What state drinks the least coffee?

Short Answer: In terms of coffee purchasing and consumption, on this statistic I’ve closed my eyes to Delaware before as being the one who drinks coffee least per capita (but they were competing with Hawaii depending on how they are playing) while if we’re talking coffee shop density and cultural engagement in numbers there is no greater caffeine handicapped community than Utah for religious reasons. But low coffee intake is not synonymous with low caffeine intake, as people in these areas tend to drink sugary sodas or energy drinks.

Market Strategist with a twist: the “Blue Ocean” is a “Sugar Trap”?

If you are a coffee shop owner or investor, the map of decaf consumption could appear to represent untapped market opportunity for your business. But you have to think about the raw numbers.” Supply isn’t the problem in Utah, it’s beyond-cultural.

The Strategic Pivot:

Instead of trying to shoehorn traditional coffee culture onto a largely hostile market, take what has successfully filled the void in its place.

Analyze the “Dirty Soda” Phenomenon:

Beverage preferences vary by culture In Utah, where almost 60 of the state population are Mormons (LDS), I’ll usually be offered soda on a Sunday because.. . you can skip hot coffee tea over concerns of ‘Word of Wisdom’ NUH uh~! Caffeine, though, is not entirely banned. This opened the door for a proliferation of “Dirty Soda” stores (drive-thrus that put sweet cream sauces and flavored syrups into soda) all over. Here, chains like Swig and Sodalicious have exploded.

The Lesson:

There is indeed a ritual of the “morning pickup,” but it’s the vehicle that’s cold, carbonated and sweetened, not hot and roasted.

Market Entry Methodology:

• Do NOT open a “Third Wave” Pour-Over Bar in rural Utah or Delaware.
• Do invest in cold beverage infrastructure. Indeed, data indicate that even in states where people drink a lot of coffee, cold brew and iced beverages now account for more than half of Starbucks’ sales. For low-coffee states, the value is probably even higher since it provides a middle ground between soda and coffee.

Location Strategy: In Delaware (its volume is the lowest), this is often about density and commuting patterns. It’s all about “Drive-Thru” speed, not ‘Sit-Down’ enviroment… The low consumption here is attributed to a lack of easy access points versus the Pacific Northwest.

For the Alternative Seller: Stimulating the Caffeine Void

If you sell tea, matcha or energy drinks, states like Delaware, Maryland and Georgia (which often land in the bottom tier of coffee consumption) are your best bets.

The Action Plan:

Identify the “Why”:

At my daughter’s latte-drinking co-op preschool, caffeine was shunned along with live TV and Disney products.

In the Northeast (Delaware), life moves fast, but the coffee shop life isn’t as ingrained as it is in New York or Massachusetts.

Positioning Your Product:

• Tea Sellers: Present your product as a “heritage” beverage in the South. Don’t tout it as a healthy alternative, tout it as a tradition.
• Energy Drink Labels: Zeroing in on Utah. But when the culture discourages hot coffee for a sizeable demographic, that craving has to land somewhere. The “energy” category is disproportionately relevant here, as it allows us to side-step the whole stigma of being seen with a “hot drink.”

Distribution Logic:

If you have a product, put it in convenience stores (gas stations), not grocery stores. In low-coffee states, the typical caffeine habit is a stop at the gas station (a Monster or Red Bull) but not the coffee shop.

For The Trivia Hunter: Data Distortion.

If you search “Who drinks the least coffee”… you will receive mixed results. This is for the reason that almost all rankings mix Supply with Demand.

The Logic Breakdown:

The “Per Capita” Trap:

Actually, many “Most Caffeinated States” lists are taking a Tab of Coffee Shops Per Capita.

Hawaii is probably high on the list because of tourism (visitors who drink coffee), not just local residents.

New Jersey and New York usually come up short in such volume lists; researchers say that doesn’t mean urbanites aren’t indulging. Why? Because even though they have a lot of shops, the high population density dilutes the “per capita” shop count.

The Reality: Delaware ranks lowest for coffee consumption by weight (pounds imported/sold), and Utah has the fewest coffee shops per resident.

The Cultural Context (The “Why”):

• Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) prohibits “hot drinks” (interpreted to mean coffee or tea). It is the only state where a religious mandate distorts economic figures for a major commodity.
• The South: Heat is a factor. More counter to common sense is drinking near-boiling hot drinks in the tropics. While iced coffee is rising, the South and Southwest largely remains home to our historically “Bottom 10” coffee consumers.

For the Wellness Enthusiast The Hidden Health Cost

Perhaps you’d think the states drinking the least coffee are the “healthiest” or fare best with sleep scores, as they sidestep caffeine jitters. A careful analysis indicates that this is not the case.

The Health Paradox:

Sugar vs. Caffeine:

In states such as Utah and throughout much of the South, black coffee (0 calories) is often substituted with sugar-sweetened beverages (150+ calories).

The Consequence: You’ve swapped one mild stimulant (caffeine) for a metabolic stressor (high fructose corn syrup). If you want to move to a “low coffee” state in an effort to become healthier, be aware that the local food environment may nudge you toward sugar instead.

Sleep Correlations:

Less coffee, better sleep? Not necessarily.

States in the South* have the highest prevalence of insufficient sleep (and remember, my state drinks less coffee!!).

Interpretation: Drinking coffee tends to be a marker of affluence and living in an urban area. Low coffee residue may also be a marker of areas where more people suffer from obesity and other health conditions that interfere with sleep (such as high rates of sleep apnea), regardless of caffeine consumption.

Your Takeaways:

If it’s to stop drinking coffee, you might want to avoid these states guardedly held up as models of “clean living.” They’ve just traded one vice for a higher-calorie one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which are states that continuously land being among the lowest consumers of coffee?

Delaware often the lowest in purchases, while Utah has the fewest stores and culture due to it’s particular religious boundary.

Why is there a “Dirty Soda” culture in Utah, and not a coffee culture?

Roughly 60% of Utah residents are Mormon (LDS), whose religion traditionally frowns upon “hot drinks.” That leads to a lot of Yuck Mouth who needs something in the morning and also wants Caffeine, satisfied with “Dirty Soda” shops where people can get a cold soda that’s had cream added, as well as flavored syrup.

Is less coffee in a state a signal of better health or sleep?

Not necessarily. Where coffee drinking is low, black coffee is consumed and in place of it residents guzzle high-sugar sodas or energy drinks — and CDC data shows that the Southeast with its lower coffee consumption actually has some of the highest levels of suboptimal sleep.

How would a beverage company approach markets with low coffee consumption?

Businesses won’t open cafes for “Traditional Third Wave” commercials, businesses will invest in cold beverage infrastructure while promoting efficiency of operations under the concept of well-being through a “Drive-Thru.” If you’re a tea or energy drink brand, distribution should be convenience stores and gas stations, not grocery.

Why does information about drinking coffee often remain confusing?

‘Supply and Demand’ Rankings often fail to separate supply from demand. For instance, Islands with high consumption are places where the tourists drive up the numbers rather than locals, while it is possible in NY for a heavily populated state to rank very high in volume consumed and yet be an area with a low number of coffee shops per capita.

References