Stanford
American Public Opinion on Global Warming

Opinions in the States

Research by the Political Psychology Research Group at Stanford University

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Introduction Fundamentals Who Should Take Action Government Policy Economic Side Effects Willingness to Pay Priority Consequences of Global Warming Preparing for Possible Consequences Consumer Choices Attitude Strength Voter Behavior Opinions in the States Trust in Scientists Scientists' Beliefs Partisan Views Publications Lectures and Podcasts

Since elected officials are primarily responsible for and to their constituents, understanding public opinion on global warming on a state by state basis is useful. Such data may help elected officials be more responsive to their electorates. Members of PPRG estimated state-level public opinion on a wide range of opinions related to global warming.

Dr. Krosnick presented findings from an earlier version of this analysis to Congressional representatives in the video below:

To generate the state-level data, this project combined results of PPRG surveys. Most surveys involved random digit-dial telephone interviewing, and a few involved data collected from probability samples of adults who answered questions via the Internet, recruited by random digit dialing and by mail. Surveys were conducted from 1997-2024. This large data set provided sufficient data to estimate public opinion in 48 states for at least one of the measures (not all questions were asked in every survey). Results are not reported when fewer than 50 people answered a question in a state. The methodology made statistical adjustments to account for differences in survey methodologies and changes in public opinion over time.

This page illustrates public opinion on global warming by state in 2024 through colored maps for 22 survey questions.

Note: States colored gray in the maps below were those in which too few respondents were interviewed to permit calculating reliable statistics at the state level.

Opinions within the States in 2024

Below are the results for each state on key questions regarding global warming in 2024:

Fundamentals of Global Warming

In 2024, across all seven fundamental opinions, majorities of the residents in all analyzed states hold what might be called “green” opinions–they believe that warming has been happening, that it is attributable to human activities, and that it poses a threat to the welfare of the United States and the world. On average, 75% of the residents of all states believe that warming has occurred (see Figure 1). In a majority of the states, belief in the existence of warming is greater than 70%. The largest majority is in Hawaii (87%), and the smallest is in Utah (64%).

Figure 1. Percentage of each state who believed global warming has been happening (2024)

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Similarly, large majorities in all states believe that the world’s temperature will rise in the future if nothing is done to address it. On average, 75% of the residents of all states believe that the earth will warm in the future. In a majority of the states, belief in the future warming is greater than 70% (see Figure 2). In only two states did fewer than 65% of residents believe that future warming will happen. The largest majority is in Maryland (85%), and the smallest is in Idaho (55%).

Figure 2. Percentage of each state who believed that the earth will warm in the future (2024)

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There is also widespread agreement that warming has been caused by human activity. The fraction of people expressing this opinion is never below 75% in any state (see Figure 3). In a majority of the states, belief in the human cause of warming is greater than 80%. Utah has the smallest majority (76%), and Hawaii, Washington DC, and New Hampshire are among the largest (93%, 92%, and 91%, respectively). In general, greater levels of skepticism about people’s role in causing global warming appears in the South and in certain Midwestern and Western states.

Figure 3. Percentage of each state who believed past warming has been caused by humans (2024)

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Majorities in all states believe that global warming will be a serious problem for both the United States and the world (see Figure 4 and Figure 5, respectively). Idaho has the smallest majorities holding these beliefs (58% and 64%, respectively), and Rhode Island and Maryland hold the largest majorities (93% and 91%, respectively).

Figure 4. Percentage of each state who believed warming will be a serious problem for the United States (2024)

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Figure 5. Percentage of each state who believed warming will be a serious problem for the world (2024)

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Likewise, majorities of all states believe that 5 degrees of warming over the next 75 years will be bad. The smallest majorities appear in West Virginia (58%) and Utah (48%), and most states hold a majority of greater than 70% (see Figure 6). Large majorities appear in the Northeastern states, but the largest majorities appear in South Dakota (76%) and New Mexico (74%).

Figure 6. Percentage of each state who believed 5 degrees Fahrenheit of warming will be bad (2024)

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Sizable majorities of all states want the US government to do more than it is now to combat climate change. The smallest majorities appear in Western states like Idaho (53%) and Utah (54%), whereas the largest majorities are in Northeastern states like Rhode Island (79%) and New Jersey (76%) (see Figure 7).

Figure 7. Percentage of each state who believed government should do more to address global warming (2024)

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Engagement

In 2024, the global warming issue public reached a near all-time high of 21%—more than 40 million adults. The size of the issue public varied across the states. The largest issue public is in New Mexico (36%), and the smallest is in South Dakota (7%) (see Figure 8). Some states in the western portion of the country, such as California (26%), Arizona (28%), also have high levels of passion on the issue.

Figure 8. Percentage of each state for whom warming was extremely important personally (2024)

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At least 70% of the residents of all states report having at least a moderate amount of knowledge about global warming, except South Dakota, where 50% report at least a moderate amount of knowledge about global warming (see Figure 9). Majorities of 75% or more exist in 12 states, led by Vermont (84%).

Figure 9. Percentage of each state who said they are highly knowledgeable about global warming (2024)

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Policy Preferences

Willingness for Active Government Action on Global Warming

Public opinion on matters of policy is often more divisive than that regarding the principles. For example, whereas large majorities of Americans favor equal rights, smaller groups of people favor specific policies designed to achieve equal rights. This is sometimes called the principle-implementation gap. Such a gap is not generally present on the issue of global warming, though some policies to reduce warming in the future are more popular than others.

Large majorities across all states (as of 2015) do not see international cooperation as a prerequisite for American action on global warming (see Figure 10). Majorities that range from 63% in Indiana and Mississippi to 91% in New Hampshire favor US action regardless of what other countries are doing to reduce their emissions.

