New data reveals a disconnect between states’ interest in sending money abroad and the actual per capita remittance flows.
Buena Park, California, December 16, 2025 – Remittances from the United States are a large and stable source of international financial flows. Long-standing ties with markets such as Mexico, India, and the Philippines drive much of this activity and continue to shape cross-border capital flows and economic relationships worldwide.
With this context in mind, Ria Money Transfer has published a new study evaluating state-level remittance behavior, highlighting discrepancies between projected interest and real transactions per capita.
Leading states and key corridors
According to the analysis, California, New York, and Texas top the list in terms of total money sent abroad from the United States. However, when looking at per-capita activity, the dynamics change: the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Maryland emerge as some of the territories with the highest intensity of transfers per resident.
The study also highlights the most representative corridors between states and destinations, as well as reverse flows:
- California → Mexico
- New York → Colombia
- Colombia → Florida
- India → Texas
These routes, which serve as true backbones of the international money-transfer system, reflect decades of migration history and family networks that remain active today.
A divergence between online interest and real flows
Beyond volumes and major corridors, the study also compares users’ online search interest with real transfer activity per capita, uncovering a surprising disconnect in how people engage with key money transfers destinations.
The findings in this recent study reveal an unexpected pattern. When it comes to the most-searched destinations (Mexico, India, and the Philippines), the states leading online interest are not always the ones driving real per capita transactions.
- Mexico: New Mexico leads in online searches; Wyoming leads in transfers per capita.
- India: New Jersey and New York show the most digital activity; Arkansas leads in real transfers relative to its population.
- Philippines: Hawaii records the highest interest; Alaska stands out in proportional transfers.
This contrast reveals the “wallet reality”; the gap between digital intention and real economic behavior.
To explore the full ranking of states that show the strongest interest in sending money abroad versus those that actually lead in per capita transactions, see detailed State-to-Country and Country-to-State corridors, and learn more about the trends shaping the US money-transfer market, you can access and read Ria Money Transfer’s full study HERE, including all research sources.
About Ria Money Transfer
Ria Money Transfer is one of the world’s leading money transfer companies. With a presence in more than 190 countries and an extensive network of agents and locations, Ria Money Transfer provides fast, secure, and affordable solutions for sending and receiving money internationally.
Summary:
Ria Money Transfer’s new study reveals a gap between states’ online interest in sending money abroad and actual per-capita remittance behavior. While California, New York, and Texas lead in total volumes, smaller regions like Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, and New Jersey top per-capita transfers. Key corridors reflect migration ties, and comparisons show that search interest often does not match real transaction intensity across destinations such as Mexico, India, and the Philippines.
