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We have done some in-depth research to find out exactly which English Premier League is the most popular in the United States, and which is the most supported in every state.
To get our results, we have looked at the size and number of supporters clubs for EPL teams in each state. We’ve also analyzed social media output and web traffic to sites related to the teams, as well as taking overall internet search volumes into account. Finally, we have factored in the sales of Premier League club merchandise in every state in order to get our final results.
As you would expect, the traditional powerhouses of English soccer top the tables, but there are some surprises, and one state in particular has bucked the trend and follows a much less-fashionable team than the others.
To start with, let’s take an overall look at the most supported EPL teams across the United States. As you can see, Manchester United tops the chart as America’s most popular English team, as it has most support in 14 states across the nation. Next comes Liverpool with 11 states, Arsenal with 9 and Chelsea is the number one EPL team in a respectable 8 states.
| EPL Team | Number of States Supporting |
|---|---|
| Manchester United | 14 |
| Liverpool | 11 |
| Arsenal | 9 |
| Chelsea | 8 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 5 |
| Crystal Palace | 1 |
| Manchester City | 1 |
Arsenal’s London rivals Tottenham Hotspur have earned the support of 5 states, despite not being able to call themselves league champions since all the way back in 1961. Manchester City have been a dominant force over the past number of years; since the 2011/12 season they have won the Premier League title 8 times. However, this hasn’t translated into enormous support Stateside, where just one state counts City as their number one English team. By the way, Wrexham don’t make it onto this list since they aren’t (yet) a Premier League team, although given the popularity of the documentary series there is no doubt they have a huge following in the US.
Meanwhile, the real surprise team to appear on the list is Crystal Palace. This London club was formed back in 1861, but in all that time has never won a top-flight league title or even a cup competition. That hasn’t stopped one state from taking Palace to their hearts – as we will discover below!
Here is the full table showing every state and the English team which is most supported in that state. Alabama, Alaska, Texas and Georgia are among the majority of United-supporting states, while Liverpool has lots of fans in places like New York, Massachusetts and Washington. Arsenal finds the bulk of their support in states which include Arizona and California, while Delaware and Iowa residents follow the Blues of Chelsea. New Jersey is the only state to adopt serial winners Man City, while Colorado has somehow fallen in love with the Eagles of Crystal Palace!
In a separate piece of research using the Deep Research AI tool, we have crunched the numbers to find the states where soccer has the biggest following. You will see this indicated in the ‘Ranking’ column below, where 1 is the most soccer-crazy state (Massachusetts) and 50 the state where soccer fans are harder to find (Wyoming). These rankings were determined by compiling data from Google searches, merchandise sales, participation in soccer, viewing figures, local teams and attendances. The ranking is based on percentages of soccer fans in the state rather than simply numbers, to give a more accurate impression.
| State | Favorite EPL Team | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Manchester United | 41 |
| Alaska | Manchester United | 49 |
| Arizona | Arsenal | 22 |
| Arkansas | Arsenal | 35 |
| California | Arsenal | 9 |
| Colorado | Crystal Palace | 30 |
| Connecticut | Liverpool | 6 |
| Delaware | Chelsea | 42 |
| Florida | Liverpool | 24 |
| Georgia | Manchester United | 26 |
| Hawaii | Chelsea | 37 |
| Idaho | Arsenal | 44 |
| Illinois | Chelsea | 18 |
| Indiana | Chelsea | 15 |
| Iowa | Chelsea | 16 |
| Kansas | Manchester United | 21 |
| Kentucky | Liverpool | 27 |
| Louisiana | Liverpool | 17 |
| Maine | Tottenham Hotspur | 45 |
| Maryland | Arsenal | 5 |
| Massachusetts | Liverpool | 1 |
| Michigan | Manchester United | 31 |
| Minnesota | Liverpool | 12 |
| Mississippi | Manchester United | 43 |
| Missouri | Manchester United | 3 |
| Montana | Tottenham Hotspur | 48 |
| Nebraska | Manchester United | 11 |
| Nevada | Manchester United | 10 |
| New Hampshire | Liverpool | 33 |
| New Jersey | Manchester City | 2 |
| New Mexico | Arsenal | 36 |
| New York | Liverpool | 19 |
| North Carolina | Chelsea | 25 |
| North Dakota | Tottenham Hotspur | 47 |
| Ohio | Chelsea | 4 |
| Oklahoma | Tottenham Hotspur | 39 |
| Oregon | Arsenal | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | Chelsea | 7 |
| Rhode Island | Manchester United | 13 |
| South Carolina | Chelsea | 38 |
| South Dakota | Liverpool | 46 |
| Tennessee | Manchester United | 34 |
| Texas | Manchester United | 14 |
| Utah | Arsenal | 8 |
| Vermont | Manchester United | 29 |
| Virginia | Arsenal | 23 |
| Washington | Liverpool | 32 |
| West Virginia | Manchester United | 20 |
| Wisconsin | Liverpool | 28 |
| Wyoming | Tottenham Hotspur | 50 |
Now we will take a closer look at each state individually, and find out exactly what has led them to support a particular English team. Including what has led the residents of Colorado to fall in love with London’s fifth-most-popular team!
