Looks like Midwest is best.
This U.S. State Has the Most Powerball Lottery Winners
Updated on Jun. 18, 2024
Whenever the Powerball jackpot gets over a certain amount, it’s natural to imagine what you’d do if you won. Buy a new car? Give some of your winnings to family and friends? Do nothing different at all? The options are limitless, even if the scenario is very, very unlikely—the odds of winning big are about 1 in 292.2 million.
Still, there are a few things you can do to improve your chance. Obviously, you’ll want to buy as many tickets as possible, play every draw, do some research on the most winning lottery numbers, and read up on what life after lotto is like. But in addition to flooding the game with your own numbers, you’ll also want to be strategic about where you buy your tickets. Turns out, some states are simply more likely to win than others.
Which state has the most Powerball winners?
According to World Population Review, the state with the most Powerball winners is Indiana, with 39 wins since 1992.
Of course, an important factor in how many wins a state has is how long it’s been in the Powerball lottery. Currently, 45 states participate. However, when the game launched in April 1992, just 14 states (Indiana, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kentucky, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Missouri) and Washington, D.C. played along.
It’s also wise to look at which states are statistical outliers on the unlucky side. Iowa, for example, started the Powerball in 1992 and has just 9 wins, the same number as California, which started in 2013.
Check out the full list of the top 20 Powerball-winning states:
1. Indiana
Wins: 39
Year started: 1992
2. Missouri
Wins: 31
Year started: 1992
3. Minnesota
Wins: 22
Year started: 1992
4. Kentucky
Wins: 18
Year started: 1992
5. Pennsylvania
Wins: 18
Year started: 2002
6. Wisconsin
Wins: 17
Year started: 1992
7. Louisiana
Wins: 17
Year started: 1995
8. Florida
Wins: 13
Year started: 2009
9. Arizona
Wins: 13
Year started: 1994
10. New York
Wins: 11
Year started: 2010
11. New Hampshire
Wins: 11
Year started: 1995
12. Kansas
Wins: 11
Year started: 1992
13. Nebraska
Wins: 10
Year started: 1994
14. Delaware
Wins: 10
Year started: 1992
15. New Jersey
Wins: 9
Year started: 2010
16. Iowa
Wins: 9
Year started: 1992
17. California
Wins: 9
Year started: 2013
18. West Virginia
Wins: 8
Year started: 1992
19. Rhode Island
Wins: 8
Year started: 1992
20. Connecticut
Wins: 8
Year started: 1995
Although not a state, the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C. has had 11 Powerball winners (which ties it with 10th, 11th, and 12th) and started in 1992. The states where you can’t buy Powerball tickets are Hawaii, Alaska, Alabama, Nevada, and Utah.
Next, read about the man who rigged the lottery five times before he was caught.
Sources:
- World Population Review: “Powerball Winners By State 2021”
- Powerball: “About Powerball”
