | 20 | 7.4 | 33.1 | 36 |
| Washington | Big waves (2.4×) | 7.9 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 6.1 | 27.3 | 19.5 |
| West Virginia | Sunburn (1.4×) | 9.9 | 4.4 | 10.4 | 6.7 | 23.3 | 44.7 |
| Wisconsin | Drowning (1.4×) | 6.2 | 4.7 | 7.1 | 6.3 | 20.6 | 27.8 |
| Wyoming | – | 7.8 | 4.3 | 7.6 | 6.2 | 18.7 | 28.6 |
50 states and DC. The CSV adds stingrays, big waves and other sea creatures, raw search counts and each state's index vs the US. Download the CSV.
Definitions
- Searches a month
- Google Ads' estimate of average monthly Google searches over the 12 months, rounded by Google (small numbers come in steps such as 50, 70, 90).
- Per 100,000 residents
- Monthly searches divided by the state's 2020 Census population, times 100,000, so big states don't win by size alone.
- Index vs US
- A state's searches per person for a fear divided by the national figure. 2× means twice the US rate.
- Standout fear
- The fear with the biggest share of a state's beach-fear searches compared with its share nationally. It shows what a state worries about more than the rest of the country, not what it searches most.
Methodology
We grouped search phrases into nine beach fears and pulled Google Ads' estimated monthly search volume for every phrase in the US as a whole, each of the 50 states and DC. A fear's volume is the sum of its phrases. Phrases are generic ("shark bite", never "shark bite florida") so every state is measured on the same words.
- Sharks: "shark attack", "shark bite", "are there sharks", "shark sighting", "shark attack statistics"
- Rip currents: "rip current", "how to escape a rip current", "what is a rip current", "rip current warning"
- Jellyfish stings: "jellyfish sting", "jellyfish sting treatment", "man o war sting", "portuguese man o war"
- Stingrays: "stingray sting", "stingray shuffle", "stingray sting treatment"
- Drowning: "dry drowning", "secondary drowning", "drowning signs"
- Bacteria & dirty water: "flesh eating bacteria", "vibrio", "red tide", "beach water quality", "is it safe to swim in the ocean"
- Sunburn: "sun poisoning", "sunburn relief"
- Big waves: "sneaker wave", "high surf advisory", "how to swim in waves"
- Other sea creatures: "sea lice", "barracuda attack", "crab bite", "sea urchin sting"
Left out on purpose: "riptide" (mostly searches for the Vance Joy song); "uv index" (a daily weather check rather than a worry); "how to tread water" (swimming lessons, not a beach fear); "jellyfish" (mostly aquariums and pets; only the sting searches are counted). Google reports no volume for "shark attack" and "portuguese man o war", so those phrases count as missing rather than zero; shark searches are therefore an undercount.
A state's standout fear compares the mix of its searches with the national mix, among fears with at least 50 searches a month there, and only where at least 7 of the nine fears clear that bar. Google rounds small volumes into steps, so figures for small states are approximate and close values should be read as ties.
Sources
- Google Ads search volume, via the DataForSEO API: pulled 2026-10-16, October 2025 – September 2026
- US Census Bureau, 2020 Census state populations
- National Weather Service surf-zone fatalities and the International Shark Attack File: for the searches vs deaths comparison
Frequently asked questions
Do more searches mean more danger?
No. Searches measure worry and curiosity, not risk. Rip currents kill far more people at US beaches than sharks do, but sharks get more searches.
What should I do if I am caught in a rip current?
Stay calm and float to conserve energy. Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then swim back at an angle. If you can't, face the shore, wave and call for help. Swim near a lifeguard whenever you can.
How often is this data updated?
Once a year, ahead of summer. The URL stays the same and earlier editions move to an archive on this page.
Related: America's most dangerous beaches and America's dirtiest beaches.
Use this data
Free to use with a credit
Need your state's numbers, a beach-by-beach list or a quote? Email Laurence Tuchin, Founder: laurence@surfspotguide.com.
Suggested citation
SurfSpotGuide (2026). America's Beach Fears (2026). https://www.surfspotguide.com/surf-statistics/beach-fears
Download the full data (CSV)