We screened 100 US-based Instagram accounts between 20,000 and one million followers for a 50% US audience, 1.5% engagement, 70% real followers, 1,000 average Reel views and a post in the last thirty days, then ranked 25 selected creators by the CA Influence Index.
Jules Carmaux7 min readLast updated: 7 Sept 2026The ranking
The 25 below are our selection from the 100 candidate accounts reviewed. They include a school principal, a former Michelin cook, a writer with rescue dogs, a farmer, a schoolhouse renovator, filmmakers and an animator, alongside family, comedy, gaming and recipe creators.
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
The Skorys are an Arizona sibling group whose account is built around shared entertainment and humour. A+ at 94 pairs 2,273,565 average Reel views with 67% US audience and 81% real followers.
Why A+ on the CA Influence Index™
🤬🍗🌪🌮🔪🖕🏽🦅 👻Snapchat • chelcieyes9 🚬Alter Ego • @trailertrashtammyy 🤠Co host of @theviralpodcast & @trailertalespod ⬇️⬇️⬇️
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Chelcie Lynn combines the Trailer Trash Tammy character with co-hosting The Viral Podcast and Trailer Tales. The A score of 88 reflects 4.39% engagement and 1,212,727 average Reel views, with 89% of the audience in the US.
Why A on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Cliff Benfield creates animated sketches through the spaceskits account in New York. At A 87, the measured profile combines 1,565,739 average Reel views with 86% real followers.
Why A on the CA Influence Index™
#1 NYT bestselling author writer in brooklyn with lots of rescue dogs 💚 ✉️:
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Isabel Klee is a Brooklyn writer whose account centres on life with rescue dogs. 1,234,927 average Reel views and a 69% US audience contribute to the A grade at 85.
Why A on the CA Influence Index™
God First | 🇵🇷 Mommy of 6. Fashion. Comedy. Family I love interior design ✨ 💌: @juss_intimehd 💍❤️
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Ashley Cotto brings together family comedy, fashion and interior design while raising six children. The A grade at 81 incorporates 4.36% engagement, 812,254 average Reel views and 81% real followers.
Why A on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Kevin Cooney connects his social video work with The Cooneys Show podcast. With 760,247 average Reel views and 85% US audience, the combined index reads A at 81.
Why A on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Stacie Grissom is converting a century-old school in Franklin, Indiana into a family home. B at 77 places 583,486 average Reel views alongside 2.21% engagement in the same measured profile.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Gerry Brooks identifies himself as a principal and educator, alongside his roles as a father and grandfather. B at 77 pairs 430,321 average Reel views with 94% US audience and 91% real followers.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Cassie Yeung is the author of Bad B*tch in the Kitch. The B score of 77 reflects 2% engagement and 564,799 average Reel views, with 92% of the audience in the US.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
baking + cooking 🧑🍳 📍atx 💌 recipes are here! ⬇️
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Erin focuses on baking and cooking, with recipes linked from her account. At B 74, the measured profile combines 655,625 average Reel views with 78% real followers.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
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Search the creator databaseEx Michelin cook LA | 🇰🇷🇨🇦🇺🇸
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Kevin Lee identifies as a former Michelin cook based in Los Angeles. 822,460 average Reel views and a 55% US audience contribute to the B grade at 74.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
· follower of Jesus · mama to Haven & Zion 🤍 · wife to @zvcmusic • realistic lifestyle as a new mom
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Victoria Lawson shares family life with her two children, Haven and Zion. The B grade at 73 incorporates 2.55% engagement, 773,346 average Reel views and 76% real followers.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
God is my passion, Jesus is my savior, Comedy is my personality NC 📍 Business
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
ALX JAMES identifies comedy as his creative focus and North Carolina as his base. With 377,666 average Reel views and 86% US audience, the combined index reads B at 73.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Mary Beth Wilhelm shares a modern cottage project alongside year-round Christmas decor and wigs. B at 73 places 283,236 average Reel views alongside 1.77% engagement in the same measured profile.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Kate documents renovating a family home and preparing a countryside home, with DIY and interior design at the centre. B at 72 pairs 626,584 average Reel views with 60% US audience and 82% real followers.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Darius and Dominic Jones document the process of making their first feature film. The B score of 72 reflects 4.95% engagement and 337,449 average Reel views, with 78% of the audience in the US.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
Megan Trahan works as a content creator and identifies herself as a founder and producer of The House. At B 72, the measured profile combines 150,772 average Reel views with 87% real followers.
