Eating out is one of America’s favorite pasttimes. But it can also be a bit pricey, especially if you live in one of these ten states.
Our data science team analyzed transactions at 26,000 small, independent restaurants across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across all 365 days of the 2017 calendar year. That analysis gave us a comprehensive look at when restaurants make the most money, when their tables are maxed out, and which states command the highest average ticket price from patrons.
What we found is that the average ticket price at small restaurants in America is about $35. When we look at how the states compare individually, we can rank each state according to their average cost per ticket. Some of the results met our expectations, such as New York and California both in the top four, but some of the higher rankings states took us by surprise. See how they stack up below!
Starting us off, we have New Jersey with an average ticket price of 39.18. It’s just 12% more than the national average of $35.
Next, we have the great state of Maine coming in at $4.44 above the national average. The average ticket size for restaurants in Maine was $39.44, which is 13% above the national average.
Nevada brings us to number eight on the list of the most expensive places to eat. 13% higher than the national average, Nevada restaurant’s averaged about $39.40 per ticket in 2017.
Maryland comes in as the seventh most expensive state to for eating out in 2017. Maryland restaurants averaged $39.53 per ticket.
Vermont was one of the first states to surprise us on the list of most expensive states for eating out in 2017. While only a few dollars over the national average, Vermont is the sixth most expensive state for eating out. Vermont restaurants averaged $39.70 per ticket in 2017.
The fantastic state of Florida brings us to our top five. At $5.23 more per ticket, Florida restaurants averaged $40.23 per order in 2017, making Sunshine State the fifth most expensive state for eating out.
California was also a bit of a surprise. If you’re like us, you may have expected it to be one of the top two states. Californa restaurants averaged $41.19 per ticket or 18% more than your average American restaurant.
Where would we be without Washington D.C.? The nation’s capital was the third most expensive place to eat out in America in 2017. Washington D.C. restaurant’s see 31% more per ticket compared to the national average.
Aloha Hawaii, and Aloha to your wallet. Hawaii was the second most expensive state for eating out in the United States of America in 2017. Hawaii’s restaurant’s averaged $48.46. That’s $13.46 more per ticket than the national average.
And topping out the list is a state so great they’ve got their own cut of steak. New York tops the chart as the most expensive place to eat out in America in 2017. At nearly 50% more than the average restaurant’s ticket price, New York restaurants saw $16.44 more per ticket to secure the top spot at $51.44 per order.