The Great Fumble: Asurion Reveals America’s Clumsiest Cities

Nashville, Tenn., September 20, 2023 – We've all been there – that heart-stopping moment when your phone crashes screen-first on the concrete, or when an errant coffee spill heads straight for your laptop. In fact, the average person experiences 140 moments of “phone peril” every year.   



Accidents are a fact of life, but are some locales more predisposed to them than others? That’s what tech care company Asurion® and tech repair retailer uBreakiFix® by Asurion sought to discover. So they consulted the data – both their own insurance claims and store repairs data, plus outside data like online searches for sprained ankles and the number of personal injury attorneys per-capita – to find out where slips and stumbles occur most often, culminating in the company’s second annual Clumsiest Cities in America report.  


“Accidents happen – nobody knows that better than our repair techs on the frontlines fixing broken phones, laptops, tablets,” said Dave Barbuto, CEO of uBreakiFix by Asurion. “Every cracked screen has a story, and even the most careful of phone owners still end up in our stores from time to time. If you’ve been on the losing end of gravity more times that you care to admit, know that you’re not alone. Our Clumsiest Cities in America Index proves that. It also offers insights into why certain places might be a little more accident-prone than others. No matter how you got that soaked phone or shattered backglass, we’re here to help, sans judgement.”

THE METHOD TO THE MADNESS

To identify where clumsiness was most common, Asurion utilized a holistic approach, considering multiple factors. They looked at metropolitan areas ranked highest for per-capita Asurion protection plan phone breakage claims and device repairs at its network of uBreakiFix by Asurion stores. Digging deeper, the company also delved into the ranking cities with the most personal injury lawyers and orthopedic surgeons per-capita. Knowing some prefer to suffer in silence, Asurion mixed in additional Google trends data surrounding the frequency of online searches for phrases like “I think I sprained my ankle” or “I dropped my phone, and the screen is cracked.” A year’s worth of data was gathered, evaluated and analyzed to determine the “Clumsiest Cities in America.” 

A LOOK AT THE RANKINGS 

Now, the exciting part – the rankings! Over half of the Clumsiest Cities are in the South, with New Orleans – aptly nicknamed “The City That Care Forgot” – taking the crown as the Clumsiest City in America for the second time. With all the fun and festivities on Bourbon Street and beyond, it’s no surprise that cracked phone screens were the most common tech accident in the Big Easy. Coming in second is Rochester, N.Y. – a 10-spot jump from the previous report – followed by Raleigh, N.C., which dropped down one spot to take third position. Other cities in the top ten list included Atlanta; Fresno, Calif.; Birmingham, Ala.; Richmond, Va.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Hartford, Conn.; and Louisville, Ky.
 On the other side of the coin, Seattle reported the fewest clumsy-related incidents, overtaking San Francisco for the title of “most graceful” city. Seattle is renowned for its commitment to sustainability and green initiatives and now perhaps tech stewardship. Providence, R.I., and New York ranked as the second and third most graceful cities.

Top 10 Clumsiest Cities 

1. New Orleans, LA
2. Rochester, NY
3. Raleigh, NC
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Fresno, CA
6. Birmingham, AL
7. Richmond, VA
8. Jacksonville, FL
9. Hartford, CT
10. Louisville, KY

Top 10 Most Graceful Cities 

1. Seattle, WA
2. Providence, RI
3. New York, NY
4. Boston, MA
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Los Angeles, CA
7. Minneapolis, MN
8. Chicago, IL
9. Miami, FL
10. Tucson, AZ

The “Clumsiest Cities in America Index” was calculated by leveraging anonymous data collected over a 12-month period ending February 28, 2023. Beyond ranking the cities, Asurion wanted to figure out why some cities were so much clumsier than others. We may never know for sure why a New Orleanian is far more likely to break their tech than a Seattleite (although we have our suspicions), but we do have some ideas:


1. More Kids, More Clumsy: The top 10 clumsiest cities have a high percentage of under-18-year-olds, with kids accounting for more than 1/5 of the population in 7 of the 10 cities. In the most graceful city, Seattle, kids make up just 14.5% of the population. But hey, it's all part of the parenting adventure – the joy of little ones outweighs the occasional tech mishap, right?
2. Drop It Like It’s Hot: Most of America’s clumsiest cities can be found in the hottest part of the U.S., and 40% are located in some of the country’s most sweltering states: Florida, Louisiana, Georgia and Alabama. Could clammy hands be causing the chaos? Who knows, but one thing's for sure, these places are bringing the heat, and the drops.
3. One tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila – No Tequila: San Francisco and New York, two of the most graceful cities, have the highest number of non-drinkers in the U.S. Could the lack of liquor be their tech’s saving grace?

Wherever you hail from, the tech experts at Asurion have a playbook for life's unexpected moments. No matter what tech breaks or where it happens, they can get you back up and running.


If you have an Asurion protection plan through one of the leading wireless carriers, handling device mishaps is simple. You can easily file a claim to receive options like same-day device replacement or cracked screen repair delivered to your door or stop by one of our uBreakiFix by Asurion locations for fast on-site cracked screen repair through your protection plan coverage.  Don’t have an Asurion protection plan? We got you covered! With more than 730 stores across the country, uBreakiFix by Asurion stores offer same-day repair in select locations and free device diagnostics on most repairs. For more information, visit uBreakiFix.com.

About Asurion

As the world’s leading tech care company, Asurion helps 300 million customers get the most out of their devices, from cellphones, laptops and tablets to TVs, security cameras and refrigerators – and nearly everything in between. Whether you have your devices insured with us or just need a quick fix, we’re here to help. We provide tech protection, repair and support, with experts available online or over the phone. We care for people and their tech whenever, wherever and however.

About uBreakiFix by Asurion  

uBreakiFix by Asurion stores specialize in the repair of consumer technology, including smartphones, game consoles, tablets, computers and nearly everything in between. Cracked screens, software issues, camera issues and most other problems can be repaired by visiting uBreakiFix stores across the U.S. Since 2016, uBreakiFix has served as a walk-in repair partner for Google Pixel customers. In 2018, uBreakiFix became a Samsung Care authorized service provider offering same-day, in-person support for Samsung Galaxy customers across the U.S. In 2019, uBreakiFix joined the Asurion family and now operates as a subsidiary of the tech care company while still maintaining the franchise model. For more information, visit ubreakifix.com.