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The Fast Food Capitals of America

The Fast Food Capitals of America

Americans eat a lot of fast food. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36.6% of adults consume fast food on any given day. There’s a reason that statistic comes from the CDC: Lifestyle and diet play major roles in the prevalence of obesity and diseases such as diabetes, and some observers point to fast food as a culprit. (These are the unhealthiest items in the most popular food chains.)

Fast food is more popular, or at least more easily accessible, in some places than others. To determine the fast food capitals of America — the states with the most outlets of the nation’s ten most popular chains — 24/7 Tempo reviewed data collected by NiceRx, a patient assistance program and medication access company, using numbers for total fast-food restaurants taken from the U.S. Census Bureau and tracking the nation’s ten most popular chains as determined by ScrapeHero.com. (Population figures are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.) 

We then ranked the states by their total number of fast food restaurants per capita belonging to those top ten chains — Subway, Starbucks, McDonalds, Dunkin’, Burger King, Taco Bell, Dominos, Wendy’s, KFC, and Dairy Queen. (All are among the most successful restaurant chains in America.)

Hawaii, which has only about 1,500 of those establishments in total, ranks No. 1 on our list because, due to the small size of its population, that works out to 97.5 per 100,000 people. That may reflect a local fondness for fast food, but those restaurants also cater to the Aloha State’s many visitors. Interestingly, the No. 50 spot is occupied by the other non-contiguous state, Alaska, which has a comparatively few 61.9 of those chain outlets per 100,000 people.

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50. Alaska
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 61.9
> Total fast food restaurants: 453 — 3rd lowest
> Total population in 2019: 731,545 — 3rd highest

Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images

49. Wyoming
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 62.5
> Total fast food restaurants: 362 — the lowest
> Total population in 2019: 578,759 — the highest

Source: EunikaSopotnicka / Getty Images

48. South Dakota
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 63.9
> Total fast food restaurants: 565 — 5th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 884,659 — 5th highest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

47. Wisconsin
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 65.0
> Total fast food restaurants: 3,785 — 22nd highest
> Total population in 2019: 5,822,434 — 20th lowest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

45. Florida
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 65.5
> Total fast food restaurants: 14,068 — 4th highest
> Total population in 2019: 21,477,737 — 3rd lowest

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45. Idaho
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 65.5
> Total fast food restaurants: 1,171 — 11th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 1,787,065 — 12th highest

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

44. North Dakota
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 65.6
> Total fast food restaurants: 500 — 4th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 762,062 — 4th highest

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43. Washington
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 66.8
> Total fast food restaurants: 5,087 — 16th highest
> Total population in 2019: 7,614,893 — 13th lowest

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42. Minnesota
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 67.0
> Total fast food restaurants: 3,779 — 24th highest
> Total population in 2019: 5,639,632 — 22nd lowest

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41. Iowa
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 67.7
> Total fast food restaurants: 2,136 — 17th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 3,155,070 — 20th highest

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40. Arizona
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 67.9
> Total fast food restaurants: 4,942 — 18th highest
> Total population in 2019: 7,278,717 — 14th lowest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

39. Vermont
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 68.3
> Total fast food restaurants: 426 — 2nd lowest
> Total population in 2019: 623,989 — 2nd highest

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38. Montana
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 69.8
> Total fast food restaurants: 746 — 6th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 1,068,778 — 8th highest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

37. Arkansas
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 69.9
> Total fast food restaurants: 2,109 — 16th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 3,017,804 — 18th highest

Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images

36. Nebraska
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 71.9
> Total fast food restaurants: 1,391 — 14th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 1,934,408 — 14th highest

Source: f11photo / Getty Images

35. Missouri
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 72.9
> Total fast food restaurants: 4,474 — 19th highest
> Total population in 2019: 6,137,428 — 18th lowest

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33. Oregon
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 73.4
> Total fast food restaurants: 3,096 — 24th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 4,217,737 — 24th highest

Source: ferrantraite / Getty Images

33. New Mexico
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 73.4
> Total fast food restaurants: 1,539 — 15th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 2,096,829 — 15th highest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

32. South Carolina
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 73.5
> Total fast food restaurants: 3,784 — 23rd highest
> Total population in 2019: 5,148,714 — 23rd lowest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

31. Indiana
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 73.7
> Total fast food restaurants: 4,962 — 17th highest
> Total population in 2019: 6,732,219 — 17th lowest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

30. West Virginia
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 73.8
> Total fast food restaurants: 1,323 — 12th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 1,792,147 — 13th highest

