The Boating Capital Of The U.S. Might Surprise You

I read something a few years back about how California sold more fishing licenses than Minnesota, and I was shocked. California, really? With Minnesota being the Land of 10,000 Lakes, I thought for sure we'd have the most. But if you figure in State populations, California has millions more people than our frozen tundra, so it makes some sense. But what about when it comes to boats?

Minnesota has the most boats per capita in the United States. Also, the further north in the state you go, the more likely people are to own boats. In fact, North of Duluth, it's estimated that 1 in 3 people have a recreational boat.

Boating By The Numbers

S.I. Yachts compiled a list of the states with the most boats, registered boats, and other data provided by the United States Coast Guard and U.S. Census. Here's what they found.

Minnesota Has The Most Boats per Capita

Minnesota has 143.6 boats per thousand people. That's the highest in the country. 7 percent of Minnesotans own a boat. That makes Minnesota the boating capital of the US. Other Great Lakes states, like Wisconsin and Michigan, also rank near the top.

Read More: Thermal Cameras Help Find Lost Minnesota Hunter

Florida Has The Most Registered Boats Of Any State

Florida has a much lower number of boats per capita, with only about 44 per 1,000 people. But Florida has almost 5 times as many people as Minnesota, so that puts it at the top for the number of boats in a state. So if you look at it as a lifestyle, Minnesota has a higher percentage of boaters than Florida.

You can actually use a boat all year round in Florida.

The big difference is the climate. Minnesota freezes over every winter, which usually lasts into April, only giving Minnesotans half a year to enjoy their boat on the water.