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You're Most Likely to Be Famous If You're Born in These 10 States, New Research Shows

Actors, athletes, comedians, and musicians don't come from just anywhere.

cars going down hollywood boulevard
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

Fame is determined by a number of obvious factors: good looks, good luck, whether or not you're a nepo baby. But if new research is to be believed, where you're born can also be an indicator of whether or not you'll make it big: There are actually certain states where you're most likely to be famous.


According to research conducted by TicketSource, the online ticketing platform, famous people are more likely to hail from 10 U.S. states than the 40 others. TicketSource analyzed the birthplaces of over 113,000 famous people across various disciplines—actors, athletes, musicians, and comedians—to determine its rankings. (For sports stars, TicketSource specifically analyzed basketball, baseball, football, and ice hockey athletes. Sorry, soccer!)

All of TicketSource's analysis was conducted in summer 2023. You'd likely guess some of the ultimate results—of course top-billed actors largely come from California, the nexus of the film industry—but other conclusions of the study are sure to surprise. Read on to see which 10 states can say the highest number of famous people are born there.

RELATED: The 10 Most Anxious U.S. States, New Research Shows.

10 | Massachusetts

The Boston skyline with Fenway Park in the foregroundShutterstock

Total number of stars: 3,756

Though Massachusetts lags in producing actors, musicians, and comedians, it's essentially a factory for professional athletes, with more than 2,500 sports stars hailing from the Bay State, according to the research.

9 | New Jersey

Jersey City Skyline with Goldman Sachs Tower Reflected in Water of Hudson River, as seen from Battery Park, Lower Manhattan, NY, USA. The image lit by the morning sun. Canon EOS 6D DSLR and Canon EF 24-105mm iStock

Total number of stars: 3,854

The Big Apple isn't the only area in the region that claims a ton of famous people; just across the Hudson, you'll find the birthplace of nearly 4,000 stars, the majority of whom are either actors (910) and athletes (2,349).

RELATED: The 20 Best and Worst States for Getting Concert Tickets.

8 | Michigan

cityscape photo of Detroit, Michigan at nightShutterstock

Total number of stars: 4,001

Michigan is collectively the least funny state on this list; of all the states in the top rankings, just 25 comedians come from Michigan, with the famous people born there largely going on to become sports stars (2,790).

7 | Florida

Famous Universal Studios statue at the theme park's Orlando location.iStock

Total number of stars: 4,701

In terms of the famous people born there, Florida is compositionally similar to Michigan, with a lot of sports stars (3,500) and not a lot of comedians, but it edges out Michigan on the latter by a hair: 26 comedians are from the Sunshine State, per the TicketSource study.

6 | Ohio

Columbus Ohioarthurgphotography/Shutterstock

Total number of stars: 5,359

More than 4,000 athletes were born in Ohio. No wonder the state is home to so many athletic rivalries!

RELATED: The 10 Most NFL-Obsessed States in the U.S., New Data Shows.

5 | Illinois

THe Chicago Theater sign illuminates downtown Chicago.f11photo / Shutterstock

Total number of stars: 5,720

Illinois is home to one of the most vibrant show biz scenes in the nation, thanks in no small part to the theaters and comedy troupes of Chicago. More than 200 famous comedians and nearly 1,500 actors were born in Illinois, TicketSource says.

4 | Pennsylvania

independence hall in philadelphiaSean Pavone / Shutterstock

Total number of stars: 6,474

Pennsylvania is the birthplace of a ton of actors (1,110) and athletes (4,697) but not so many musicians (608) or comedians (59).

3 | Texas

The emblem of the baseball club Texas Rangers and a baseball.fifg / Shutterstock

Total number of stars: 8,299

Texas far and away has the biggest claim to fame in regards to professional athletes, with 5,791 claiming it as their birthplace. The Lonestar State doesn't have much of a funny bone, though: Just 37 famous comedians were born in Texas, according to this new research. On the plus side, it's the birthplace of over 1,000 actors and 1,000 athletes.

RELATED: The 50 Best and Worst States to Retire In, New Data Shows.

2 | New York

Billboards in NYC highlight various Broadway shows.RightFramePhotoVideo / Shutterstock

Total number of stars: 11,731

New York is handily the funniest state in the nation, with 537 famous comedians having been born there. New York is also the birthplace of 4,684 actors and 4,129 professional athletes, not to mention nearly 2,400 musicians.

1 | California

aerial view of the Hollywood sign in Los AngelesShutterstock / Sean Pavone

Total number of stars: 12,793

Actors, singers, comedians—California has a solid claim as the most common birthplace for entertainment industry stars. But it's not exactly a hotbed for sports stars, with its total tally of 3,470 pro athletes coming in behind New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, per the TicketSource study.