Photo Printing Hotspots

Life is full of moments worth remembering, whether it’s time with loved ones or key milestones. Ever since the camera was invented, people have tried to capture those memories in photos, creating something they can revisit again and again.

Today, most of us have a smartphone tucked in our pockets, creating an endless digital stream of photos. Yet this shift has created a new problem. Many of those pictures end up buried on devices or forgotten entirely.

But statistics show that many Americans are returning to traditional photography, shooting on film, or printing out their digital favorites. Incorporating framed photos in your home, such as building gallery walls or arranging memories in collage frames, keeps those special moments within view, rather than hidden in a camera roll.

The state of photo-printing in the U.S.

Although the U.S. photo-printing industry is currently valued at $4.7 billion, it has been shrinking for years, with an average annual decrease of 1.9% over the last five years.¹ This decline has mirrored a wider cultural shift in how people treat photos. Even social media, once the natural home for daily snapshots, has seen a major pullback, with 41% of Americans posting less frequently.²

As more people rely on smartphones for both storage and sharing, fewer images are ever printed or displayed. With 91% of Americans now owning a smartphone, the country stores an estimated 622 billion photos on devices alone.³

The rise of the digital photo graveyard

This shift has created a ‘digital photo graveyard’. The average smartphone holds about 2,000 pictures, yet most may never be printed or shared at all.⁴ More importantly, they are not entirely safe. Around 1.6% of phones fail each year, potentially resulting in digital photo losses and putting nearly 9.8 billion photos at risk in the U.S. each year.⁵

These trends show a growing vulnerability at the heart of modern photo habits. People are taking more pictures than ever; roughly 5 billion images are captured worldwide each day compared to just 156 million in 1995, but the long-term security and visibility of those memories are declining.⁶

A renewed interest in physical prints

Against this backdrop, the photo-printing sector is beginning to show signs of renewed momentum. The North American market is expected to reach $10.6 billion by 2031, with an anticipated growth rate of 5.1%.⁷ Consumers are seeking tangible ways to preserve memories, and this shift is influencing more than traditional printing.

Instant photography is also part of the revival. The global Polaroid market is currently valued at $2.1 billion and is projected to reach $2.8 billion by 2034.⁸ Photo booths are also experiencing renewed interest, growing from $850 million today to an estimated $1.5 billion over the same period, with a strong 5.8% growth rate.⁹

The states driving the photo-printing resurgence

Across the United States, photo printing is making a comeback. In fact, Level Frames customers have driven strong year-on-year increases in printed products, including a 24% rise in collage frames and a 19% rise in other framed photos.

Some states are driving this resurgence in photo printing more than others. West Coast states dominate the top of the rankings, with California and Washington ranking top, and Colorado, Arizona, and Utah within the top 10.

Below are the metrics by state for photo booths, annual searches for "photo printing", "Polaroid cameras", and "instant camera film", the number of photo printing, camera store and film lab locations, and finally the overall score per state.

Rank	State	Photo booths	Annual keyword searches	Searches per 100k people	Camera/film stores	Stores per 100k people	Overall score /10
1	California	1,181	889,590	2,256	936	2.37	9.18
2	Washington	118	175,040	2,199	274	3.44	8.71
3	Colorado	104	122,810	2,061	189	3.17	8.16
4	New York	315	403,940	2,033	393	1.98	8.10
5	Illinois	193	268,360	2,111	242	1.90	7.82
5	Arizona	131	138,780	1,830	210	2.77	7.82
7	Oregon	66	85,760	2,007	172	4.03	7.75
8	Utah	49	76,940	2,196	103	2.94	7.62
9	Virginia	124	156,520	1,776	222	2.52	7.48
10	Nevada	122	59,950	1,835	65	1.99	7.01

1. California, photo-printing score of 9.18 out of 10:

California is a state with significant photo appeal, offering stunning scenery and wildlife in Yosemite National Park, iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, beautiful beaches, arid deserts, and high-rise city skylines.

It’s also the state that is most well-equipped to accommodate the rising demand for photo-printing with 1,181 photo booths - by far the most in the country. The state with the second-highest amount, Texas, has only 713, meaning there are 65% more in California. There are also over 2,000 Google searches per 100,000 people for Polaroid and instant film cameras in the state annually - the highest level of consumer interest in the country.

2. Washington, photo-printing score of 8.71 out of 10:

Washington borders Canada to the north, and its cold climate often brings wintry weather that creates an atmospheric backdrop for photography. From Mount Rainier’s iconic slopes to the famous Seattle skyline, Washington has a lot to offer for landscape photos.

There are 3.44 photo stores and printing labs per 100,000 people in Washington, which is more than double the national average of 1.83. Moreover, there were almost 2,200 Google searches for instant film cameras in the state in the last year, second only to California for this factor.

3. Colorado, photo-printing score of 8.16 out of 10:

Colorado places third with consistently high search interest and strong access to photo-printing services. The scenic, mountainous state is home to the Rocky Mountains, desert arches and canyons, and iconic lonely roads. This makes it a hotspot for locals and adventure tourists who come to enjoy winter sports, hiking, and climbing, all activities that can inspire a desire to capture photos.

