I’ve compiled a list of the 25 states with the highest soda consumption for your enjoyment. (We did beer, too!)
This data is from the CDC, and technically it encompasses all “sugar-sweetened beverages” (or SSBs) which means soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, coffee and tea that have sugar added, and sweetened water.
(But, let’s face it, soda’s likely the vast majority of that.)
With that – on to the list!
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 65%
Clocking in at #25, almost 2/3 of Alabama’s residents consume soda daily.
Honestly, I thought the proportion would be way higher. Remember that Alabama is right next to #11 Georgia, the global headquarters of Coca-Cola.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 65.4%
Maryland’s residents love their Old Bay, their crab, and their soda. And honestly, let’s face it – they go together so well.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 65.5%
Continuing the trend of “seafood and soda,” #23 Maine loves eating their (fresh, wild-caught) lobster and cracking open a cold soda.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 65.6%
Honestly, I’m surprised New York wasn’t a lot higher on the list. Given the long and stressful hours a ton of New Yorkers work in law, finance, and healthcare…you’d think a lot more folks would be drinking a LOT more caffeine. (Also – Pepsi’s headquarters are in New York!)
Of course, given all the work NYC has done to try and limit caffeine consumption – which, maybe it’s working!
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 65.7%
Rhode Island may be tiny – and also not an island – but they certainly pull their weight and then some when it comes to soda consumption. Just under 2/3 of Rhode Islanders consume soda daily.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 65.7%
Indiana’s little-known local delicacy is what’s called a brain sandwich. And that’s not, like, a cutesy name – it’s really fried brains. (Usually pig.) I guess soda goes well with that? Or at least masks the taste?
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 65.9%
Ok, I know not everyone in Pennsylvania eats cheesesteaks every day…HOWEVER…let’s face facts: Cheesesteaks are delicious with an ice-cold Coke (or Pepsi, I guess), so it makes sense that so many Pennsylvanians indulge.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 66%
Oklahoma’s an incredibly dry and dusty state (at least from my experience driving through it). Just the kind of place you need an ice-cold drink.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 66.4%
I mean, that Nashville hot chicken isn’t just gonna eat itself, will it?
(Although, let’s be honest, soda – while an excellent thirst quencher in most circumstances – really does NOT shine when it comes to spicy foods. So maybe this is more a play on BBQ than hot chicken?)
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 66.8%
Caffeine intake is no surprise in Massachusetts, especially given Boston’s status as a biotech hub. (Not to mention Harvard and all those smart college kids studying, I guess.)
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 67.2%
Ok, I’ve gotta ask – how much of this is due to home-town love of KFC? Because let’s face it – after a couple pieces of their fried chicken and a biscuit, the only thing I ever want is a soda.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 67.2%
This one’s a simple explanation. Florida = beaches, right? (Well, and Walt Disney World.) There is NOTHING better on the beach than a cold soda. (Aside from maybe a cold beer.)
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 67.3%
Outdoorsy, health-conscious Vermont still drinks a lot of soda – what’s better after a hike? – and it shows in the data: Over 67% of Vermonters report daily soda consumption.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 68%
If you live on the East Coast (like I do), you mostly know Delaware for its tolls and Rehoboth Beach. (And the University of Delaware football team.) Turns out all those games and all that beach time means a lot of soda consumption, too.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 68.1%
Georgia: Home of Coca-Cola. Why it’s not #1 on this list will always escape me. Because Coke is a way of life in Georgia, especially Atlanta.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 68.5%
People tend to think of New Mexico’s natural beauty and rugged plateaus, but it also has a strong oil & gas sector and trucker culture – especially in Eastern New Mexico (think Lea County).
With that background, it’s no surprise that lots of New Mexicans turn to soda for their needed daily hit of caffeine.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 68.7%
Honestly, there’s nothing better with a shrimp po-boy than an ice-cold Coke.
I approve.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 69.5%
FINALLY, New Jersey beats New York at something.
And you know how I mentioned that New York was under-caffeinated?
Probably because everyone with a long commute to NYC lives in Jersey or Connecticut.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 69.7%
Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are all very similar – rural, northern, outdoorsy.
Interestingly, Maine is the only one of the three that didn’t make the list, while New Hampshire and Vermont both very clearly did.
All that hiking and skiing works you up to a powerful thirst!
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 70.2%
Like much of the South, South Carolina is undoubtedly on this list because of the combination of hot weather, proximity to Atlanta (and Coca-Cola HQ), and just underlying culture around soda that permeates the South.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 72.2%
Just like New Jersey, I bet this is disproportionately driven by professionals slogging through a long commute to NYC and then long hours at work.
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 72.5%
Two words: Oil fields.
Long hours, hard labor, great pay – tons of people are moving into South Dakota to get a piece of the oil action.
And what sustains you through all of those long, hard hours of work? Soda’s a great energy booster!
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 73.2%
Same story as South Dakota (plus ranching) – just a much longer history of it!
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 74.2%
Arkansas is no stranger to hard work and long hours – Tyson Foods and Walmart are both headquartered there.
Enough said!
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Proportion of people reporting daily soda consumption: 76.4%
With over three-quarters of residents reporting drinking soda daily, Hawaii is the #1 state for soda consumption in the United States.
Let’s face it – you need lots of energy if you’re going to dance the hula into the wee hours of the morning!
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Here were the top 5 soda-drinking states:
1) Hawaii
2) Arkansas
3) Wyoming
4) South Dakota
5) Connecticut
Were you as surprised by Hawaii as we were?
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