Up next in our Spotlight on States series: Maryland!
The state was named after Queen Henrietta Maria of England, who was married to King Charles I. He granted permission for Maryland to become a colony.
Maryland joined the Union on April 28, 1788, as the seventh state. It’s nicknamed “The Old Line State” in honor of 400 Revolutionary War soldiers who faced off against 10,000 British soldiers. They were called the Maryland Line and held off the British long enough to allow the rest of the American army to escape.
The capital city is Annapolis, and the largest city is Baltimore. The population of Maryland is 6,177,224 according to the 2020 census.
Official Maryland State Symbols
Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of Maryland’s official state symbols:
– Bird: Baltimore Oriole
– Boat: Skipjack
– Insect: Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly
– Flower: Black-Eyed Susan
– Dessert: Smith Island Cake
– Sport: Jousting
– Dog: Chesapeake Bay Retriever
– Cat: Calico Cat
Find more information about Maryland’s state symbols here.
Fun Facts about Maryland
In 1844 the first telegraph line in the world was established between Washington and Baltimore.
William Goddard inaugurated the first Post Office system in the United States in Baltimore in 1774.
The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use.
Sixteen of the 23 Maryland counties border on tidal water. The combined length of tidal shoreline, including islands, is 4,431 miles.
Annapolis is known as the sailing capital of the world.
Dr. Florence Rina Sabin of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore became the first female professor of medicine in 1901.
Famous people from Maryland include Harriet Tubman, Edgar Allan Poe, Jim Henson, Billie Holiday, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
NCP Panel Members in Maryland
Want to learn more about your fellow panel members in another state? Here’s how our Maryland panel members answered some of our survey questions!
How long have you been a panel member?
– 28% of survey respondents have been members for 15 or more years.
– 12% have been members for less than a year.
– 81% of respondents have lived in Maryland for more than 15 years.
Is the area you live rural, suburban, or urban?
– 22% live in rural areas
– 67% live in suburban areas
– 11% live in urban areas
Do you have children?
– 65% of respondents have children
– Of those, 23% have children living in their home
Shopping habits of NCP Panel Members in Maryland
Do you think peoples’ shopping habits differ based on where they live? We’re curious about this, so we asked our panel members questions about how, when, and where they shop, along with some other questions about their habits.
Here’s what our panel members in Maryland had to say about their shopping habits:
– 66% of respondents shop both online and in-store, with 30% shopping in-store only.
– 63% of respondents tend to shop at the same stores.
– 71% of respondents mostly stick to their list when shopping, but sometimes make impulse purchases.
– 65% of respondents shop alone, with another 18% shopping with a spouse or partner.
When it comes to choosing where to shop, 54% of panel members shop mostly at grocery stores. Another 27% primarily shop at mass-merchandise retailers. Price, location, and convenience are the top factors that influence where people decide to shop. Other things that influence where panel members shop are the quality of merchandise, loyalty programs, and whether kosher food is available.
Convenience while shopping
While ordering groceries and other items online has long been an option, the COVID-19 pandemic made delivery and pick-up a lot more common for people.
Here’s what Maryland panel members had to say about it:
– 63% never order groceries online and pick up at the store, while 27% do sometimes.
– 59% never order groceries online to be delivered, while 32% do sometimes.
We also wondered if the weather influenced a person’s choice between online and in-person shopping. 33% of respondents said weather doesn’t impact their decision, with 33% saying they prefer in-person shopping regardless of the weather.
And finally: self-checkout. Some people love it, others hate it. According to our survey, 24% of respondents always choose self-checkout, with another 43% indicating they frequently choose it. 25% of respondents rarely use it, and 9% never do.
Interests of NCP panel members in Maryland
Here are a few other fun facts about Maryland panel members from our survey!
More than half of respondents engage in outdoor recreational activities regularly or occasionally. The most popular outdoor activities are hiking and walking – it was a favorite for 76% of panel members. A few of the unique answers panel members wrote in include skydiving, ultimate frisbee, badminton, and water aerobics.
We asked panelists which sports they follow, and 49% said football, while 35% said none. Some of the other sports panelists follow are lacrosse, ice skating, and their grandchildren’s sports.
We also wanted to know: what place would you recommend to visitors in your hometown or state? The most popular types of attractions panel members recommend in Maryland are historical and cultural museums, followed closely by restaurants and culinary places. Here are some of the answers we got from panel members:
– Maryland State Fair
– Ocean City Boardwalk
– Concord Point Lighthouse
– Naval Academy
– National Aquarium in Baltimore
Did you learn anything new about Maryland? How do your shopping habits compare to panel members in Maryland? We hope you enjoy learning about panel members in other states. Stay tuned for the next one: Massachusetts!
Join NCP!
If you’re not a NCP panel member and you’re interested in joining NCP to share your shopping experiences, earn great rewards, and influence what you see on store shelves, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog for more information.
Regards,
Taylor
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I really enjoyed reading about Maryland, my home State. The questions where interesting and the fun facts were great. I also enjoyed reading about Massachusetts. This was a great blog. Thank you.
Thank you, Valerie! So happy to hear you enjoyed the state blogs.