The demand for photo printing in the state is evident in the high number of local searches for instant cameras, at more than 2,000 per 100,000 people in the last year. Additionally, there are more than three printing stores per 100,000 residents, placing the state well above the national average.

The states lagging behind in the photo-printing resurgence

Other regions of the U.S. show far slower adoption. Many of the lowest-scoring states lack both infrastructure and consumer interest, resulting in far fewer searches, fewer printing locations, and minimal photo booth availability.

Rank	State	Photo booths	Annual keyword searches	Searches per 100k people	Camera/film stores	Stores per 100k people	Overall score /10
1	West Virginia	12	20,520	1,159	16	0.90	1.02
2	Maine	7	21,870	1,557	9	0.64	1.15
3	Mississippi	43	33,170	1,127	23	0.78	1.36
4	North Dakota	10	10,340	1,298	9	1.13	1.49
5	Arkansas	33	37,620	1,218	27	0.87	1.56
6	Vermont	4	9,200	1,419	11	1.70	2.45
6	Alabama	76	70,590	1,369	32	0.62	2.45
8	Kentucky	54	65,650	1,431	35	0.76	2.52
9	South Dakota	7	11,940	1,291	22	2.38	2.99
10	Alaska	8	9,090	1,228	18	2.43	3.13

1. West Virginia, photo-printing score of 1.02 out of 10:

Despite being almost heaven with its Blue Ridge Mountains and country roads, photo printing has not caught on as much in West Virginia as in some other states. The Mid-Atlantic state ranked as the lowest for photo printing adoption, due to several factors.

Firstly, there is fewer than one photo printing shop per 100,000 people, putting it below the national average of 1.83 per 100,000. This lack of interest is also reflected in the fact that just over 1,000 people per 100,000 residents search for instant film cameras on Google annually - the second-lowest rate among all states.

2. Maine, photo-printing score of 1.15 out of 10:

Maine is one of the smallest states by area, as well as one of the least populous, with fewer large cities compared to many other states. This could potentially account for its astronomically low number of photo booths, at just seven across the entire state.

Residents of Maine will also struggle to find a photo printing store, with only 0.64 per 100,000 people, almost three times below the national average. Another potential contributing factor to the low level of interest in photo printing could be that the state has one of the lowest numbers of adults who have children, meaning potentially less interest in family portraits compared to other states.¹⁰

3. Mississippi, photo-printing score of 1.36 out of 10:

Mississippi shows the lowest search interest in instant film cameras in the country, with 1,127 searches per 100,000 people in the last year. This trend aligns with the limited availability of photo-printing shops and film-related services (just 0.78 per 100,000 people) in the state, reflecting limited local interest and reduced exposure to instant photography trends.

What is the benefit of printed photos in home decor?

While landscape photography is a key driver of photo-printing demand, more personal snaps of families, friends, travel and special occasions are often the ones that are framed and displayed in homes.

In fact, we've found that family photos and group portraits account for 17% of all Level Frames framed photo orders. The photo-printing resurgence underway across the country is also driving a resurgence in framed photos in home decor, with collage frames and framed photos orders up 24% and 19% year-on-year, respectively.

There are many different ways you can add value to your decor with printed photos, from a large statement centerpiece showcasing a family portrait or a striking landscape photo, to collage frames featuring multiple memories or different members of your family and friends.

Gallery wall designs are another popular choice, as evidenced by an 11% increase in orders for full gallery wall layouts over the last year. These collections transform a bare wall into an elevated focal point. Whatever the format, framed photos are a great interior design feature, adding a personalized touch and warm, homely feel with happy memories on display.

Methodology

As an online service that allows customers to upload images and turn them into professional prints and custom framed photos delivered right to their door, delving deep into the revival of photo printing in the US, and the dangers of lost images on smartphones is important to us and our customers. We created this report using the following methodology and sources:

State index

We ranked each state on the following factors:

- “Photo printing service” / “camera store” / “film lab” businesses per 100,000 residents: https://overpass-turbo.eu/

- Annual photography graduates: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data

- Vintage photobooths: https://www.photobooth.net/locations/map.php

- Search interest: the number of searches for terms like “print photos,” “polaroid camera” “instant camera film” between November 2024 and October 2025

Estimated digital photo loss risk

- Smartphone adoption: estimate using https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/ and U.S. Census population data.

- Photo volume: https://photutorial.com/photos-statistics/

- Failure rate: https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-storage/resources/hard-drive-test-data

We multiplied the number of Americans with smartphones by the number of photos per phone, then multiplied this figure by the failure rate to estimate the number of photos at risk.

Other sources

1. IBISWorld
2. Digital Information World
3. Pew Research Center & PHOTUTORIAL
4. PHOTUTORIAL
5. Backblaze & Level Frames calculation (see methodology)
6. Digital Camera World
7. The Insight Partners
8. Industry Research
9. Byte Scraper
10. Visual Capitalist

About us

Level Frames is an online custom framing service that offers an end-to-end experience for framing your best photos, artwork, vinyls, and more.

The service helps you transform your home in just minutes by framing special moments and memories in handcrafted, museum-quality frames that ship right to your door.