Delaware residents are spending more than many Americans on small electronics and gadgets, according to a study released this week by printed circuit board manufacturer OurPCB. The research ranks the First State 11th nationally in a composite “Gadget Obsession Score,” driven by high per-capita monthly spending, strong online search interest and the annual value of electronics imports.
Key figures show steady gadget demand
The study found the average consumer in Delaware spends $83.82 per month on electronics. Researchers also measured search activity and trade: Delaware registers 3,873 searches for new gadgets per 100,000 people on Google, and the state imports $701.92 worth of electronics per resident each year.
Those components combined to place Delaware at 74.03 on OurPCB’s overall Gadget Obsession Score. By comparison, the top-ranked state, Utah, scored 99.31, with an average consumer electronics spend of $196.41 per month.
How Delaware compares nationally
While Delaware’s monthly gadget spend trails the highest-ranking states, the study highlights the state’s active online interest in new devices. The combination of spending and search intensity suggests Delaware consumers are both browsing and buying technology at notable rates.
- Average monthly spend (DE): $83.82
- Gadget searches per 100,000 (DE): 3,873
- Annual electronics imports per resident (DE): $701.92
OurPCB used three measures to calculate its index: monthly consumer electronics spending, Google search volume for new gadgets, and the per-resident annual value of electronics imports. Those metrics were combined into a single score to rank states by relative “gadget obsession.”
Top 10 gadget-obsessed states
The study’s top 10 list shows several Western and Midwestern states leading the nation in gadget interest and spend. Below is the top 10 as reported by OurPCB.
| Rank | State | Gadget Obsession Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | 99.31 |
| 2 | Nevada | 91.06 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 89.88 |
| 4 | Oregon | 88.89 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 87.41 |
| 6 | Illinois | 86.70 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 86.25 |
| 8 | Minnesota | 80.90 |
| 9 | Colorado | 78.42 |
| 10 | Washington | 77.25 |
What this means locally
For Delaware retailers and local small businesses, the findings underline ongoing consumer appetite for electronics — from accessories and smart-home devices to personal wearables. High search volumes suggest residents are actively researching products before purchase, an opportunity for local merchants to capture demand through targeted digital advertising, product listings and competitive online pricing.
For consumers, the numbers provide a snapshot of household spending patterns. Monthly averages can mask wide differences: some households may spend very little while others purchase gadgets more frequently. Those monitoring household budgets may want to track incidental gadget purchases, subscriptions tied to devices, and the lifecycle costs of new electronics, such as accessories and repairs.
Researchers did not release a state-by-state breakdown of specific product categories in this summary, and the methodology centers on aggregated indicators rather than detailed household surveys. Still, the combination of spend, searches and imports paints a consistent picture of Delaware as a state with active interest in new consumer technology.
Greg Giesen, the trending writer who covered the study for Delaware Online/The News Journal, noted the state’s place in the ranking and provided contact information for readers with story ideas. The OurPCB research may prompt further local analysis from retailers, policymakers and consumer advocates interested in how technology purchases affect household budgets and local commerce.
