Despite being associated with high caloric consumption, as well high intake of fat and sodium, fast food has long been a beloved part of the American diet. Nearly 37% of U.S. adults consume food from quick-service restaurants on any given day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (These are 30 popular fast foods that are real calorie bombs.)
Other CDC findings show adults aged 20 to 39 consume the most fast food. Men are more likely than women to have fast food for lunch, while women are more likely to consume fast food as a snack. And, likely shattering a common misconception, the percentage of adults who consume fast food actually increases as family income rises.
American fast-food choices abound, served up in brightly-colored restaurants by the King, the Queen, the Colonel, and others. But perhaps no fast-food restaurant is more globally and instantly recognized as the one with the clown as a mascot: McDonald’s. (These are the best burgers you can get at a fast-food restaurant.)
There were 39,198 McDonald’s restaurants worldwide at the end of 2020, including 13,682 outlets in the United States, according to the company’s 2020 annual report. Only 657 stores are company operated, making McDonald’s the world’s largest franchise network by revenue. The company may have planted its golden arches in 119 countries, but the U.S. is by far its most important market, comprising 41% of all sales last year.
The company is ubiquitous nationwide, but consumer demand for Big Macs and Egg McMuffins in some states is higher than in others. While there are about 4.2 McDonald’s locations per 100,000 people nationwide, the concentration in states ranges from 2.9 McDonald’s restaurants per 100,000 people in New Jersey and Rhode Island to 5.8 per 100,000 in West Virginia.
To identify the number of McDonald’s in each of the 50 states, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from the “The Fast Food Capitals of America” feature from NiceRx, a patient assistance program / medication access company. NiceRx used figures from the U.S. Census Bureau for population and total fast food restaurants and full-service restaurants. Totals for the 10 most popular chains were gathered via ScrapeHero.com. NiceRx considers “fast food” as limited-service restaurants, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Click here to see the number of McDonald’s in all 50 states
Alabama
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 245 — 21st most
> Outlets per 100K: 5.0 — 15th most
> Total population: 4,903,185 — 24th largest
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Alaska
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 31 — 6th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.2 — 24th fewest
> Total population: 731,545 — 3rd smallest
Arizona
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 284 — 17th most
> Outlets per 100K: 3.9 — 15th fewest
> Total population: 7,278,717 — 14th largest
Arkansas
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 172 — 23rd fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 5.7 — 2nd most
> Total population: 3,017,804 — 18th smallest
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California
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 1,264 — the most
> Outlets per 100K: 3.2 — 5th fewest
> Total population: 39,512,223 — the largest
Colorado
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 207 — 25th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 3.6 — 11th fewest
> Total population: 5,758,736 — 21st largest
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Connecticut
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 143 — 19th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.0 — 19th fewest
> Total population: 3,565,287 — 22nd smallest
Delaware
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 36 — 7th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 3.7 — 12th fewest
> Total population: 973,764 — 6th smallest
Florida
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 902 — 3rd most
> Outlets per 100K: 4.2 — 24th fewest
> Total population: 21,477,737 — 3rd largest
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Georgia
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 446 — 10th most
> Outlets per 100K: 4.2 — 24th fewest
> Total population: 10,617,423 — 8th largest
Hawaii
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 74 — 12th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 5.2 — 5th most
> Total population: 1,415,872 — 11th smallest
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Idaho
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 63 — 11th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 3.5 — 10th fewest
> Total population: 1,787,065 — 12th smallest
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Illinois
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 659 — 4th most
> Outlets per 100K: 5.2 — 5th most
> Total population: 12,671,821 — 6th largest
Indiana
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 350 — 12th most
> Outlets per 100K: 5.2 — 5th most
> Total population: 6,732,219 — 17th largest
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Iowa
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 145 — 20th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.6 — 21st most
> Total population: 3,155,070 — 20th smallest
Kansas
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 149 — 21st fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 5.1 — 10th most
> Total population: 2,913,314 — 16th smallest
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Kentucky
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 250 — 20th most
> Outlets per 100K: 5.6 — 3rd most
> Total population: 4,467,673 — 25th smallest
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Louisiana
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 237 — 22nd most
> Outlets per 100K: 5.1 — 10th most
> Total population: 4,648,794 — 25th largest
Maine
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 62 — 10th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.6 — 21st most
> Total population: 1,344,212 — 9th smallest
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Maryland
