Photos, cards, keepsakes, ticket stubs, tiny souvenirs from big days — the things people save can say a lot about the memories they want to keep close. They’re little reminders of the people, places, and moments that helped shape their story.
Some memories are big and easy to name: weddings, graduations, family vacations, first homes, new babies. Others are smaller but just as sticky: a handwritten note, a pet doing something ridiculous, a quiet afternoon with someone you love. The good stuff has a way of staying with us.
At Mixbook, we know memories deserve more than a quick scroll. So, we surveyed more than 2,400 people across 48 states to learn how Americans capture meaningful moments, hold onto keepsakes, revisit the past, and create new memories with the people they care about. We used those responses to create a sentimentality score for each state, then looked deeper at what Americans are saving, sharing, and wishing they had captured along the way.
Some states proved especially sentimental. Others showed that memory-keeping can look a little different from place to place. First up: the states where residents are most likely to save the cards, display the photos, keep the mementos, and make the plans worth remembering.
Which States Are Most Sentimental?
Some people save every card. Some have printed photos tucked into frames, albums, and fridge magnets. And some know exactly which keepsake box holds the little things they’ll never throw away.
Our sentimentality score is based on how residents capture, save, and revisit meaningful moments. The index looked at habits like displaying printed photos, keeping cards and handwritten notes, saving everyday items tied to memories, and making plans to create new memories with loved ones.
At the top of the list: Georgia, where residents earned a sentimentality score of 83.9 out of 100.
Here are the 10 most sentimental states in the U.S.:
- Georgia: 83.9
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Mississippi: 81.9
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Texas: 73.5
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South Carolina: 73.2
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Indiana: 71.2
- New Hampshire: 68.5
- Alabama: 67.8
- Delaware: 65.8
- Iowa: 61.6
- Nevada: 58.4
Georgia took the top spot with a score of 83.9. More than half of Georgia respondents (56%) said they have more than 10 printed photos on display at home, compared to 35% nationally. Georgians were also much more likely than the average American to look back at old photos, videos, cards, or keepsakes at least monthly (72% vs. about 60%). Georgians aren’t just saving memories. They’re giving them a place to live.
Mississippi followed closely behind in second with a score of 81.9. Its sentimental streak showed up most clearly in the way residents hold on to keepsakes and look back at old photos. 63% say they often keep everyday items that remind them of special moments (compared to 44% nationally), and 75% look back at old photos or keepsakes at least monthly—the highest share of any state in the study.
Texas landed at No. 3, and its sentimentality showed up in both memory-making and memory-keeping. Two-thirds of Texans (66%) said they often or very often make plans specifically to create memories with people they care about, the highest share in the study and well above the national average of 42%. Texans also had a hard time letting go. 75% said it’s very or extremely hard to throw away a gift, card, photo, souvenir, or other item connected to someone they care about, compared to 62% nationally.
South Carolina ranked No. 4, with residents showing strong sentimental habits across both keepsakes and memory-making. It ranked highest for how hard it is to part with sentimental items, with 76% saying it’s very or extremely hard to throw away a meaningful item. South Carolina residents were also strong memory-makers, with 60% saying they often or very often make plans to create memories with loved ones. From saved mementos to future plans, South Carolinians seem to have a soft spot for the moments that bring people closer.
Indiana rounded out the top five with a score of 71.2. Residents were especially likely to try and capture everyday joy, with 90% saying they take photos or videos of little moments at least monthly, compared to 84% nationally. They also placed a high value on major life moments, with 78% saying it’s very or extremely important to capture them in photos or videos. It’s a reminder that the everyday stuff counts too—the pet being silly, the casual family dinner, the tiny moment that didn’t feel big until later.
The next five states show that sentimentality can take a few different forms:
- New Hampshire had the highest share of residents with more than 10 printed photos on display at home (57%). It also ranked near the top for capturing everyday joy, with 92% taking photos or videos of those little moments at least monthly.
- Alabama led the study in one big category. 87% of residents said it’s very or extremely important to capture major life moments in photos or videos.
- Delaware was helped by strong scores for revisiting memories. Nearly 75% of residents said they look back at old photos, videos, cards, or keepsakes at least monthly.
- Iowa had 79% of residents keeping cards and handwritten notes for at least a year and 89% capturing little moments of joy at least monthly.
- Nevada rounded out the top 10, standing out for emotional attachment to keepsakes. About 74% of residents said it’s very or extremely hard to throw away sentimental items connected to someone they care about.
The most sentimental states don’t all show it the same way. Some residents fill their homes with printed photos. Some save cards for years. Others make a point to create new memories with the people they love. But across the top-ranking states, one thing is clear: memories matter more when they’re kept somewhere special.
Next, we’ll take a closer look at the full survey findings to see what Americans are holding onto, which memories mean the most, and how often they return to the photos and keepsakes that tell their story.
How Americans capture, keep, and revisit memories
Sentimentality isn’t one-size-fits-all. Sometimes it looks like a wall full of framed photos. Sometimes it’s a birthday card tucked in a drawer. Sometimes it’s a photo on your phone that takes you right back.
Across the survey, one theme kept showing up. Americans don’t just want to make memories. They want to hold onto them, revisit them, and keep them close in ways big and small.
Photos are still how people hold onto the moment
Even in a camera-roll world, printed photos still have a place at home. More than one-third of Americans (35%) have more than 10 printed photos on display, turning everyday spaces into little galleries of the people, places, and moments that matter.
Americans are also quick to capture the memories as they happen:
- 84% take photos or videos of everyday joyful moments at least monthly.
- 57% do so weekly.