Alabama is one of many states to boast a large following of Man United supporters, despite the fact that the team has not enjoyed too much success in the past decade or so. Still, the glory years under Sir Alex Ferguson appealed to generations of fans Stateside, and coupled with the club’s impressive marketing outreach they have found a strong support base in Alabama. There was a strange suggestion in 2023 that Hull City was the most popular English team in Alabama. However, this seems to have been a mistake based on searches for local teams with the same ‘Tigers’ nickname, as can be evidenced by the fact that recent search volume shows 12,000 average monthly searches for Manchester United as compared to just 110 for Hull City.
Another Man U. stronghold is to be found in America’s most northerly state, as Alaska has long been a base for fans of the Red Devils. There are no particular ties between the state and club; no supporter clubs or merchandising tie-ins. It simply seems that United’s global fame and appeal has led to them becoming Alaska’s favorite English soccer team.
The Gunners enjoy strong support in Arizona, evidenced by active supporters groups in Phoenix like the Arizona Gooners. Arsenal’s American ownership and recent on-field improvement have boosted their popularity here.
Gooner supporters’ clubs in Fayetteville and Little Rock keep the red flame burning in Arkansas. The years of success under Arsene Wenger have led to the growth of a committed fanbase in the state.
California has been a battleground between fans of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal, but based on the most recent search figures it’s the London team that has carved out the biggest support in the Sunshine State. This is borne out by the presence of hardcore Arsenal supporters’ groups in Carlsbad, Fresno, Long Beach, Orange County, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara and Santa Rosa. California is a soccer stronghold in America, as evidenced by just under 700,000 Google searches per month on related topics.
Now we come to the joker in the pack: Crystal Palace beating out the competition to become Colorado’s number one EPL team. Palace have ventured to American shores a number of times, playing around ten pre-season friendlies here over the years, albeit in cities like Chicago and Annapolis, and never in Colorado. Maybe we can put it down to missionary work by the local supporters group Colorado Palace, or the presence of US players like Matt Turner and Chris Richards in the Palace squad. Either way, research from 2024 shows that the more folk in Colorado visited Crystal Palace’s website than any other team, so until proven otherwise: Fly Eagles, Fly (to Colorado)!
Without an MLS team of its own to cheer on, Connecticut natives have been drawn to Premier League giants Liverpool. Liverpool FC runs an International Academy in Connecticut where young players can train ‘the Liverpool way’ under the eye of experienced coaches. All the while, supporters clubs in New Haven and Collinsville bring fans together from all over the state.
Chelsea make our alphabetical list for the first time, taking top spot in Delaware. Proximity to Chelsea-loving Pennsylvania may have contributed to the Blues’ popularity in this state, where Chelsea’s are the most-sold EPL shirts. Chelsea are the big fish swimming in the relatively small pool of soccer fans, as Delaware ranks a lowly 42nd in the nation when it comes to interest in the Beautiful Game.
Florida is a retirement destination for a huge number of ex-pat Brits, and clearly a good number of these count themselves as Liverpool fans. While there is also sizable support for Man United in FL, Liverpool comes out on top as the state’s favorite English team. The Reds have supporter groups in five different cities, from Jacksonville to Miami, and Liverpool have run youth training camps in South Florida.
Despite Atlanta having it’s own popular MLS team, Manchester United’s popularity runs deep in Georgia. Years of Premier League broadcasts created a large United fan base, and although they may be outnumbered by fans of the local (Atlanta) United, the Manchester side maintain a fervent support. The Red Devils’ U.S. tours and iconic status keep them as the go-to EPL team for many Georgian soccer fans.