Figure 10. Percentage of each state who believed the United States should take action on climate change regardless of what other countries do (2015)

 

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Support for Emissions Reduction and Carbon Pricing Policies

Huge majorities of over 70% in 35 states favor restrictions on businesses’ greenhouse gas emissions (see Figure 11). These majorities range from a low of 62% in Idaho to a high of 84% in New Mexico. Majorities in all states also favor the government limiting power plant emissions. Support for government action to do so is no less than 64% in Utah, and support goes as high as 90% in Rhode Island (see Figure 12).

Figure 11. Percentage of each state who believed the government should limit businesses’ greenhouse gas emissions (2024)

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Figure 12. Percentage of each state who favored the government requiring or encouraging power plants to lower emissions (2024)

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Majorities of most states favor a cap-and-trade system in which the government would sell permits to companies limiting the amount of greenhouse gases they can put out, while also allowing companies that emit more to purchase permits from companies that emit less. Relatively few are supportive of this in Western states like Idaho (30%), Nevada (38%), and Utah (41%) (see Figure 13). The program was much more popular in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. However, the highest levels of support are found in Massachusetts (62%), Washington (60%) and Delaware (60%).

Figure 13. Percentage of each state who favored a national cap-and-trade program (2024)

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Regulations, Tax Incentives, and Taxes

Next, we turn to policies that fall into three broad categories: business regulations intended to reduce emissions, tax incentives for industries to innovate, and taxes on individuals intended to reduce energy consumption.

Looking first at business regulations and tax incentives to combat global warming, we find high levels of support across the states. On issues related to the automobile industry, majorities in nearly every state support policies intended to increase fuel efficiency standards. On the topic of increasing fuel economy requirements—known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE Standards—more than 60% of respondents in a majority of states favor raising them. Support ranges from 49% in Oklahoma to 77% in Hawaii (see Figure 14).

Figure 14. Percentage of each state who favored the government requiring or encouraging higher fuel economy standards (2024)

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Government encouragement for the manufacturing of all-electric cars was supported by majorities in 13 states (see Figure 15). Support ranges from 29% in Alabama to 56% in Washington and New Hampshire.

Figure 15. Percentage of each state who favored the government requiring or encouraging all-electric vehicles (2024)

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Encouraging or requiring more energy-efficient appliances draws majority support in all states surveyed, with majorities ranging from 51% in Idaho to Hawaii (86%) and the upper-70s in Montana (77%) and some Northeastern states like New Hampshire (76%) and New York (77%) (see Figure 16). Support for increasing the energy efficiency of buildings drew similar support: supportive majorities range from the high-50s in Western and Southern states like Idaho (56%), Mississippi (59%), and Arkansas (59%), to 86% in Hawaii (see Figure 17).

Figure 16. Percentage of each state who favored the government requiring or encouraging appliances that use less electricity (2024)

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Figure 17. Percentage of each state who favored the government requiring or encouraging energy-efficient buildings (2024)

 

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Majorities of all states favor tax breaks for utilities producing electricity from renewable sources. Even in Ohio and Mississippi, states with the weakest support, 61% and 63% of individuals favor these types of tax breaks, respectively, and support goes as high as 91% in Hawaii (see Figure 18). Majorities in all but two states also support tax incentives to encourage the adoption of cleaner coal technologies. The majorities are the largest in coal-producing states like West Virginia (68%) and smallest in the states of Nevada (47%) and Iowa (48%) (see Figure 19). This pattern is consistent with the notion that coal-producing state residents would like to preserve their local industries by reducing the deleterious impact that those industries have on the environment.

Figure 18. Percentage of each state who favored tax breaks to produce renewable energy (2024)

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Figure 19. Percentage of each state who favored tax breaks to reduce air pollution from coal (2024)

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Providing tax breaks to encourage the construction of more nuclear power plants is an unpopular policy. Majorities in 15 states favor such tax breaks with the largest majorities of low and mid-60s in  South Carolina (64%), New Hampshire (62%), and Idaho (61%) (see Figure 20). Opposition to nuclear power tax breaks is greatest in states in the Northeast and Northwest. Residents of Rhode Island manifested the lowest levels of support for tax breaks for building nuclear policy (29%), followed by Oregon (34%) and Washington (37%).

Figure 20. Percentage of each state who favored tax breaks to build nuclear power plants (2024)

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The least popular policies are those that would involve consumer tax increases intended simply to manipulate people’s behavior with no stated use of the raised revenue. In no state did a majority of individuals favor increasing consumption taxes on electricity in order to cause people to use less of it, with support ranging from as low as 7% in New Hampshire, West Virginia, Idaho, and Arkansas, and no higher than 32% in Washington DC (see Figure 21). Support for increasing taxes on gasoline in order to cause people to use less of it is slightly more popular even though in no state did a majority of residents favor it. The minorities favoring this policy were especially small in rural states and Southern states, including Idaho and Montana (14%), Alabama (16%), South Carolina (16%), and Kansas (18%) (see Figure 22). The largest minorities in favor appeared in Washington DC (44%), Colorado (42%), and Virginia (41%).

Figure 21. Percentage of each state who favored increasing consumption taxes on electricity (2024)

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Figure 22. Percentage of each state who favored increasing consumption taxes on gasoline (2024)

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State Fact Sheets

The state fact sheets below outline the results of the surveys conducted to generate measures of public opinion on global warming in each state in 2024:

 

Read the methodology used in estimating the opinions in the states

Read more information on the estimates and standard errors for the analyses

Many thanks to David Medeiros at the Stanford Geospatial Center and Resources for the Future for their help in generating the maps.