By Megan Broussard // SWNS
NEWS COPY W/ VIDEO + INFOGRAPHIC
One in seven Americans has been eating pizza the exact same way without changing their order for over five years.
That’s according to a new survey that polled 5,000 people across every state on their pizza ordering and found that the last time the average person strayed from their usual order was two years (2.1) ago.
The study also found that 57% of respondents are open to trying new pizza combinations but don’t know where to start.
For some, spice may be the solution, as half (49%) agree that spice makes pizza taste better.
New Mexico and Hawaii (both 58%) are the states that add the most spice to their pizza, followed by California (55%) and Texas (53%), according to the survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Tabasco Brand.
Michigan and South Carolina were jointly the least likely states to spice up their pizza with just 31% of people from either state saying they do this.
Not only was Michigan unlikely to spice up their pizza, but they were also the state with the most respondents who said they’d never tried a new pizza at all (11%).
Which shows that when it comes to being a pizza repeater, some states are more loyal to their order than others.
People in Indiana and Vermont both 95%) are the most likely to stick with the same pizza toppings they’ve had in the past.
“It’s interesting to see that Americans are stuck in their same-old pizza habits but are craving something new and exciting,” said Kate Neuhaus, Director of Global Marketing Communications at McIlhenny Company. “This National Hot Sauce Day, we encourage pizza fans to light up their slices with a sauce that brings heat and flavor.”
The survey also pinpointed which states liked spicy food the most asking respondents to rate their spice love out of 10. New Mexico (6.1) and California (5.7), ranked highest in terms of preference for spicy food — Alaska interestingly came in third (5.6).
The survey also uncovered interesting ways people from different states prefer to eat their favorite pizzas.
Forty percent of Georgia residents surveyed said they like to eat the crust first.
More than half (53%) of Illinois respondents said they prefer to use a fork and knife rather than using their hands.
Sixty-six percent of Minnesotans were adamant about not folding their pizza slices.
And when it comes to how often we indulge in a slice around the country, results vary with Iowa eating the most pizza per month (five times), Alaska (4.7 times) and North Dakota (4.9 times).
However, the state that gathers families together for “pizza night” the most in a typical month is Louisiana (3.5 times), followed by Connecticut (3.4) and Iowa (3.3). Interestingly, New York — famous for its pizza — only reported having an average of 2.8 pizza nights in a month.
Respondents from Louisiana average eating the most pizza in one sitting (3.3 slices).
Friday night was unanimously voted the most popular night to order pizza in every state.
“It’s no surprise to us that Americans love pizza and eat it multiple times a month,” added Neuhaus. “Whether you’re a fan of Hawaiian or Meat Lover’s, New York style or Chicago deep dish, a dash of hot sauce is the best way to make your pizza more exciting.”
THE MOST POPULAR TYPES OF PIZZA IN EVERY STATE
- Alabama - Supreme
- Alaska - Pepperoni
- Arizona - Meat lover’s
- Arkansas - Supreme
- California - Pepperoni
- Colorado - Pepperoni
- Connecticut - Pepperoni
- Delaware - Pepperoni
- Florida - Pepperoni
- Georgia - Supreme
- Hawaii - Supreme
- Idaho - Meat lover’s
- Illinois - Meat lover’s
- Indiana - Supreme
- Iowa - Supreme and Meat lover’s
- Kansas - Supreme
- Kentucky - Meat lover’s
- Louisiana - Meat lover’s
- Maine - Meat lover’s
- Maryland - Pepperoni
- Massachusetts - Veggie
- Michigan - Meat lover’s
- Minnesota - Pepperoni
- Mississippi - Meat lover’s
- Missouri - Meat lover’s
- Montana - Supreme
- Nebraska - Meat lover’s
- Nevada - Meat lover’s
- New Hampshire - Pepperoni
- New Jersey - Pepperoni
- New Mexico - Pepperoni
- New York - Pepperoni
- North Carolina - Meat lover’s
- North Dakota - Supreme and Pepperoni
- Ohio - Pepperoni
- Oklahoma - Supreme
- Oregon - Meat lover’s
- Pennsylvania - Pepperoni
- Rhode Island - Pepperoni
- South Carolina - Pepperoni
- South Dakota - Supreme and Pepperoni
- Tennessee - Pepperoni
- Texas - Pepperoni
- Utah - Meat lover’s
- Vermont - Pepperoni
- Virginia - Pepperoni
- Washington - Meat lover’s
- West Virginia - Meat lover’s
- Wisconsin - Meat lover’s
- Wyoming - Meat lover’s
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 5,000 Americans (state-by-state); the survey was commissioned by Tabasco and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Dec. 23 to Dec. 31, 2024.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
- Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
- Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
- Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
- Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
- Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
- Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.