Hawaii is quite a unique state, and it hasn’t followed the United/Liverpool trend but instead its most popular EPL club is Chelsea. An analysis of jersey sales showed Chelsea performing strongly in Hawaii, indicating many island fans adopted the Blues – possibly due to Chelsea’s successful era in the 2000s and 2010s being televised when soccer interest grew locally.
In Idaho, Arsenal comes out on top. With no local professional teams, sports fans in Idaho gravitate to prominent national brands; Arsenal’s longstanding presence in American soccer culture and recent uptick in form give them an edge in Idaho over those other famous English clubs in red. The soccer market in Idaho is small, only a few thousand related searches about the sport per year which equates to about 0.47% of the population. However, it’s still a feather in the Arsenal cap to have captured the majority of that segment of the state!
Illinois (home to Chicago) has a broad soccer fanbase, but Chelsea has been notably popular. Per reporting in Tribuna.com, Illinois is a “blue state” with Chelsea leading the way in shirt sales. Star players and titles in the Abramovich era built a strong following here which has stayed strong to this day. Illinois is a very robust soccer state in terms of the sheer numbers of fans, even though in percentage terms it only gets to 18th in the list of soccer-loving states.
Similarly, Indiana leans towards Chelsea. The club’s success around the 2010s likely won many fans in the state. Indiana’s EPL followers have favored Chelsea in merchandise and support, again reflected in the 2019 merchandise sales data.
A hat-trick of states won over by the charms of Chelsea, as Iowa joins blue-loving Indiana and Illinois. This was another somewhat surprising finding, but reports showed Chelsea kit sales leading in Iowa, alongside strong online search indicators. The club’s consistent presence in UEFA Champions League and Premier League title races made it a fan favorite even in the Hawkeye State.
Kansas has embraced Manchester United as the favorite English team in the state. With no in-state pro soccer team, fans often choose globally famous clubs – and United’s record 13 EPL titles and stars like Rooney and Ronaldo (in years past) attracted a large contingent of Kansan fans.
Kentucky is more famous for horse racing than soccer, but the Liver Birds of Liverpool have found a home-away-from-home here. In Kentucky, Liverpool enjoys the most support. The club’s recent success under Jürgen Klopp (and perhaps the region’s affinity for the underdog-to-champion story) endeared the Reds to fans here. Liverpool’s U.S. fan surveys have shown strong pockets in the South in general and Kentucky in particular. Soccer interest in this state is around middle of the pack, helped by the local USL and college teams.
Louisiana, particularly around New Orleans, has a notable Liverpool following. The club’s passionate culture and anthem (“You’ll Never Walk Alone”) resonate in a state known for its music and spirit. After Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League win, their fanbase in Louisiana grew even more. Louisiana ranks 17th overall for its love of soccer, which may surprise some given the lack of a local team. However, clearly there is an interest in the game according to Google search trends, and a new USL (second-tier professional) team set up in 2022 looks to capitalize on this.
Maine is one of the states where Spurs fandom is surprisingly strong. Data from 2022 indicated Tottenham was the most searched-for EPL team in Maine. A dedicated community of Spurs supporters up north, combined with the club’s rise in the past decade, puts Tottenham in the number one position here.
Maryland is a hotbed of soccer in the States, with strong youth participation and a strong local MLS team in D.C. United. Arsenal has topped the table in Maryland, beating off their rivals to gain prominence here. Proximity to Washington D.C. – which has a huge Arsenal supporter group and even hosted Arsenal’s preseason tour – has helped the Gunners gain many Maryland fans. Of course Arsenal were flying high at around the same time when DC United started up in 1996, leading to a synergy between club and state.
Liverpool have regularly played Fenway Park in Boston due to their ownership ties with the Red Sox, with Dortmund, Sevilla and Roma among their opponents in those games. The LFC Boston supporters’ group has been going strong since 2006, with tens of thousands of online followers across their social channels. The notoriously passionate Boston sports fandom is a good fit for one of England’s most emotional fanbases, where ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ is one of soccer’s iconic anthems. According to Further AI research, Massachusetts is the home of soccer in the US, leading in Google search scores and boasting strong local soccer programs. So for Liverpool to be the number one team here is no small achievement!
Michigan boasts a large Manchester United following. A 2018 friendly between United and Liverpool in Ann Arbor drew over 100,000 fans, reflecting local interest in both teams, and United in particular. Decades of success and American tours made Man United the go-to club for many in the Wolverine State.
This state’s sizable Scandinavian and German communities historically followed soccer, and many gravitated to Liverpool’s exciting style and recent titles. The club’s U.S. fan data showed strong support in the Upper Midwest in particular. There is an above-average interest in the game in this state, as evidenced by a high number of Division I soccer programs (University of Minnesota and others) and the presence of MLS’s Minnesota United.
