Ranked: U.S. cities with the most fast food restaurants per capita
Sometimes all you need is a quick meal like a juicy burger. This mood tends to strike when you are miles away from any decent stops. Scavenging on late-night gas station offerings is not a sustainable way to live. Thankfully, there are plenty of places across the U.S. that are sanctuaries for fast food joints.
Living in an area with plenty of fast food restaurants presents a double-edged sword. The good news is you could always have a Taco Bell12 Pack to keep you company. The bad news is living near fast food and its sodium-laden charms correlates with greater food consumption and higher obesity rates in children. One study even concluded that “fast food can inhibit savoring, producing negative consequences for how we experience pleasurable events.”
The data scientists at FindTheHome, part of the Graphiq network, identified places that have the highest density of fast food restaurants in each state. Using company classification information from Dun & Bradstreet, we calculated the number of fast food restaurants per 10,000 people. We then identified the city within each state with the highest density of fast food restaurants. Only cities with a population threshold over the 95th percentile of the state were considered in our analysis.
Note: For the sake of simplicity, we round the “Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People” to the nearest hundredth, which results in ties. Ties do not exist in the unrounded list. The order of the list reflects ranking based on the original calculation. The cities displayed in the accompanying visualization do not represent all the cities that were considered, just the cities with the top density of fast food restaurants.
#50. Connecticut: Norwalk
Population: 87,214
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 1.84
Notable Restaurant: Five Guys
#49. Massachusetts: Fall River
[findthebest id="87ghHQHH9kh" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Massachusetts" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/87ghHQHH9kh" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/42/Massachusetts" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Massachusetts | FindTheHome"]
Population: 88,756
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 1.92
Notable Restaurant: Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits
#48. New Hampshire: Rochester
Population: 29,883
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 2.68
Notable Restaurant: Wendy's
#47. New Jersey: Vineland
[findthebest id="2CAIjlqEzWd" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in New Jersey" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/2CAIjlqEzWd" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/4/New-Jersey" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in New Jersey | FindTheHome"]
Population: 60,985
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 2.95
Notable Restaurant: Stewart's Drive-In
#46. Rhode Island: Warwick
Population: 82,065
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 3.29
Notable Restaurant: Walt's Roast Beef
#45. Maine: Bangor
[findthebest id="aRB4p6ldr1j" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Maine" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/aRB4p6ldr1j" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/41/Maine" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Maine | FindTheHome"]
Population: 32,800
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 3.66
Notable Restaurant: Chipotle
#44. Hawaii: Hilo
Population: 44,549
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.27
Notable Restaurant: Cafe 100
#43. New York: Watertown
[findthebest id="5mVv0B4aRDf" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in New York" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/5mVv0B4aRDf" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/48/New-York" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in New York | FindTheHome"]
Population: 27,590
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.35
Notable Restaurant: Sonic Drive-In
#42. Washington: Lakewood
Population: 58,890
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.42
Notable Restaurant: Church's Chicken
#41. Utah: Sandy
[findthebest id="6K5TmdSW0tL" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Utah" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/6K5TmdSW0tL" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/10/Utah" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Utah | FindTheHome"]
Population: 89,521
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.58
Notable Restaurant: The Philadelphian
#40. Arizona: Tempe
Population: 166,975
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.61
Notable Restaurant: French Fry Heaven
#39. Wisconsin: Eau Claire
[findthebest id="1fqjXIBTr5H" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Wisconsin" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/1fqjXIBTr5H" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/19/Wisconsin" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Wisconsin | FindTheHome"]
Population: 67,036
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.62
Notable Restaurant: Culver's
#38. Florida: Boca Raton
Population: 88,187
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.65
Notable Restaurant: Chipotle
#37. Colorado: Grand Junction
[findthebest id="9uqG3twsiaN" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Colorado" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/9uqG3twsiaN" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/5/Colorado" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Colorado | FindTheHome"]
Population: 59,731
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.69
Notable Restaurant: McAlister's Deli
#36. Nevada: Paradise
Population: 223,182
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.71
Notable Restaurant: Izzy's Burger Spa
#35. California: Costa Mesa
[findthebest id="3ZL6EYfpIMJ" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in California" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/3ZL6EYfpIMJ" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/2/California" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in California | FindTheHome"]
Population: 111,635
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.75
Notable Restaurant: In-N-Out Burger
#34. Michigan: Southfield
Population: 72,480
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.83
Notable Restaurant: Lou's Deli
#33. Idaho: Rexburg
[findthebest id="75nZrD5CNbT" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Idaho" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/75nZrD5CNbT" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/33/Idaho" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Idaho | FindTheHome"]
Population: 26,301
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 4.94
Notable Restaurant: Jimmy John's
#32. Oregon: Redmond
Population: 27,002
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 5.19
Notable Restaurant: Dairy Queen
#31. Maryland: Hagerstown
[findthebest id="1AIq37OAdNP" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Maryland" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/1AIq37OAdNP" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/40/Maryland" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Maryland | FindTheHome"]
Population: 40,295
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 5.21
Notable Restaurant: Burkett's Deli
#30. Minnesota: Mankato
Population: 39,871
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 5.52
Notable Restaurant: Jersey Mike's Subs
#29. North Dakota: Devils Lake
[findthebest id="9PIM8SJ94SV" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in North Dakota" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/9PIM8SJ94SV" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/44/North-Dakota" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in North Dakota | FindTheHome"]
Population: 7,218
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 5.54
Notable Restaurant: McDonald's
#28. South Dakota: Mitchell
