Active geocaches worldwideFarmers markets in the US
Between 2005 and 2022, the world hid more geocaches in the woods and the US added more farmers markets to its weekends, and the two curves climbed together (r = 0.957) with the small-town charm of a category that understands its customer. One hobby involves GPS and a Tupperware; one hobby involves cash and a zucchini. Both are conducted cheerfully, often by the same family.
Active geocaches worldwide grew from about 500,000 in 2005 to over 3 million by 2022, as smartphone GPS replaced dedicated handheld units and made the hobby accessible; US farmers markets grew from about 4,000 to over 8,600 in the same window, as the USDA's Farmers Market Promotion Program and the broader local-food movement gave smaller growers viable weekend revenue channels. Both are stories of an American middle class that rediscovered the satisfaction of purposeful Saturday activities that cost more than a trip to Target and less than a weekend away. The overlap is, in many ZIP codes, one-to-one.
A cache is signed. A zucchini is weighed. Saturday has been planned, cheerfully, around both.
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Want to learn more about why correlations like “Active geocaches worldwide” vs “Farmers markets in the US” don't prove causation? Read our guide to statistical thinking.
