Alabama: 
I didn't realize people from Alabama were concerned about the ivory trade. Or maybe they're just still torn up about Dumbo's mom being locked up and cradling him through the bars? Oh, damn, I just realized I'm still torn up about that.
Alaska: 
Again, this makes no sense, but the caterpillar is cute enough that one doesn't really need a logical reason to use it. Maybe Alaskans believe in what the caterpillar represents? You can be a small-town mayor and morph into a candidate for Vice President! The sky's the limit so fly, butterfly, fly!
Arizona: 
Totally.
Arkansas: 
Okay, two possibilities: either it's a shout-out to the Star of Bethlehem (people in Arkansas are pretty religious, right?) or Katy Perry's "Firework" is still the state's song of the summer.
Colorado: 
This emoji's popularity is either based in being pretentious, promoting literacy, letting your friends know that you'd rather read than go out with them or a way of saying "Damn, you just got read!" I'm hoping it's the latter, although literacy is cool too.
Connecticut: 
They're cute and chill. We should all use this emoji more.
Delaware: 
Did you know footballs aren't actually made out of pig skin and never were? Can you tell I have nothing else to say about this sport?
Florida: 
I would have guessed a palm tree or a gator, but okay. Famed trumpet player Fats Navarro (what a name!) was born in Key West and went on to pioneer the bebop style of jazz in the 1940s. Maybe that's it?
Georgia: 
Georgia is either full of witches, werewolves, astrophysicists or fans of the era when McDonalds' mascot was a dude with a crescent moon face.
Hawaii: 
Nailed it.
Idaho: 
I looked up whether Idaho is the state with the highest sunflower production. It's not even in the top 9 so I guess people in Idaho just think sunflowers are pretty?
Illinois: 
People in Illinois like the smell of gas? (No judgment; I do too.)
Indiana: 
What else is there to do in Indiana but play video games? I guess driving by the house the Jacksons used to live in is another option, but that would probably get boring after a while.
Iowa: 
Iowa does produce the most corn in the nation. Way to show Idaho how it's done!
Kansas: 
People in Kansas probably take a lot of photos of wide open spaces, while listening to "Wide Open Spaces" by the Dixie Chicks.
Kentucky: 
Apparently, Kentucky takes barbering pretty seriously. They have an independent agency of the state government called the Kentucky Board of Barbering, whose mission is "to protect the health and safety of the public or to protect the public against misrepresentation, deceit, or fraud in the practice or teaching of Barbering." Carry on with your weird selves, Kentucky, carry on.
Louisiana: 
Oh. That's too dark/real to joke about.
Maine: 
Did you know that Maine once was home to some of the largest supervolcanoes on Earth? Now you do!
Maryland: 
Sigh. I'm from Maryland and this is so disappointing. It couldn't have been a nod to the Orioles or crabs or Utz chips or Old Bay or The Wire or Serial? This lack of creativity is why I moved away!
Massachusetts: 
Maryland could learn something from its alliterative neighbor to the north. Why use a boring emoji of a pair of pants when you could use the sassy "Hey, world! I'm here!" baby chick?
Michigan: 
California and Florida produce the most strawberries so I'm not sure why people in Michigan are using this emoji so much. Probably cause they're freaking delicious and make every picnic better.
Minnesota: 
Obviously a lot of texting about butts and Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" music video.
Mississippi: 
People in Mississippi must be Drake fans, going from 0 to 100 real quick.
Missouri: 
Missouri is smack dab in the middle of the Heartland. And there's nothing more American than baseball.
Montana: 
Montana seems like a low key place and hobbies doesn't get more low key than fishing.
Nebraska: 
Aww! Snails don't get enough love or credit. They're actually very cute and defy gravity on the daily. Nebraska gets it.
Nevada: 
So much sexting! What happens in Vegas stays...in the cloud, which is then mined and used to call out your affinity for the eggplant emoji in an online map report.
New Hampshire: 
A quaint emoji for a quaint state.
New Jersey: 
So fitting! Loud honking on the Turnpike, loud opinions everywhere else.
New Mexico: 
People in New Mexico either love the dramatic arts or they think all their friends are two faced.
New York: 
*cue Alicia Keys singing "New Yoooooooork"*
North Carolina: 
"There's a mouse in my kitchen!" or "I'm so glad Fievel found his family after that super scary trans-Atlantic commute!"
North Dakota: 
Prom dress shopping? Almost as bad as Maryland's most-used emoji. Step up your emoji game!
Ohio: 
If that biscotto plunging into the scoop of ice cream is any indication, people from Ohio are feeling fancy (maybe because they usually decide the outcomes of presidential elections?). Also, they obviously get a kick out of flaunting their lactose tolerance to those less fortunate in the dairy department (me).
Oklahoma: 
Yeah, the idea of living in Oklahoma is pretty scary.
Oregon: 
Judaism must be big in Oregon. That, or ninja stars.
Pennsylvania: 
Like with Michigan and their love of the strawberry emoji, this isn't because the state produces a lot of cherries, but because they're just that delicious.
Rhode Island: 
I don't think I've ever used or received this emoji. We can't get an avocado emoji, but we have this?
South Carolina: 
"Let's go sailing!" or "Let's get an anchor tattoo!"
Tennessee: 
Kentucky Derby envy!
Texas: 
Texas is 10th in grape production so it's probably just people complaining about buying grapes with seeds when they meant to get the seedless ones.
Utah: 
Woah, I'm kind of hypnotized by the swirl of this lollipop. It's like one of those optical illusions where you stare at a bunch of weird patterns and dots for a long time until you see Jesus' face. Are people in Utah using this spiral to get non-believers to come to Jesus and join the Mormon church??
Vermont: 
Okay, I've never been able to figure out what this is supposed to be. A tiara? Vats of liquid gold being poured out? Vermont, explain yourselves.
Virginia: 
Like snails, I think frogs are underrated. They can snatch things out of thin air with their tongues. They used to be tadpoles. And they offer their bodies for dissection in order to get sensitive kids like me out of science class for a day.
Washington: 
Lots of "Hey. Did you accidentally take my headphones?" texts. They say they didn't, but you know they did!
West Virginia: 
A more autumnal New Hampshire.
Wisconsin: 
Nice stained glass detailing, emoji artists! I guess people in Wisconsin love the lord a lot?
Wyoming: 
Dogs are a man's best friend, which is a good thing because there are no other people to befriend in Wyoming.
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