States with the Best and Worst Listeners

Good listening is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to everyone, especially given the many distractions of the modern world. From TV shows to social media, it can be easy to allow little things to capture your attention while someone else is trying to talk to you. 

Whether you are someone who is constantly zoning out or you simply catch yourself not listening on occasion, most of us could benefit from more active listening. At The Listening App, we know just how important listening skills are. That’s why we set out to learn which states are home to the best and worst listeners. 

To do this, we surveyed residents of every state and asked about their listening habits. We then awarded points to answers that represented poor listening skill and calculated a listening score on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the worst listeners. Read on to see how the state you call home ranked among the rest. 

Key Takeaways

• Pennsylvania, Texas, and Oklahoma residents are the worst listeners in the U.S.
• Florida, Hawaii, and Mississippi residents are the best listeners in the U.S.
• 63% of Americans have been criticized by someone for not listening. 
• Acquaintances, friends, and parents are the most common people Americans catch themselves not listening to when they talk. 
• 64% of Americans are actively working on their listening skills. 
• More than two-fifths of Americans in a relationship think their partner is a bad listener. 
• 92% of Americans think people have generally gotten worse at listening to each other in recent years.

Where Americans Have the Best and Worst Listening Skills

While great listening skills come naturally to some people, others have to practice and actively work on theirs. The good news is that this is a skill that doesn’t require natural talent, and with time and effort, anyone can improve their listening. 

Up first, with the most residents in need of a little more practice is Pennsylvania. With a listening score of 98.87 out of 100, the state’s residents rank as the worst listeners in the U.S. Overall, 69% of Pennsylvania residents say someone has criticized them for not listening. 

In second place with a score of 97.73 out of 100, is Texas. While they lead the way as some of the worst listeners, residents of the Lone Star State are the most likely to think people have generally gotten worse at listening to each other in recent years. Oklahoma is up next in third place where 1 in 2 residents admit they frequently give a nod or a verbal cue like “uh huh” in a conversation to seem engaged when they are not. 

On the other end of the spectrum, Florida residents are the best listeners in the country. Even still, nearly 3 in 4 Sunshine State residents say they are actively working on their listening skills. In second place for good listening is Hawaii where 1 in 2 residents frequently get rid of all distractions when talking to someone. Mississippi ranks third for the best listeners as 1 in 5 residents never catch themselves zoning out during a conversation.

Overall, 92% of Americans think people have gotten worse at listening to each other in recent years. Many people are working to improve this though as 64% of people are actively seeking to upgrade their listening skills.

The People Americans Have the Most Trouble Listening To

Sometimes listening is more difficult when certain individuals are talking . . . at least for some people. Up first as the most common people that Americans accidentally struggle to listen to are acquaintances. From your friend’s partner that you barely know to that girl you met once at a work event, 60% of Americans find it difficult to pay attention when someone they don’t know well is talking. 

It appears that even those that we do know well can be difficult to listen to, however, as 56% of Americans frequently find themselves not listening to their friends when they talk. Perhaps a learned habit from growing up, we discovered that parents are the third most common people Americans struggle paying attention to. Following closely behind are strangers, partners, and coworkers claiming fourth, fifth, and sixth place, respectively. 

While it can be difficult to stay focused when some people are talking, Americans admit to tuning out some people on purpose. Leading the way are strangers as 57% of people say they purposely tune them out when they attempt to spark a conversation in public. Acquaintances, parents, and coworkers are among the top of this list as well, ranking second, third, and fourth, respectively. 

Overall, 63% of Americans have been criticized by someone for not listening. This could be in part due to the 1 in 5 people who frequently catch themselves zoning out during conversations. Listening, or rather, not listening can be a common area of frustration in many relationships, but we discovered more than two-fifths of Americans in a romantic relationship think their partner is a bad listener.

The Factors That Contribute to Poor Listening Skills

After determining where Americans are the worst listeners and who people struggle listening to, we wanted to learn what contributes to these lacking listening skills. Leading the way, we found 60% of people think their level of busyness and stress make them a worse listener. 

Up next in second place is TV and other background entertainment as 53% of Americans say those distractions make it difficult to focus on someone talking. Similarly, nearly 1 in 2 people say smartphones and smartwatches make them a worse listener. 

Knowing what impacts you is the first step to improving upon your listening, however, this could be why more than two-fifths of Americans frequently get rid of all distractions when talking to someone. After all, no one likes to feel as though they are being ignored.

Utilize Your Listening Skills While Studying

While each person is different when it comes to their preferred learning style, many rely on listening to retain information. Whether that be in your relationship, when you listen for cues as to how your partner feels and what things they like, or in your workplace, when you gain insight into your team’s strengths and learn more about your company’s needs, listening can be a crucial skill. 

At The Listening App, we understand that importance, and we know that sometimes hearing information can be more beneficial than reading it. That’s why we help students by turning academic papers into audio files that can be listened to any time, anywhere. 

Life can be busy and trying to find the time to sit down and read an intensive document can seem like a daunting task. Save time today and try text to speech technology, so you can check things off your to-do list, while studying at the same time.

Methodology

In this study, we set out to determine where the best and worst listeners reside in the U.S. To do this, we surveyed Americans in each state and asked a variety of questions regarding their listening skills, including how frequently they catch themselves not listening to someone, who they catch themselves not listening to, how listening has impacted their relationships, and more. Using these responses, we awarded points to answers that represented poor listening skills and calculated the average score for each state. Finally, we adjusted those scores on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the worst listeners.