What do Delaware homeowners fear the most?

More than hurricanes, flooding, mold or even creepy-looking bugs, Delaware homeowners fear being robbed, according to a new report. 

ASecureLife.com, which does reviews and performs research on home security systems, used social media posts and the analytics tool Google Trends to find out which common household fears were the most Googled in every state. 

In Delaware, it was "robbery."

While the study doesn't necessarily indicate the actual prevalence of specific problems, it does offer insight into what people fear enough to look up online.

Apparently, mold is the scariest thing out there, according to the study, followed by carbon monoxide poisoning. Other fears shared by multiple states include robbery, peeping toms and fall prevention.

Nearby Pennsylvania had one of the most unique fears: sinking homes. 

DELAWARE CRIME

Sussex Tech homecoming photographer investigated for inappropriate photos

Wilmington woman who drowned kids found not guilty by reason ofinsanity

Court records: Suspects fought with shooting victim at Little Creek Deli

Apparently that's been a problem there for decades. In one neighborhood, the city chose to fill a low-lying valley with ash instead of proper landfill and the houses sank so much it had to be abandoned. 

Back in Delaware, there were about 1,080 robberies statewide in 2017, according to data collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That's about 112 robberies per 100,000 people. 

So maybe the fear is slightly justified. Even so, you're still less likely to be robbed here than in Alaska, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C.

Other standout fears

Indiana residents Google for the signs of bed bugs more than any other state in the U.S. — understandably since a report by Orkin found that Indianapolis has one of the biggest bed bug problems in the nation.

Arizona residents worry about pool safety the most, likely because the state’s scorching summer temperatures warrant installing a pool if you have space.

Hurricane preparation is the most-googled fear-based term in Florida, a state often battered by hurricanes.

Tennessee stands out as the only state to fear the supernatural. Residents of this Southern state fear ghosts in their houses.

How the study was conducted

ASecureLife.com evaluated the most common household fears among homeowners on various social media platforms. The company then listed each of those fears, along with any corresponding fears, and ran them through Google Trends to find out which states had the highest search volume for each. 

Contact Jessica Bies at (302) 324-2881 or jbies@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @jessicajbies.