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 284 — 16th most
> Outlets per 100K: 4.7 — 18th most
> Total population: 6,045,680 — 19th largest
Massachusetts
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 234 — 23rd most
> Outlets per 100K: 3.4 — 8th fewest
> Total population: 6,892,503 — 15th largest
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Michigan
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 539 — 7th most
> Outlets per 100K: 5.4 — 4th most
> Total population: 9,986,857 — 10th largest
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Minnesota
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 226 — 25th most
> Outlets per 100K: 4.0 — 19th fewest
> Total population: 5,639,632 — 22nd largest
Mississippi
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 140 — 17th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.7 — 18th most
> Total population: 2,976,149 — 17th smallest
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Missouri
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 313 — 14th most
> Outlets per 100K: 5.1 — 10th most
> Total population: 6,137,428 — 18th largest
Montana
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 48 — 8th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.5 — 25th most
> Total population: 1,068,778 — 8th smallest
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Nebraska
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 77 — 13th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.0 — 19th fewest
> Total population: 1,934,408 — 14th smallest
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> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 142 — 18th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.6 — 21st most
> Total population: 3,080,156 — 19th smallest
New Hampshire
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 54 — 9th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.0 — 19th fewest
> Total population: 1,359,711 — 10th smallest
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New Jersey
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 258 — 19th most
> Outlets per 100K: 2.9 — 2nd fewest
> Total population: 8,882,190 — 11th largest
New Mexico
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 107 — 15th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 5.1 — 10th most
> Total population: 2,096,829 — 15th smallest
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New York
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 603 — 6th most
> Outlets per 100K: 3.1 — 4th fewest
> Total population: 19,453,561 — 4th largest
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North Carolina
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 482 — 9th most
> Outlets per 100K: 4.6 — 21st most
> Total population: 10,488,084 — 9th largest
North Dakota
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 24 — the fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 3.1 — 4th fewest
> Total population: 762,062 — 4th smallest
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Ohio
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 608 — 5th most
> Outlets per 100K: 5.2 — 5th most
> Total population: 11,689,100 — 7th largest
Oklahoma
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 206 — 24th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 5.2 — 5th most
> Total population: 3,956,971 — 23rd smallest
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Oregon
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 160 — 22nd fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 3.8 — 14th fewest
> Total population: 4,217,737 — 24th smallest
Pennsylvania
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 486 — 8th most
> Outlets per 100K: 3.8 — 14th fewest
> Total population: 12,801,989 — 5th largest
Rhode Island
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 31 — 5th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 2.9 — 2nd fewest
> Total population: 1,059,361 — 7th smallest
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South Carolina
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 227 — 24th most
> Outlets per 100K: 4.4 — 25th fewest
> Total population: 5,148,714 — 23rd largest
South Dakota
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 30 — 4th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 3.4 — 8th fewest
> Total population: 884,659 — 5th smallest
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Tennessee
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 328 — 13th most
> Outlets per 100K: 4.8 — 16th most
> Total population: 6,829,174 — 16th largest
Texas
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 1,189 — 2nd most
> Outlets per 100K: 4.1 — 20th fewest
> Total population: 28,995,881 — 2nd largest
Utah
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 112 — 16th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 3.5 — 10th fewest
> Total population: 3,205,958 — 21st smallest
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Vermont
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 26 — 2nd fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.2 — 24th fewest
> Total population: 623,989 — 2nd smallest
Virginia
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 401 — 11th most
> Outlets per 100K: 4.7 — 18th most
> Total population: 8,535,519 — 12th largest
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Washington
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 259 — 18th most
> Outlets per 100K: 3.4 — 8th fewest
> Total population: 7,614,893 — 13th largest
West Virginia
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 104 — 14th fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 5.8 — the most
> Total population: 1,792,147 — 13th smallest
Wisconsin
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 297 — 15th most
> Outlets per 100K: 5.1 — 10th most
> Total population: 5,822,434 — 20th largest
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Wyoming
> Estimated no. of McDonald’s outlets: 28 — 3rd fewest
> Outlets per 100K: 4.8 — 16th most
> Total population: 578,759 — the smallest
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