- 27% do so almost daily.
- 65% say it’s very or extremely important to capture major life moments in photos or videos.
The moments most likely to make people reach for their camera are a mix of big milestones and tiny, blink-and-you-miss-it moments:
- 81% capture major milestones or special occasions.
- 80% capture moments with family or friends.
- 67% capture small everyday moments they don’t want to forget.
- 66% capture pet moments that you aren’t going to want to miss.
That mix says a lot. Weddings, graduations, and vacations matter, of course. But so do the sleepy dog, the Sunday breakfast, and the casual laugh with someone you love. Those are the photos that can turn into something more lasting later, from framed prints to a custom photo book that tells the full story.
Keepsakes carry the stories photos don’t always tell
Photos may capture what a moment looked like, but keepsakes often hold the feeling around it. A handwritten note. A ticket stub. A souvenir from a trip. A card with a message worth rereading.
Over half of Americans (52%) say they keep cards and handwritten notes from people they care about indefinitely, rarely throwing them away. Another 18% keep them for a year or more.
Younger adults were especially likely to hold onto these mementos: 60% of 18- to 28-year-olds keep cards and notes indefinitely, compared to 46% of those 61 and older. So much for younger generations not being sentimental.
And when it comes time to part with meaningful objects, most people don’t find it easy. More than 6 in 10 Americans (62%) say it’s very or extremely hard to throw away gifts, cards, photos, or other items connected to someone they care about. Only 5% say it’s not hard at all.
People return to memories again and again
Saving memories is only part of the story. Americans are also going back to them.
About 6 in 10 people say they look back at old photos or keepsakes at least monthly. About 3 in 10 do so weekly, and 1 in 10 revisit them daily.
Younger adults are the most frequent memory-revisitors in the survey. Among 18- to 28-year-olds, 69% look back at old photos or keepsakes at least monthly, and 35% do so weekly. Among those 61 and older, 45% revisit them monthly, and 24% do so weekly.
That habit shows up in how people save everyday objects, too. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans (79%) say they often or very often keep everyday items because they remind them of a meaningful person, place, or moment. Just 4% say they never do this.
When people take photos of meaningful moments, they’re most likely to:
- Keep them on their phone or computer: 88%
- Text or email them to family or friends: 56%
- Print or frame them: 50%
- Share them on social media: 45%
- Put them in an album, scrapbook, or photo book: 39%
That path from phone to frame, message thread, or photo book feels central to the bigger story. Memories often start as digital photos, but the ones that matter tend to move into places where people can see them, share them, and come back to them.
Core memories are rooted in connection
When we asked people about their strongest core memories, the most common answers were deeply tied to other people and shared experiences:
- Family memories: 78%
- Vacations: 73%
- Childhood memories: 67%
- Friendships: 63%
The memories people carry most closely are rarely just about the event itself. They’re about who was there, where they were, and what the moment still means.
More than 8 in 10 Americans (81%) say they have photos or videos that remind them of their strongest core memories. Another 12% don’t have photos or videos of those moments but wish they did.
People also return to those reminders often. More than half (55%) revisit photos, videos, and keepsakes from their strongest core memories at least a few times per month. More than one-quarter (27%) do so at least a few times per week, and 10% revisit them daily.
That’s probably the clearest sign of sentimentality in the study. Americans are keeping photos, cards, notes, and keepsakes because those mementos help tell the story of their lives. In fact, 81% agree with the statement, “The objects, photos, and keepsakes I’ve saved help tell the story of my life.” Just 8% disagree.
“What stands out is how often people return to their memories,” said Leslie Albertson, Sr. Director Brand & Creative at Mixbook. “A photo, a handwritten note, or a saved keepsake can bring a whole story back into focus. Whether it’s a major milestone or a small everyday memory, these are the stories people want to return to, share, and preserve in a way that lasts.”
Give your memories somewhere to go
Whether they’re saving handwritten notes, displaying printed photos, or revisiting old videos from a favorite trip, Americans are finding their own ways to keep meaningful moments close. While some states may be a little more sentimental than others, the bigger story is clear: memories matter.
They matter because they connect us to the people, places, and moments that shape our lives. A card can hold a conversation. A photo can bring back a whole afternoon. A keepsake can tell a story only you know.
That’s where Mixbook comes in. From custom photo books to cards, calendars, and wall art, Mixbook helps turn the memories sitting on your phone, tucked in a drawer, or saved for “someday” into something you can see, share, and revisit again and again. Start with the moments you love most, and create something worth holding onto.
Methodology
To determine which states are home to the most sentimental residents, we surveyed over 2,400 people across 48 states and asked them a series of questions about how they preserve memories, display photos, hold onto keepsakes, revisit the past, and create meaningful moments with loved ones. The survey took place over two weeks in May 2026.
Our “sentimentality score” is based on respondents’ answers to ten questions designed to measure sentimental habits and attitudes. Answers were assigned values after the survey was complete, with responses indicating higher levels of sentimentality receiving higher values. For example, respondents who said they frequently look back at old photos, keep meaningful cards for years, or have a hard time throwing away sentimental items received higher scores.
The average value for each question was calculated for each state and scaled from zero to ten, so the most sentimental state for a given question received a ten and the least sentimental state received a zero. Each question was weighted equally, and the scores were totaled to create an overall “sentimentality score” for each state included in the study.
States were then ranked from highest to lowest score to determine the most and least sentimental states in the U.S.
Fair use
You are welcome to use, reference, and share non-commercial excerpts of this study with proper attribution. If you cite or cover our findings, please link back to this page so readers can view the full methodology, charts, and context.
