New York Is One of America’s Top Treasure Hotspots

New York is famous for its cities, mountains, lakes, and landmarks. However, the Empire State may also be filled with more hidden treasure than many residents realize. A new study from ACE.com ranked New York as the 11th best state in the country for possible real life treasure.

What Counts as Treasure?

They ranked all 50 states using five types of discoveries. They counted shipwrecks, gold deposits, meteorite strikes, prehistoric fossils, and places where rare earth minerals have been found. Each state got a score based on the number of recorded locations in those five groups. New York earned a score of 31.15 out of 100.

New York Has a Lot of Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks helped New York climb high on the list. The study found 1,762 recorded shipwreck locations across the state. That was the second highest number in the country. Only Florida had more, with 1,850 recorded shipwrecks.

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New York’s large number may not be surprising when you consider its history of travel and trade. Ships have crossed the Atlantic coast, Hudson River, Long Island Sound, Erie Canal, and the Great Lakes for hundreds of years.

Treasure Has Also Fallen From the Sky

The study also had 11 meteorite records in New York. Meteorites are pieces of rock from space that survive their trip through the atmosphere and reach the ground. There was seven recorded rare earth mineral locations and two prehistoric fossil records in the Empire State.

California Takes the Top Spot

California ranked first in the country with a score of 71.51. Its total included more than 10,000 locations connected to gold. Alaska placed second, while Florida came in third. New York may not have topped the national list, but it is a reminder that parts of history is hiding closer to home than we think.