Local businesses in Utah average 4.62 stars on Google, the highest of 37 US states, ahead of Massachusetts at 4.59 and Connecticut at 4.57. Arizona businesses have the most reviews, a median of 45 each.
Analysis of 17,768 rated Google Business Profiles in 37 states · Google Business Profiles, September 2026
Key Findings
- 1.Local businesses in Utah average 4.62 stars on Google, the highest average Google rating of 37 US states.
- 2.Massachusetts (4.59 stars) and Connecticut (4.57) have the next-highest average Google ratings for local businesses.
- 3.The average Google rating of local businesses runs from 4.62 stars in Utah to 4.34 in Alabama, a gap of 0.29 stars across 37 states.
- 4.Arizona local businesses have the most Google reviews of 37 states, a median of 45 per business, against 12.5 in Mississippi.
- 5.Local businesses in the largest states sit close to the 4.50-star national average on Google, from 4.44 in New York to 4.53 in Florida and Georgia.
Summary
A family that has just moved to Utah looks up a new dentist, a new mechanic and a new pizza place. Nearly every business they find is rated above 4.5 stars. They are not imagining it: Utah businesses carry the highest average Google rating in the country.
Star ratings are the first thing most customers compare on Google Maps, and small differences show at a glance: 4.6 stars reads differently from 4.3. Knowing the typical rating where you operate tells a business owner whether a 4.4 is ordinary or behind the local pack.
Utah leads at 4.62 stars, followed by Massachusetts at 4.59 and Connecticut at 4.57. Alabama, Kentucky and Mississippi sit at the bottom, and the whole range from top to bottom is 0.29 stars. The largest states, California, Texas, Florida and New York, all land close to the national average of 4.50.
What we measured
On September 23, 2026 we looked at 23,164 US Google Business Profiles across 54 local business categories. We kept the 18,526 that have a star rating and grouped them by the state in their address. For the 37 states with at least 100 rated businesses each, 17,768 businesses in all, we calculated the average Google rating and the median number of Google reviews per business.
A business's Google rating is the average of all the star ratings its customers have left, from 1 to 5. A state's average rating is the average of those business ratings. The median number of reviews is the middle business: half have more reviews, half have fewer.
Utah, Massachusetts and Connecticut rate highest
The top seven states are spread across the country: Utah and Idaho in the Mountain West, Oregon in the Pacific Northwest, Massachusetts and Connecticut in New England, and Maryland and North Carolina on the East Coast. Alabama, at 4.34 stars, and Kentucky, at 4.35, have the lowest averages.
Source: Suff Digital analysis of 17,768 rated Google Business Profiles in 37 states · Google Business Profiles, September 2026
The gap of 0.29 stars between Utah and Alabama matters where ratings are compared: on a Google Maps list, it is the difference between a row of 4.6s and a row of 4.3s. A business rated 4.4 stands close to the average in Alabama and well below the typical business in Utah.
Arizona businesses have the most reviews
The number of reviews varies more than the rating. Arizona local businesses have a median of 45 Google reviews each, the most of 37 states, and Mississippi businesses have the fewest, a median of 12.5. Idaho (39), Florida (37) and Utah (36) sit near the top, while Iowa (17.5), Louisiana and Alabama (18 each) sit near the bottom.
Source: Suff Digital analysis of 17,768 rated Google Business Profiles in 37 states · Google Business Profiles, September 2026
Ratings and review counts tend to move together. Several of the highest-rated states, Utah, Idaho and Oregon, also have more reviews per business, while several of the lower-rated states have fewer. A rating built on many reviews is steadier: one unhappy customer moves it less.
The largest states sit close to the national average
The states with the most businesses land within a few hundredths of a star of the 4.50 national average. Florida and Georgia rate highest of the large states at 4.53, Texas sits at 4.51 and California at 4.48. New York is the lowest-rated large state at 4.44.
Source: Suff Digital analysis of 17,768 rated Google Business Profiles in 37 states · Google Business Profiles, September 2026
With thousands of businesses of every type, the large states average out close to the country as a whole. That makes the national 4.50 a reasonable benchmark for a business in California or Texas, and a less reliable one in Utah or Alabama.
What this means for local businesses
Benchmark your rating against the businesses you actually compete with. Your state average is a starting point; the type of business matters too, since category averages run from 3.90 stars for beauty stores to 4.82 for med spas. Look at the businesses in your own Google Maps results for your main service, and note their ratings and review counts.
The most reliable way to lift an average is volume. Ask every satisfied customer for a review, by text or email with a direct link, so new five-star reviews keep arriving. A steady flow also protects you: on a profile with hundreds of reviews, a single one-star review barely moves the average.
Reply calmly to every complaint, since future customers read the reply as much as the review. Our local seo packages include review programs for local businesses in every state.
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<p style="font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif">Source: <a href="https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/average-google-rating-by-state">Utah Businesses Have the Highest Average Google Rating in the US at 4.62 Stars - Suff Digital</a></p>
Cite this study
Suff Digital. (2026). Utah Businesses Have the Highest Average Google Rating in the US at 4.62 Stars. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/average-google-rating-by-state
Utah Businesses Have the Highest Average Google Rating in the US at 4.62 Stars - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/average-google-rating-by-state
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