Over the years, there have been many disagreements between the residents of northern Ohio and their neighbors in the southern part of the state. Typically, these have involved differences in opinion between fans of the local sports teams. Now, though, there’s a new argument brewing between the Buckeye State regions – real Christmas trees against artificial ones.
With Christmas less than three weeks away, our staff at BetOhio.com, where the best Ohio sportsbook promotions are found, were curious if locals statewide prefer real or artificial Christmas trees. We used Google Trends to compare search interest scores for “real Christmas trees” versus “artificial Christmas trees.” The search period was from Nov. 30 to Dec. 25, 2023, and filtered to only include Ohio.
Type | Score |
Artificial Tree | 13 |
Real Tree | 9 |
Across the state, the preference skews toward artificial trees. But we wanted to dive deeper into the subject to see if there may be pockets of the state where people channel their inner Clark Griswold and desire a real tree to put up in their house in the home of Ohio sportsbooks.
Sure enough, our data shows there appears to be a line of demarcation somewhere around the “Hell Is Real” sign on Interstate 71.
Metro | Type | Percentage of Preference |
Dayton | Real Tree | 55% |
Cincinnati | Real Tree | 52% |
Columbus | Artificial Tree | 55% |
Cleveland-Akron | Artificial Tree | 60% |
For those looking for a real tree to decorate this holiday season, the Ohio Christmas Tree Association has a website that’s a good resource for finding the right pine or fir.
Among the tips the group offers is to have concise measurements – both in height and ground width – before going to a tree farm or a retail lot. If you shop at a lot, check the needles on the tree to determine its freshness. On fir trees, fresh needles will break when bent. However, it’s the opposite for pine trees. Make sure you know which is which.
The association also has a farm finder on its website, OhioChristmasTree.org, so people who want to cut down their own tree can find a location near their home.
If you’re looking for the right Ohio sports betting app, stay with us at BetOhio.com, where we offer reviews on licensed sportsbooks operating in the state. We also provide the latest analysis and insights on Ohio’s top college and pro sports teams.
USA Today Network photo by Ty Wright
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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