The Department of National Intelligence published a report on unidentified anomalous phenomena (their term for UFOs) in 2021 titled “Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.” The report found no proof of extraterrestrial activity, but the government did not rule out that possibility either. What the report did determine was where the most sightings occur.
To determine the cities with the most UFO sightings, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on more than 170,000 UFO sightings from the National UFO Reporting Center. Cities were ranked based on the number of total reported UFO sightings per 100,000 residents. While a bulk of UFO sighting reports are from the past 10 years, records date back to 1969. Only cities with at least 20 UFO sightings were considered. Population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates.
The DNI report stated that there was no one explanation for these UAP sightings. The possible reasons included clutter, commercial drones, national security threats, and other unexplained phenomena. Its model indicated that the majority of standardized sighting reports are in the western parts of the U.S. and in the Northeast.
The government theorized that the higher rate of western sightings could be because of the physical geography of the West — the lack of vegetative canopies and wide-open spaces; more outdoor activities because there is more temperate weather throughout the year; and cultures of what the government called “paranormal ideation” (such as Roswell, New Mexico).
Of the 40 cities on our list, seven are from California, five are from Florida, and South Carolina and Arizona have four each. (These are the beast states for UFO enthusiast.)
All of the cities on the list have at least 522 sightings per 100,000 residents. Every one of Rachel, Nevada’s 20 residents has sighted a UFO. In Pawleys Island, S.C., nearly 40% of its 104 residents have viewed an unidentified flying object.
You might want to take note that two of the cities on our list are Santa Claus, Indiana, and North Pole, Alaska. The UAPs that folks in those towns are reporting might be eight tiny reindeer pulling a portly gentleman in a sleigh on Christmas Eve.
Here are cities with the most UFO sightings:
40. Kelseyville, California
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 522.5 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 20
- Total population, 2022: 3,828
39. Bishop, California
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 526.0 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 20
- Total population, 2022: 3,802
38. Granite Falls, Washington
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 569.3 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 26
- Total population, 2022: 4,567
37. Snohomish, Washington
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 572.4 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 58
- Total population, 2022: 10,133
36. Taos, New Mexico
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 572.9 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 37
- Total population, 2022: 6,458
35. Estes Park, Colorado
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 575.7 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 34
- Total population, 2022: 5,906
34. St. Augustine, Florida
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 594.2 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 87
- Total population, 2022: 14,642
33. Naples, Florida
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 616.1 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 119
- Total population, 2022: 19,315
32. Sonora, California
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 624.6 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 31
- Total population, 2022: 4,963
31. Ocean City, Maryland
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 697.8 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 48
- Total population, 2022: 6,879
30. Plantation, Florida
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 701.9 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 30
- Total population, 2022: 4,274
29. North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 726.8 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 137
- Total population, 2022: 18,850
28. Mount Shasta, California
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 772.8 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 25
- Total population, 2022: 3,235
27. Mojave, California
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 776.2 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 30
- Total population, 2022: 3,865
26. Port Richey, Florida
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 798.2 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 25
- Total population, 2022: 3,132
25. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 826.3 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 298
- Total population, 2022: 36,064
24. Cumming, Georgia
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 827.6 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 61
- Total population, 2022: 7,371
23. North Pole, Alaska
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 852.3 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 24
- Total population, 2022: 2,816
22. Nags Head, North Carolina
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 856.3 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 27
- Total population, 2022: 3,153
21. Sedona, Arizona
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 965.2 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 94
- Total population, 2022: 9,739
20. Surfside Beach, South Carolina
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 1,076.8 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 45
- Total population, 2022: 4,179
19. Santa Claus, Indiana
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 1,128.9 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 31
- Total population, 2022: 2,746
18. Mount Vernon, Indiana
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 1,342.6 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 87
- Total population, 2022: 6,480
17. Star Valley, Arizona
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 1,365.5 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 34
- Total population, 2022: 2,490
16. Quincy, California
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 1,462.0 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 20
- Total population, 2022: 1,368
15. Garrettsville, Ohio
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 1,659.6 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 43
- Total population, 2022: 2,591
14. Bouse, Arizona
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 1,949.3 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 20
- Total population, 2022: 1,026
13. Bel Air, Maryland
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 1,976.0 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 33
- Total population, 2022: 1,670
12. Norris City, Illinois
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 1,997.0 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 27
- Total population, 2022: 1,352
11. Gila Bend, Arizona
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 2,019.1 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 36
- Total population, 2022: 1,783
10. Trout Lake, Washington
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 2,433.1 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 20
- Total population, 2022: 822
9. Newburgh, Indiana
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 2,537.3 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 85
- Total population, 2022: 3,350
8. Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 2,843.0 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 23
- Total population, 2022: 809
7. Superior, Wisconsin
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 3,134.8 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 20
- Total population, 2022: 638
6. Holden Beach, North Carolina
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 3,410.2 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 34
- Total population, 2022: 997
5. Spring Valley, California
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 3,824.5 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 34
- Total population, 2022: 889
4. Millerton, Pennsylvania
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 7,513.0 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 29
- Total population, 2022: 386
3. Captiva, Florida
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 14,569.5 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 22
- Total population, 2022: 151
2. Pawleys Island, South Carolina
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 38,461.5 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 40
- Total population, 2022: 104
1. Rachel, Nevada
- Reported UFO sightings per capita: 100,000.0 per 100,000 residents
- All reported UFO sightings: 20
- Total population, 2022: 20