You’ve probably seen the headlines when someone in a random town in Florida or California hits a billion-dollar jackpot. It feels like lightning striking. But if you actually look at the data, the lightning seems to prefer certain zip codes.
Honestly, the map of Mega Millions winnings by state looks a lot less like a random distribution and more like a population heat map.
New York is the undisputed king. Since the game’s inception (and its evolution from The Big Game), the Empire State has minted 43 jackpot winners. That is a massive number. Think about it—43 separate occasions where a piece of paper turned into a life-altering fortune in just one state. California trails behind with 35, followed by New Jersey at 24.
Does this mean the bodegas in Queens are luckier than the gas stations in Wyoming?
Not really. It's basically a math problem. More people living in a state means more tickets sold, and more tickets sold means a higher probability that the winning combination lands in someone’s pocket there. Wyoming didn't even have a jackpot winner for years because, frankly, there aren't many people there and they joined the party late.
The states where the most millionaires are made
If you want to talk about where the "Big Money" lives, you have to look at the Northeast. Between New York and New Jersey, you’ve got almost 70 jackpot winners.
Ohio is another weirdly consistent hotspot. They’ve had 21 jackpot wins, including a $112 million prize just recently in April 2025 by the Ironwood Family Trust. People in the Midwest take their lottery seriously. Michigan follows close behind with 18 wins.
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But there is a catch.
Winning in New York is a very different experience than winning in Texas. In New York, the state wants its cut. A big one. The state tax rate on lottery prizes in New York can hit 8.82%, and if you live in New York City, the city takes another 3.876%.
Contrast that with Texas or Florida.
In those states, the "Mega Millions winnings by state" stats might be lower in terms of frequency, but the winners keep way more of their cash. Texas has had 15 jackpot winners. When that person in Sugar Land won $810 million in September 2024, they didn't pay a single cent in state income tax. That’s a difference of tens of millions of dollars compared to a New York winner.
The "Dry" states and the lucky newcomers
It’s kinda wild that some states have zero jackpot winners. None. Zip.
Places like Colorado, Iowa, and Kentucky participate in the game but haven't seen a resident take home the top prize yet. It’s not a conspiracy; it’s just the law of large numbers working against them.
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Then you have states like Maine. For the longest time, Maine was a lottery desert. Then, on Friday the 13th in January 2023, someone bought a ticket at a Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon and won $1.348 billion. Just like that, Maine went from "never won" to having one of the biggest individual wins in history.
Similarly, Minnesota broke its dry spell in 2022 when a couple from Ramsey hit a $110 million jackpot. It took them decades to get on the board, but they finally did.
Taxes: The silent jackpot killer
We need to talk about what happens after the giant check is signed. Most people focus on the "advertised jackpot," but that number is a fantasy.
First, you have the cash option vs. the annuity. Most winners—almost all of them, actually—take the lump sum. That immediately slashes the prize by about half. Then the IRS shows up for their 24% federal withholding.
But the state tax is the real wild card.
- New York/New Jersey/Maryland: These are the "high-cost" winning states. You’re looking at 8% to 10% in state taxes.
- California/Texas/Florida/Washington: These are the "jackpot havens." They either don't have an income tax or they specifically exempt lottery winnings from it.
- The Oddities: Arizona and Maryland are famously aggressive. They are among the few states that will tax you even if you don't live there, as long as you bought the ticket within their borders.
Imagine winning $100 million. In Florida, you take home significantly more than you would in Maryland. It's the same game, the same odds, but a completely different bank balance.
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Why population isn't the only factor
While New York and California lead because of their sheer size, some states punch above their weight class.
Georgia has 16 wins despite being much smaller than Texas, which also has 15. This usually comes down to "lottery culture." In some states, people just buy more tickets per capita. Georgia was one of the founding members of the game back when it was "The Big Game," so they’ve had more time to build up those stats.
The reality of the "Lucky Store"
You see it every time a jackpot gets huge. People flock to the store that sold the last winning ticket. They think the "luck" is in the linoleum or the coffee machine.
In reality, the only reason a store is "lucky" is because it sells a high volume of tickets. A shop in Primm, Nevada (right on the California border), sells a staggering amount of tickets because Nevadans cross the border to play. Of course they’re going to have more winners; they’re running more "trials" of the experiment.
Actionable steps for the hopeful player
If you're actually looking to play and want to be smart about it, here is how the landscape looks in 2026:
- Check the "True" Payout: Use a lottery tax calculator specifically for your state. A $500 million jackpot in Oregon is worth much less than $500 million in South Dakota.
- Consider the "Publicity" Rules: If you win in a state like Texas or Arizona, you can remain anonymous (usually above a certain dollar threshold). In other states, your name, hometown, and face will be public record.
- The Out-of-State Trap: If you’re traveling, remember that most states will tax you if you buy the ticket there, even if your home state doesn't.
- Pool Responsibly: Group wins are huge in New Jersey and New York. If you play in an office pool, have a written agreement. The "Peace of Mind" trust in Pennsylvania won $516 million in 2021—they had their paperwork in order, which saved them years of legal headaches.
The map of winners will keep changing, but the math stays the same. New York might hold the trophy for now, but as we saw with Florida’s $1.6 billion win in 2023, any state can become the center of the lottery world overnight.