The Frontier State That Spends The Most Money On Fast Food
Fast food's benefits are undeniable; it reduces the stress of cooking on busy nights, it provides a quick meal when you just can't wait, and most of the time, it's affordable enough to grab when you need something convenient. In some areas of the country, though, residents spend more than average when indulging in these meals. To find out which states most favor fast food, Ideal Tax conducted a survey of 3,500 Americans, compiled a list, and sent it to Mashed.
Alaska sat atop the list of the top 10 states that spent the most on fast food. Believe it or not, residents of the non-continental state spend $300 each on average per month. New York came in second, where residents spend $280 monthly, and in third was Texas, where folks spend $275 each. The remainder of the list included Louisiana at $265, Nevada at $260, California at $250, Illinois at $245, Florida at $240, Pennsylvania at $230, and Georgia at $225.
These findings, when considering other statistics, might come off as surprising. When it comes to population, Alaska sat in 48th place as of 2022, with approximately 734,000 residents. As for the number of fast food restaurants, it takes the 44th spot, having 2.6 stores for every 10,000 people. Truthfully, the state with the most fast-food restaurants might surprise you. Further statistics are available to show what companies our friends up north are frequenting so often.
One restaurant comes out on top
We already know Alaskans spend the most money per person on fast food, but what exactly are they scarfing down? According to stats from ET Sperts, McDonald's is the most popular fast-food restaurant in Alaska. The state isn't alone, either, as the Golden Arches come out on top in 21 additional states, including Louisiana, where the fourth most money was spent. As of July 2023, there were 30 McDonald's restaurants throughout the state of Alaska. This makes Alaska the state with the second-fewest McDonald's — North Dakota only has 29.
New York, the state responsible for spending the second-highest amount on fast food, favors Starbucks. The coffee chain was a favorite in 23 other states including the remainder of the top 10 big spenders, sans Georgia. Interestingly, Alaska is the state with the ninth most Starbucks locations. As far as Georgia goes, Chick-fil-A comes is the winner. The chicken joint wasn't able to compete with McDonald's in Alaska, as there currently isn't one present.