Survey: America’s top Alternative Hobbies for 2024

We recently ran a survey of 3,000 Americans to gauge their favorite alternative hobbies for 2024. The surprising findings are illustrated in the map below.

Key Findings:

1. Beekeeping is the most popular hobby for 2024, highlighting a desire to connect with nature and contribute to environmental sustainability.
2. Aquascaping and Aquarium Keeping rank second, indicating a growing interest in creating and maintaining intricate underwater ecosystems.
3. Falconry emerges as the third favorite, showcasing a fascination with wildlife and the ancient tradition of training birds of prey.
4. Lapidary, the art of cutting and polishing stones, is fourth, reflecting a blend of geology and creative expression.
5. Metal Detecting ranks fifth, appealing to the thrill of treasure hunting and historical exploration.
6. Homebrewing places sixth, underscoring a trend towards DIY culinary arts and craft beer culture.
7. Astrophotography takes seventh place, combining a passion for the cosmos with photographic skill.
8. Toy Voyaging in eighth position, reveals a whimsical and imaginative side of hobbies, blending travel and storytelling.
9. Foraging, ranked ninth, signifies a growing interest in sustainable living and nature-based food sourcing.
10. Urban Exploration rounds out the top ten, indicating a fascination with urban history and decay.

Implications of the Study:

• Shift Towards Nature and Sustainability: The popularity of hobbies like beekeeping, aquascaping, and foraging suggests a societal movement towards reconnecting with nature and embracing sustainable practices.
• Fusion of Tradition and Technology: Interests in falconry and astrophotography represent a unique blend of ancient traditions and modern technology, indicating a desire to bridge past and present.
• Creative and Artistic Expression: Hobbies like lapidary, homebrewing, and glass blowing highlight a societal trend towards creative self-expression and artisanal skills.
• Adventure and Exploration: The popularity of metal detecting, urban exploration, and toy voyaging suggests a growing appeal for adventure and discovery in everyday life.
• Community and Sharing Experiences: The rise in social hobbies, such as homebrewing and geocaching, points to a desire for community engagement and shared experiences.
• Personal Growth and Skill Development: Many of these hobbies, such as blacksmithing and model railroading, require learning new skills, indicating a focus on personal development and lifelong learning.
• Counterbalance to Digital Life: These hobbies offer a tangible, hands-on contrast to the increasingly digital and virtual nature of modern life, providing a much-needed balance.

Methodology

Online panel survey of 3,000 adults based on age, gender, and geography. Internal data sources are used to obtain population data sets. We used a two-step process to ensure representativeness through stratified sampling and post-stratification weighting.