Mississippi’s top EPL team is Manchester United. United’s brand recognition and success have permeated even into states without a strong soccer tradition like Mississippi, giving them the largest fan contingent out of a small base of soccer-lovers. Mississippi has no pro teams, none of its universities play NCAA Division I soccer, and search volume for soccer is low, but United are strongest among the English teams.
Missouri has two MLS teams in the shape of Kansas City and St Louis, but locals still have a soft spot for Man United. United is arguably the world’s best marketed club, and according to search traffic online, purchases and visits to the club site this has paid off with the loyalty of Missouri fans.
Montana has a smaller soccer fan population, but among those who do follow the EPL, Tottenham Hotspur has a notable share. Spurs’ popularity reaching even Montana reflects how their fanbase grew across the U.S. in the 2010s. This aligns with nationwide jersey sales data that showed Spurs leading in a few states including Montana.
Nebraska favors Manchester United. Similar to Kansas, many sports fans in Nebraska picked an EPL team to follow, and the storied history of Man United – plus the accessibility of their games on NBC – drew in the most supporters.
Nevada’s most popular Premier League club is Manchester United. With Las Vegas becoming a hub for big sporting events (often including European soccer friendlies), United’s visits and massive fan turnouts have kept them as the top club Nevadans align with.
New Hampshire, lacking any major soccer team of its own, reflects New England’s general trend toward Liverpool fandom. The Reds have a strong following across the New England states, bolstered by ownership ties and recent championships.
New Jersey is home to a large soccer fandom, and based on merchandise sales, City was the number 1 club in the state. This is likely due to the area’s exposure to City’s recent dominance and possibly the overlap with NYC (where the City Football Group invested in NYCFC). City’s consecutive EPL titles and superstar roster have cultivated a base in the Garden State, where they have played in a couple of international tournaments. USMNT midfielder Claudio Reyna from Livingston, New Jersey also had a four-year spell with City, further cementing bonds between the state and the club. The Garden City Blues keep the flag flying for City fans in the state.
New Mexico’s top EPL team is Arsenal. The state’s soccer fans have gravitated towards Arsenal’s attractive style of play and long-running presence on U.S. television. Enthusiastic Arsenal supporter groups and viewership give the Gunners the edge here.
New York has fans of all EPL teams – in fact teams from all over the world – but Liverpool currently stands as the most popular. NYC hosts one of LFC’s largest U.S. fan clubs, and the team’s recent Premier League and Champions League titles have won over many New Yorkers. Manchester United also have a huge following in the city dating back to the 1990s, but Liverpool’s momentum in the last few years put them slightly ahead in interest.
North Carolina is a Chelsea bastion. Chelsea led Premier League jersey sales in N.C. in recent years, thanks in part to successful seasons and popular players. The state’s soccer fans also benefited from Chelsea’s summer tours and outreach on the East Coast.
This is another instance of Spurs having an outsized fan presence in a less-populated state which is not full of soccer fans. This has reflected how Spurs has grown their fanbase across the U.S., even those states which have never had a strong background in the game. Tottenham’s consistent top-4 finishes in the 2010s alongside their marketing efforts likely earned them dedicated fans in North Dakota. With a relatively small soccer fanbase a team like Spurs can outperform traditional English giants.
Reports show Chelsea was the top team in Ohio by various metrics including kit sales and search traffic. The state’s two big cities, Cleveland and Columbus, have active Chelsea supporter clubs, bolstered originally by the Mourinho-era titles and star power. With MLS clubs in both Columbus and Cincinnati and high levels of soccer viewership, Ohio is one of the biggest soccer hotbeds in the nation.
Spurs are the most popular EPL team in Oklahoma, where in recent years they have sold more shirts than any other English team. Fan groups in Tulsa and Oklahoma City create meeting places for like-minded Spurs fans in the Sooner State. Tottenham has proved to be popular in states with smaller soccer fanbases, and once again they have triumphed here.
While Oregon is crazy about the local Portland Timbers/Thorns, Arsenal leads among Premier League teams. The club’s community-oriented ethos and exciting style attracted many Oregon soccer fans. The presence of Adidas North America in Portland – and Adidas’s partnership with Arsenal – may also indirectly boost Arsenal’s profile locally. In fact while Portland has a strong soccer community, outside of the city interest is low relative to other states.