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29. Michigan
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 73.9
> Total fast food restaurants: 7,380 — 10th highest
> Total population in 2019: 9,986,857 — 10th lowest

Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images

28. Kentucky
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 74.2
> Total fast food restaurants: 3,315 — 25th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 4,467,673 — 25th highest

Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images

27. Kansas
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 74.7
> Total fast food restaurants: 2,176 — 18th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 2,913,314 — 16th highest

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

26. Maine
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 74.9
> Total fast food restaurants: 1,007 — 9th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 1,344,212 — 9th highest

Source: f11photo / Getty Images

25. Pennsylvania
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 75.5
> Total fast food restaurants: 9,666 — 7th highest
> Total population in 2019: 12,801,989 — 5th lowest

Source: f11photo / Getty Images

24. Colorado
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 75.7
> Total fast food restaurants: 4,359 — 20th highest
> Total population in 2019: 5,758,736 — 21st lowest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

23. Texas
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 75.8
> Total fast food restaurants: 21,979 — 2nd highest
> Total population in 2019: 28,995,881 — 2nd lowest

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

22. Oklahoma
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 76.0
> Total fast food restaurants: 3,007 — 23rd lowest
> Total population in 2019: 3,956,971 — 23rd highest

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

21. Connecticut
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 76.1
> Total fast food restaurants: 2,713 — 22nd lowest
> Total population in 2019: 3,565,287 — 22nd highest

Source: f11photo / Getty Images

19. Louisiana
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 76.2
> Total fast food restaurants: 3,542 — 25th highest
> Total population in 2019: 4,648,794 — 25th lowest

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19. Utah
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 76.2
> Total fast food restaurants: 2,443 — 20th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 3,205,958 — 21st highest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

18. North Carolina
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 76.9
> Total fast food restaurants: 8,065 — 9th highest
> Total population in 2019: 10,488,084 — 9th lowest

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

17. Mississippi
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 77.3
> Total fast food restaurants: 2,301 — 19th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 2,976,149 — 17th highest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

16. Massachusetts
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 77.5
> Total fast food restaurants: 5,342 — 14th highest
> Total population in 2019: 6,892,503 — 15th lowest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

15. Tennessee
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 77.8
> Total fast food restaurants: 5,313 — 15th highest
> Total population in 2019: 6,829,174 — 16th lowest

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

14. Delaware
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 78.3
> Total fast food restaurants: 762 — 7th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 973,764 — 6th highest

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

13. New Hampshire
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 79.8
> Total fast food restaurants: 1,085 — 10th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 1,359,711 — 10th highest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

12. Virginia
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 80.1
> Total fast food restaurants: 6,837 — 12th highest
> Total population in 2019: 8,535,519 — 12th lowest

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

11. New Jersey
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 81.2
> Total fast food restaurants: 7,212 — 11th highest
> Total population in 2019: 8,882,190 — 11th lowest

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

10. Rhode Island
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 81.3
> Total fast food restaurants: 861 — 8th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 1,059,361 — 7th highest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

9. Alabama
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 81.7
> Total fast food restaurants: 4,006 — 21st highest
> Total population in 2019: 4,903,185 — 24th lowest

Source: choness / Getty Images

8. California
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 82.3
> Total fast food restaurants: 32,519 — the highest
> Total population in 2019: 39,512,223 — the lowest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

6. Illinois
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 82.5
> Total fast food restaurants: 10,454 — 5th highest
> Total population in 2019: 12,671,821 — 6th lowest

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

6. Georgia
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 82.5
> Total fast food restaurants: 8,759 — 8th highest
> Total population in 2019: 10,617,423 — 8th lowest

Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images

5. Ohio
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 82.8
> Total fast food restaurants: 9,679 — 6th highest
> Total population in 2019: 11,689,100 — 7th lowest

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4. Nevada
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 84.8
> Total fast food restaurants: 2,612 — 21st lowest
> Total population in 2019: 3,080,156 — 19th highest

Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images

3. Maryland
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 89.7
> Total fast food restaurants: 5,423 — 13th highest
> Total population in 2019: 6,045,680 — 19th lowest

Source: FilippoBacci / Getty Images

2. New York
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 92.3
> Total fast food restaurants: 17,956 — 3rd highest
> Total population in 2019: 19,453,561 — 4th lowest

Source: Art Wager / Getty Images

1. Hawaii
> All fast food restaurants per 100K people: 97.5
> Total fast food restaurants: 1,380 — 13th lowest
> Total population in 2019: 1,415,872 — 11th highest

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