U.S. States That Spend the Most on Eating Out

• Table of contents
• How Much People in Every State Could Spend on Takeout in Their Lifetime
• States That Spend the Highest Percent of Their Income on Eating Takeout
• Closing Thoughts
• Methodology

There are plenty of reasons to hop on your phone and order some takeout, such as convenience, variety, or it’s getting a little late and you just don’t even want to think about turning the stove on. But that decision, of course, comes with a cost. In this study, we’re going to dive into the financial habits of Americans when it comes to ordering takeout and making food at home to get a clearer picture of what that cost really is.

We collected data from the U.S. Census on consumer expenditure spent on food prepared at home and away from home and compared it to the annual income in every state. Our analysis will show how much residents in each state spend on takeout over a lifetime and how much of their paychecks go to ordering to-go and dining at home, offering some interesting regional insight into mealtime spending habits.

Whether you’re a takeout enthusiast or someone who prefers home-cooked meals, join us as we explore the true cost of dining choices across the U.S.

How Much People in Every State Could Spend on Takeout in Their Lifetime

While grabbing a quick bite is often the most convenient option, the cost of doing it regularly can really add up over time. Our analysis of consumer spending shows that the average American could spend up to $270,590 on takeout in their lifetime. However, this figure varies significantly depending on where you live.

States with the highest lifetime costs on eating takeout:

1. Massachusetts: $359,795
2. New Jersey: $358,995
3. California: $352,470
4. Maryland: $351,839
5. Washington: $339,791

States with the lowest lifetime costs on eating takeout:

1. Mississippi: $195,778
2. West Virginia: $207,213
3. Arkansas: $214,497
4. Oklahoma: $220,348
5. Louisiana: $220,677

These numbers tell a story about the costs and spending habits of takeout differ by region. Residents of Massachusetts, New Jersey, and California tend to spend significantly more on takeout compared to states like Mississippi and West Virginia. While cost of living is obviously a major factor in the ranking, availability of takeout options likely plays a role, too. It’s not surprising that states with more urban and suburban development, where quality to-go choices are more plentiful, would spend more on ordering meals out.

Regardless of why, it’s clear that where you live influences how much you might end up spending on the convenience of takeout meals. Let’s take a closer look at carry out culture in the U.S. by seeing where people spend the most compared to their income.

When dinner time rolls around, if you don’t want to sit down at a restaurant, you have two options: eating at home or getting takeout. Both are going to put a dent in your wallet, to some extent. But which ones are we spending more on?

We can tell you that nationally, Americans spend an average of 4.8% of their income on eating out and 8.9% on eating at home. The numbers are strikingly similar across the country but there are some regional trends we see arise.

States that spend the highest percentage of their income on eating out:

1. New Mexico: 5.16%
2. North Carolina | New York: 5.08%
3. Texas: 5.07%
4. Arizona: 5.06%
5. California: 5.05%

Three of the states that spend the most on eating takeout, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona are located in the Southwest. Even though the margins are very tight, a trend like this can tell us that either restaurants charge a bit more than normal in this region or that people are ordering takeout more often. Maybe a bit of both.

Conversely, some states spend more on food being prepared at home than others.

States that spend the highest percentage of their income on dining at home:

1. West Virginia: 9.62%
2. New Mexico | New York: 9.49%
3. Arkansas: 9.47%
4. Louisiana: 9.36%
5. North Carolina: 9.35%

While this trend may seem less stark, we see that Southeastern states may typically spend more of their paycheck on groceries than other states. Outside of Arkansas, Louisiana, and North Carolina, we also noticed that Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are in the top 10 states that spend the most on preparing food at home.

It’s also interesting to see New Mexico, New York, and North Carolina appear high on both lists, indicating that residents in these states need to spend a more significant portion of their income on food, likely due to higher-than-average costs based on income.

Understanding these spending patterns can offer insight into regional lifestyles and economic conditions across the U.S.

Closing Thoughts

The amount Americans spend on dining out can add up to a significant sum over a lifetime, with considerable variation depending on where you live. Whether you’re in a Southwestern state where takeout costs seem to affect you more, or a Southeastern state where food prepared at home takes a bigger slice of your paycheck, the numbers show that food, one way or another, is a major part of our budgets.

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Methodology

To determine the states that spend the most on eating out, we collected the most recently available state-by-state data from the U.S. Census Bureau on consumer expenditure spent at home and away from home and positioned it against the annual income in every state. Using this data, we were able to find an estimated lifetime cost of eating takeout in every state and the annual percentage of income that goes toward eating out and dining at home across the U.S.