With native son Christian Pulisic (born in Hershey, PA) signing for Chelsea in 2019, interest in the Blues spiked in Pennsylvania – the state was recorded as one of Chelsea’s strongest markets in the US. Both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh host big Chelsea fan clubs, keeping the Blue flag flying high in the Keystone State. The team has played multiple games in Pennsylvania over the past 20 years, and will do so again when they are scheduled to play matches in Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Rhode Island’s top EPL team is Manchester United. As one of the most famous sports teams worldwide, United has long been the default choice for many soccer fans, and Rhode Island is no exception. Generations of fans in Providence and beyond have worn United’s red.
South Carolina, like its northern neighbor, has a significant Chelsea following. The two Carolinas were noted for being “Blue states” in terms of EPL allegiance. South Carolinian fans rallied behind Chelsea during their Premier League title runs, and that loyalty remains intact.
In South Dakota, Liverpool edges out others as the favorite. The Reds’ American popularity isn’t just in big cities – even in the Dakotas, their Champions League glory and storied history have won people over. South Dakotans singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at soccer pubs is not an uncommon sight nowadays.
Tennessee’s most popular EPL club is Manchester United. Even with Nashville SC now in MLS, Tennesseans who follow the Premier League have gravitated to Man United’s legacy of winning and superstar players. United’s U.S. tours often stopped in nearby states, keeping their profile high.
The biggest club in England claims the largest fanbase in the huge state of Texas. Texas has a thriving soccer community, and United has been a top choice for decades – aided by high-profile friendlies in Houston and Dallas and a string of trophies that attracted fans statewide. There are four official United Supporters’ Groups in the state: The Dallas Reds, North Texas Reds, San Antonio Red Army and Houston Red Army. Houston famously hosted the 2010 MLS All-Star Game where Manchester United thrashed the MLS All-Stars 5–2 in front of over 70,000 fans back in 2010, showing the depth of support even then. Arsenal and Liverpool have large fanbases in Texas as well, but United’s head start and brand give them the edge.
The Utah Gooners spread the good word about Arsenal FC in that particular state, where the team’s family-friendly ethos seems to have struck a chord with the locals. Certainly Arsenal come out on top in Utah when it comes to online searches, which demonstrates that the Gunners are number one in the Beehive State.
Vermont, a smaller state without professional teams, sees Manchester United as the most popular EPL side. The club’s matches have been televised in the U.S. for years, and many Vermonters adopted United during the Beckham/Ferguson era, a trend that continues with new fans. As you have seen from our study, states without a strong soccer culture often tend to gravitate towards United as the Premier League brand leader – regardless of their current form.
Virginia has a large Arsenal fan contingent, making the Gunners the top EPL team in the state. Northern Virginia, being part of the D.C. metro, has long been an Arsenal hotbed, and the Arsenal official website was the most-visited here. The club’s American ties and the presence of U.S. starting goalkeeper Matt Turner (at Arsenal until 2023) further boosted its profile in Virginia.
Washington is a big soccer-supporting state, and has played host to a number of visiting teams. Tottenham have played around 14 official games in Washington, so clearly they are trying to win the hearts and minds of local soccer fans. However, Liverpool have also visited on a number of occasions, and it seems that local fans identify more with the passionate Reds than the North London outfit.
Like many other states where soccer is not a huge sport, West Virginia’s top EPL team is Manchester United. Our analysis found Real Madrid was unusually popular in West Virginia but among Premier League clubs the honor goes to United, which of course benefits from worldwide name recognition. United’s extensive U.S. marketing means even in West Virginia’s mountains, the Red Devils can lay claim to a loyal following.
Wisconsin fans favor Liverpool when it comes to English soccer teams. The state’s sports enthusiasts, known for their passion (think Green Bay Packers), have embraced the passionate culture of Liverpool FC. The club’s recent Premier League title adds to its storied history, and midwestern supporters clubs (like the one in Milwaukee) have helped Liverpool rise to the top in Wisconsin.
Wyoming has the lowest population of any state, and in common with other rural states has leaned towards Tottenham Hotspur in terms of its fandom. In our list of soccer aficionados per state, Wyoming comes dead last, with only about 3,000 soccer-related Google searches taking place per month. With a population of just 600,000, it doesn’t take a massive number of people to sway the numbers towards one or other EPL team and based on social media and internet activity Spurs has won this battleground.
Ross has been writing about sports for over a decade, spcecializing in the NFL, soccer and boxing. His written work has appeared on a number of online publications over that time.