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Megan Trahan works as a content creator and identifies herself as a founder and producer of The 1 Way House. At B 72, the measured profile combines 150,772 average Reel views with 87% real followers.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
⚫️Binge my page ⚫️Business: ⚫️Disney Channel in real life ⚫️All platforms ↙️
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Immanuel Kelly describes his entertainment account as Disney Channel in real life. 308,479 average Reel views and a 66% US audience contribute to the B grade at 70.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Stacy Kemp Ferrari identifies herself as a producer and personal injury lawyer. The B grade at 70 incorporates 6.88% engagement, 12,724 average Reel views and 89% real followers.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
MaxIsNicee names basketball comedy as the focus of his Los Angeles-based account. With 426,977 average Reel views and 65% US audience, the combined index reads B at 70.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
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Build your own shortlistCA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Kianna Johnson identifies television production and writing as part of her work. B at 69 places 114,975 average Reel views alongside 2.71% engagement in the same measured profile.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Briana Bosch combines regenerative gardening and agriculture with sustainable home and decor topics. B at 69 pairs 126,959 average Reel views with 74% US audience and 83% real followers.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
gym rat on two wheels |📍LA • calisthenics • lifestyle • good vibes ☽｡⋆ » @youngla @younglaforher | -15% code ‘SABRINA’ 📩:
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Sabrina Cesta combines calisthenics with a motorcycle-focused lifestyle in Los Angeles. The B score of 66 reflects 3.12% engagement and 365,896 average Reel views, with 50% of the audience in the US.
Why B on the CA Influence Index™
YouTuber (10M+) showing what my life looks like outside of my channel. 💜 Mom • Gamer • Graphic Novel Creator Trying to find the humor in everything.
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
LaurenzSide describes her work across YouTube, gaming and graphic novels while sharing life outside the channel. At C 64, the measured profile combines 141,482 average Reel views with 83% real followers.
Why C on the CA Influence Index™
CA Influence Index: real influence in United States, 0 to 99
Grant Etzler creates YouTube content as Your Narrator and identifies himself as one of The Boys. 152,800 average Reel views and a 53% US audience contribute to the C grade at 63.
Why C on the CA Influence Index™
Ranking method
CII is a market-relative score from 0 to 99. It combines local audience fit, engagement against creators of the same size, average Reel views, and estimated real-audience share. The creators above are ordered by this score, not by follower count.
25%of the score
How much of the audience sits in the United States market. Full marks once 80% of it is there.
30%of the score
Likes and comments against creators of the same size here. Full marks at 3x that median.
30%of the score
Average Reel views against follower count. Full marks at twice the following.
15%of the score
Share of followers reading as real people. Full marks at 90%.
Engagement is scored against the United States median for a creator’s own size: around 0.8% under 50K followers, around 0.6% above 250K. Both are rounded, because the study measures them by search rather than by census.
The score is capped at 99 so it never implies certainty. Read the full CA Influence Index methodology. The benchmark is local, not global. Here is the market behind it.
Market benchmark
The American Instagram study covers 929,228 accounts with at least 10K followers. This page's separate discovery pool contains 100 accounts; 25 were selected.
Read the United States Creator Economy Report - the measurement this chart is scored against.
Pink = the 25 influencers above.
Grey = every American Instagram account we measure with at least 10,000 followers, all 929,228 of them.
Each bar is the share that clears the threshold, so a longer pink bar means more of the shortlist clears it than of the market.
Audience at least 60% based in United States
Engagement rate of 5% or better
Averages 1M+ Reel views per post
Source: the Click Analytic American creator market study of 929,228 Instagram accounts, measured 2026-09-15. The market side is read from that study; the shortlist side is computed from the cards above.
TheSkorys tops this ranking with a CA Influence Index of 94 (A+), the highest among the selected accounts on this page. The source pool contains 100 Saved candidate accounts from the US query.
The score breaks down like this
Among the selected accounts, this creator has the highest combined score.
The full database
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FAQ
These questions explain the selection, its coverage and the limits of the underlying measurements.
We reviewed 100 saved accounts from two consecutive pages of the same US Instagram query and selected 25 identifiable people or creator-led groups. Their source screen covered audience location, engagement, real followers, Reel views and recent activity. The final order uses the CA Influence Index.
No. It is a curated selection from 100 downloaded candidate accounts, downloaded with larger accounts first. It does not establish an exhaustive national top 25, and the separate US market study is used as a benchmark rather than as the list of creators reviewed.
Home renovation includes Kate and Stacie Grissom, while Briana Bosch covers gardening and sustainable home topics. Kevin Lee and Erin contribute cooking, Cliff Benfield animation and Gerry Brooks education. These roles describe this selected roster, rather than the distribution of professions across all US influencers.
It is the measured share of each account's audience located in the United States, not a statement about the creator's citizenship. The selected accounts have a median US audience share of 74%. Creator location was a separate filter in the saved source query.
The comparison uses the United States Instagram study dated 15 September 2026. Its engagement medians are 0.79% for the 10K-50K band and 0.56% for 250K-plus accounts. Candidate measurements come from 7 September, so the two sources retain their separate dates.
No. The score combines measured audience fit, engagement, relative Reel reach and real-audience share. It does not measure campaign sales, guarantee availability or quote a sponsorship price. Review recent relevant content and request campaign-specific terms before deciding whom to approach.
Written by
Co-Founder and Content Lead at Click Analytic, covering influencer marketing, audience analytics, and creator economy trends.
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