Population: 15,490
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 5.81
Notable Restaurant: Quiznos
#27. Vermont: South Burlington
[findthebest id="4l3cKns6vuR" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Vermont" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/4l3cKns6vuR" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/12/Vermont" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Vermont | FindTheHome"]
Population: 18,378
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 5.99
Notable Restaurant: Al's French Frys
#26. Texas: Longview
Population: 82,030
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 6.22
Notable Restaurant: Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
#25. Delaware: Dover
[findthebest id="5IdB60gREln" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Delaware" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/5IdB60gREln" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/1/Delaware" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Delaware | FindTheHome"]
Population: 36,826
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 6.25
Notable Restaurant: Wayback Burgers
#24. Illinois: Belleville
Population: 43,296
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 6.47
Notable Restaurant: Rally's
#23. Wyoming: Rock Springs
[findthebest id="dy1HuZP4Xj" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Wyoming" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/dy1HuZP4Xj" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/21/Wyoming" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Wyoming | FindTheHome"]
Population: 23,684
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 6.76
Notable Restaurant: Burger King
#22. Pennsylvania: Kingston
Population: 13,105
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 6.87
Notable Restaurant: Abe's Hot Dogs
#21. Indiana: Marion
[findthebest id="8synNfUnW2p" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Indiana" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/8synNfUnW2p" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/35/Indiana" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Indiana | FindTheHome"]
Population: 29,403
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 7.14
Notable Restaurant: Penguin Point
#20. Iowa: Spencer
Population: 11,177
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 7.16
Notable Restaurant: Dairy Queen
#19. Montana: Lockwood
[findthebest id="2XSOoKDlmEl" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Montana" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/2XSOoKDlmEl" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/25/Montana" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Montana | FindTheHome"]
Population: 6,943
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 7.20
Notable Restaurant: Burger King
#18. Kansas: Arkansas City
Population: 12,316
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 7.31
Notable Restaurant: Long John Silver's
#17. Ohio: Zanesville
[findthebest id="iLjkps35voh" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Ohio" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/iLjkps35voh" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/43/Ohio" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Ohio | FindTheHome"]
Population: 25,444
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 7.47
Notable Restaurant: Wendy's
#16. Virginia: Danville
Population: 42,704
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 7.49
Notable Restaurant: Bojangle's Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits
#15. Georgia: Dalton
[findthebest id="dgDL0WM2W0d" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Georgia" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/dgDL0WM2W0d" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/7/Georgia" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Georgia | FindTheHome"]
Population: 33,336
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 7.50
Notable Restaurant: Krystal
#14. Tennessee: Kingsport
Population: 52,835
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 7.57
Notable Restaurant: Pal's
#13. Alabama: Bessemer
[findthebest id="lvE76HGBN5j" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Alabama" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/lvE76HGBN5j" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/20/Alabama" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Alabama | FindTheHome"]
Population: 27,202
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 7.72
Notable Restaurant: Chick-fil-A
#12. Missouri: Farmington
Population: 17,213
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 8.71
Notable Restaurant: KFC
#11. Nebraska: Lexington
[findthebest id="g0YxIcpzdHf" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Nebraska" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/g0YxIcpzdHf" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/24/Nebraska" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Nebraska | FindTheHome"]
Population: 10,189
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 8.83
Notable Restaurant: Taco John's
#10. South Carolina: Florence
Population: 37,512
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 9.06
Notable Restaurant: Five Guys
#9. North Carolina: Statesville
[findthebest id="ho8W3PekmxL" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in North Carolina" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/ho8W3PekmxL" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/46/North-Carolina" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in North Carolina | FindTheHome"]
Population: 25,132
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 9.15
Notable Restaurant: Taco Bell
#8. Arkansas: Russellville
Population: 28,581
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 9.45
Notable Restaurant: Feltner's Whatta-Burger
#7. New Mexico: Gallup
[findthebest id="bTtmFjXhN9H" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in New Mexico" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/bTtmFjXhN9H" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/49/New-Mexico" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in New Mexico | FindTheHome"]
Population: 22,189
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 9.46
Notable Restaurant: Sonic Drive-In
#6. Mississippi: Ridgeland
Population: 24,209
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 9.50
Notable Restaurant: Whataburger
#5. Alaska: Wasilla
[findthebest id="k8tIL4RQEeN" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Alaska" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/k8tIL4RQEeN" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/13/Alaska" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Alaska | FindTheHome"]
Population: 8,406
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 9.52
Notable Restaurant: Arby's
#4. Louisiana: Slidell
Population: 27,372
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 10.23
Notable Restaurant: Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
#3. West Virginia: Beckley
[findthebest id="eDO9mzAO4QJ" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in West Virginia" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/eDO9mzAO4QJ" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/18/West-Virginia" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in West Virginia | FindTheHome"]
Population: 17,529
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 10.84
Notable Restaurant: DQ Grill and Chill
#2. Oklahoma: Durant
Population: 16,507
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 10.90
Notable Restaurant: Jack in the Box
#1. Kentucky: Paducah
[findthebest id="ikHcNH2J1v7" title="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Kentucky" width="600" height="500" url="https://w.graphiq.com/w/ikHcNH2J1v7" link="http://places.findthehome.com/l/39/Kentucky" link_text="Density of Fast Food Restaurants in Kentucky | FindTheHome"]
Population: 25,046
Fast Food Restaurants per 10K People: 13.18
Notable Restaurant: Burger King
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