According to a new study, Texas ranks seventh among U.S. states that prefer to forgo home cooking in favor of dining out.
The study, conducted by consumer price transparency platform PriceListo.com, sought to find which U.S. states enjoy eating out at restaurants the most.
To accomplish this, PriceListo.com says that it utilized Google Keyword Planner to compile a list of how many times people in each state searched for over 3,500 dining-related terms, including every major fast-food chain as well as terms like "best restaurant near me" and "restaurant menu,” over the past year.
After finding the keyword totals, the platform then adjusted the results to reflect an average monthly search volume per 100,000 residents in each state, and used those totals to put together its rankings.
According to the study, the Lone Star State averaged 64,255 monthly searches for dining-out-related terms per 100,000 residents, which was the seventh-highest in the country.
Colorado’s residents averaged the most monthly searches in the U.S. by far, with 74,795 per 100,000 people. Other states that appeared in the top five were Hawaii (second place, 72,127 average monthly searches per 100,000 residents), Florida (third, 71,903), Nevada (fourth, 70,101) and Arizona (fifth, 67,194).
Rounding out the top 10 states — alongside Texas — were Georgia (sixth place, 65,510), North Carolina (eighth, 62,721), Virginia (ninth, 59,799) and Illinois (10th, 59,730).
According to the study, prices in the upper end for dining out in Texas skyrocketed as high as $91 — which was found in Austin.
"As inflation and the rising cost of living continues to put a strain on individuals and families across America, dining out in a restaurant is becoming more and more of a luxury,” said a spokesperson from PriceListo.com.
As a result of these inflation-influenced prices, it seems that U.S. residents are opting to eat out at cheaper alternatives, with the study saying that the number one chain restaurant that was preferred by the majority of the top 10 states — including Texas — was fast food favorite McDonald’s.
"Americans spend between $20 and $75 on an average restaurant meal, depending on the venue size and number of diners," the spokesperson said. "Yet those interested in a quick, cheaper alternative can grab a McDonald's meal for only $10 on average.”
