The Showering Habits of Every U.S. State

Shower time is great for introspection, testing your vocal range while singing your favorite tunes, and, of course, washing yourself. While shower frequency, length, technique, products, and pastimes are sure to vary person-to-person, we wanted to find the commonalities in the ritual that begins or ends days for people everywhere.

We surveyed over 2,000 Americans to learn more about their showering habits. Based on responses about shower frequency and length, we were able to estimate how much water is being used by people in every state just while showering. We also got insights into shower pastimes, products, and time-saving techniques.

The States That Shower the Longest

To begin our study, we wanted to find out the timing behind America’s showers both in terms of frequency and length. We found out that the average American shower lasts 15 minutes and is taken 5.9 times per week. While the frequency of showers stays fairly consistent, the length of them can vary quite a bit depending on where you live.

Residents in Mississippi, for example, like to linger in the shower more than any other state. Their average shower length is 19 minutes and 4 seconds. Utah and West Virginia are no strangers to a lengthy shower either, with both well above the 15-minute nationwide average. Utahns take about 17 minutes and 8 seconds, while West Virginians scrub for about 16 minutes and 50 seconds, on average.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have states like Maine, Tennessee, and Arizona. Residents in these states opt for shorter showers, clocking in at 12 minutes and 45 seconds, 12 minutes and 47 seconds, and 12 minutes and 50 seconds, respectively.

The variance in shower length and frequency across states also means that water usage will vary to a large degree, as well.

How Much Water Is Used for Showering in America?

The average showerhead uses an estimated 2.5 gallons of water per minute. That means that the average American shower of 15 minutes uses about 38 gallons of water and over the course of a week, where 5.9 showers are taken, that number jumps to 221 gallons.

As previously mentioned, Mississippi residents take the longest showers at just over 19 minutes. They also report showering six times per week, meaning that the average Mississippian uses about 306 gallons of water for showering weekly.

Other states with high water usage are California and Georgia. Californians’ average shower comes out to 15 minutes and 42 seconds 6.7 times per week for a total water use of 263 gallons while those in Georgia are taking 15-minute and 35-second showers 6.4 times weekly, bringing their average weekly use to 249 gallons of water for showering.

Maine, Tennessee, and Minnesota are the states where the least amount of water is used for showering based on frequency and length of showers. Their average weekly water use per person is 166 gallons, 172 gallons, and 176 gallons, respectively.

The plumbers at Mr. Rooter understand the importance of water conservation. Whether your showers are marathon sessions or quick refreshers, our experts help optimize plumbing systems for efficiency and provide water-saving tips, ensuring that you can make every drop count.

America’s Showering Habits

To finish our showering exploration, let’s peer behind the curtain and unveil the intriguing showering habits of Americans. We’ve established that Americans shower for 15 minutes at a time and do it about 5.9 times weekly. But what are they doing while in there?

43% of Americans sing in the shower. The most popular genres are Pop (20.5%), Rock (11.6%), Hip-Hop (7%), and Country (4.3%). When not auditioning for American Idol in their heads, some are multi-tasking. 17% reported regularly brushing their teeth in the shower and 37% admit to relieving themselves in there. Sounds like George Costanza left his mark.

When it comes to the technique of actually washing oneself, Americans are a little split. 1 in 4 men use 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner, compared to just 3.7% of women. 3 in 10 Americans (31%) admit to just letting the water run down their legs to wash their feet instead of actually scrubbing them. 31% also told us they just use their hands when washing their bodies instead of using some sort of scrubbing device (like a washcloth or loofah).

Beyond physically cleaning, many use their shower time as a sanctuary for mental reflection and projection. We concluded our study with a brief exploration of the enigma of shower thoughts. The most common shower thoughts in America are planning the day ahead (48%), solving personal problems (46.6%), conducting a retrospective on the day so far (35.4%), pondering life's mysteries (27.6%), and rehashing previous arguments (16.6%). The habit of cleaning one’s body is equally as important as clearing out one’s mind.

Closing Thoughts

For many, showering is a deeply personal and often telling ritual that goes well beyond just washing oneself. Some use it as a way to plan ahead and get their day officially started while others prefer the time to wind down and reflect on the day that has passed.

Whether you’re a shower singer, meditator, or tooth brusher, over time, debris like hair, soap scum, and dirt build up and clogged drains happen. The expert plumbers at Mr. Rooter can clear out even the most stubborn drain clogs quickly and efficiently. If you’d like to get ahead of potential drainage issues, they can also provide a drain cleaning to help prevent future clogs and keep your plumbing system running smoothly.

Methodology

To gain insight into America's showering habits, we surveyed over 2,200 people from 44 U.S. states over the course of two weeks in February 2024. We asked respondents how often they typically shower, how long those showers tend to last, and what a normal ‘shower thought’ is for them among other questions.

Using a 2.5-gallon-per-minute estimation, we were also able to calculate the amount of water used every week by individuals in every state.