Seattle's top 2022 Google searches
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Google's 2022 search trends for Seattle show off the Emerald City's love of exercise, ethnic foods and music. But there was also one sobering reminder about our climate and the wildfire smoke that's become a regular part of our seasons.
Driving the news: The search engine giant compiles data each year to give a glimpse into the zeitgeist of communities around the country.
- Nationwide, the use of the words "near me" in 2022 searches surged compared to 2021, due perhaps to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and people's desire to get out of their homes, Google officials said.
Zoom in: Seattle searched for "air quality near me" more than any other place in the country.
- Blazes that burned in Washington past the usual end of wildfire season and well into October blanketed Seattle and parts of the Pacific Northwest with smoke. For several days, Seattle and Portland were listed as having the worst air quality in the world.
Details: Seattle was the only place in the U.S where searches for "Indian grocery store near me" were in the top 10. It was among many cities where the top trending animal was the "great eared nightjar," a nocturnal bird that looks like a dragon.
- Seattle's most Googled recipe was "marry me chicken" and its most Googled music genre was rap.
Seattle's top 10 searches for the year:
- Air quality near me
- Drug stores near me
- Gas prices near me
- Cheapest gas near me
- Remote jobs near me
- Estate sales near me
- Pilates near me
- Car shows near me
- Indian grocery store near me
- Concerts near me
The intrigue: Yakima was the only U.S. city with "Hawaiian macaroni salad" as its top trending recipe and Spokane alone had "coin shop" in its top 10 list.