New study finds side gigs are popular in New York state 

New data has revealed which states are the most interested in starting a side hustle, with New York taking a spot in the top 10.  

The research, culled by personal finance experts at WealthUp, analyzed Google searches over the last 12 months for keywords related to starting a side hustle, such as “side hustle ideas” and “side hustle jobs,” to identify which states are the most interested in taking on extra work.  

It may come as little surprise that many are considering taking on additional employment to supplement their primary income, given stubborn inflation and feelings of economic insecurity. According to a recent survey by Bankrate, 39% of working Americans already have a side hustle, with 33% of these people using the additional income to cover their day-to-day living costs.  

According to WealthUp’s study, New Yorkers are the ninth most interested in starting a side hustle. The state averaged 188.3 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, which is 18% higher than the national average of 159.5 searches per 100,000 people. The most popular terms residents searched for were “side hustle,” “make money from home” and “side hustle ideas.” 

The rest of the top 10 in order were Utah, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Indiana, Florida, Oregon and Illinois. The states least interested in side gigs were Vermont, Mississippi, Alaska, South Dakota, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, West Virginia, Maine and Iowa. 

“It is interesting that Utah shows the greatest interest in starting a side hustle, considering that it typically ranks middle of the pack in terms of living costs when compared to other states,” said Riley Adams, WealthUp’s founder and CEO.  

“We would expect states such as Hawaii, New York, California and Massachusetts to be topping the list, given their high average living costs, but most of these states don’t even make it into the top 10.” Perhaps two of the reasons New York made the top 10 are its work ethic – another study showed it to be the most productive state in the union  – and history of entrepreneurship, going back to the Dutch settlers and their founding of New Netherland and New Amsterdam (now New York State and City respectively.) 

Adams has offered the following advice when it comes to starting a side hustle, regardless of where you live in the country:  

“For the best chance of success over the long term, try to strike a balance between something that you enjoy, something that you are good at and something that suits your personal situation.  

“If you love animals and have time in the evenings or weekends, consider setting up a dog walking service and target customers who might not have the time or inclination to exercise their pets.  

“Or, if you have little free time to put into a side hustle, consider assets that you already own, which might already be in high demand. If you have a spare room and don’t mind the occasional guest, consider letting it out on Airbnb at a competitive rate.   

“Alternatively, if you own a car and work from home, consider leasing out your vehicle on platforms such as Turo or Getaround, rather than letting it sit in your driveway.”