What state has the most Chick-fil-A locations

States carried by John McCain in 2008 host the fast food chain at a rate of nearly three times as many stores per resident as those won by Barack Obama

What state has the most Chick-fil-A locations
With the Mike Huckabee-backed Chick-fil-A “Appreciation Day” and gay-rights backed “kiss-in” come and gone, it remains to be seen whether the (overcooked) coverage of the fast food chain – and the photo-ops its political supporters have staged – has ended as well.

The national attention stemmed from the “pro-family” remarks reiterated by the chain’s COO earlier this summer.

It is interesting that Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska, has been one of the staunchest defenders of the restaurant chain, considering there are no such establishments in her home state.

But while Chick-fil-A has restaurants in 39 states across the country, the restaurant – headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia – is still largely regarded as a southern institution.

In political terms of 2012, that means it is largely a red state restaurant.

But to what degree?

A Smart Politics review of Chick-fil-A store locations from the company’s official website finds there are nearly three times the rate of stores per resident in states carried by John McCain in 2008 as those carried by Barack Obama.

Overall, there are 945 Chick-fil-A restaurants in the 22 “McCain states,” or 9.8 stores per one million residents, compared to 767 in the 28 states carried by President Obama, or 3.6 stores per million residents.

Put another way, there are 276,476 residents for every Chick-fil-A in Obama states compared to 101,679 residents per restaurant in McCain states.

The state with the largest ratio of stores per resident is Georgia, where the chain is headquartered.

With 212 Chick-fil-A stores statewide, Georgia has one store per 45,696 residents.

The next top three states all border Georgia – South Carolina at #2 (1 store per 57,103 residents), North Carolina at #3 (64,867), and Alabama at #4 (72,420).

Rounding out the Top 10 are more southern states: Virginia at #5 (1 per 76,933), Tennessee at #6 (90,659), Texas at #7 (92,788), Maryland at #8 (96,226), West Virginia at #9 (109,000) and Arkansas at #10 (112,151). (Note: Maryland is designated as a southern state in the U.S. Census’ regional classifications).

The top non-southern state on the list comes in at #17 with Colorado from the West (1 per 173,421 residents), with Pennsylvania the top northeastern state at #19 (208,236) and Kansas the top Midwestern state at #20 (237,760).

The Bottom 10 states with at least one restaurant that have the lowest ratio of stores per residents are all Obama states.

California (#31), Illinois (#32), New Hampshire (#33), Minnesota (#34), Massachusetts (#35), Wisconsin (#36), Washington (#37), Michigan (#38), and New York (#39) all come in with a ratio of more than 600,000 residents per one restaurant in their respective states.

Of the 11 states without a Chick-fil-A within their borders, seven were carried by Obama (Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont) and four by John McCain (Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota).

Overall, there are 5.6 Chick-fil-A restaurants per one million residents nationwide, or approximately 180,000 Americans for every store.

Ratio of Chick-fil-A Restaurants Per Capita by State

Rank

State

2008 vote

# Stores

Residents per Store

1

Georgia

McCain

212

45,696

2

South Carolina

McCain

81

57,103

3

North Carolina

Obama

147

64,867

4

Alabama

McCain

66

72,420

5

Virginia

Obama

104

76,933

6

Tennessee

McCain

70

90,659

7

Texas

McCain

271

92,788

8

Maryland

Obama

60

96,226

9

West Virginia

McCain

17

109,000

10

Arkansas

McCain

26

112,151

11

Oklahoma

McCain

33

113,677

12

Mississippi

McCain

26

114,127

13

Florida

Obama

164

114,642

14

Louisiana

McCain

35

129,525

15

Delaware

Obama

6

149,656

16

Kentucky

McCain

27

160,717

17

Colorado

Obama

29

173,421

18

Utah

McCain

15

184,259

19

Pennsylvania

Obama

61

208,236

20

Kansas

McCain

12

237,760

21

Indiana

Obama

27

240,141

22

Missouri

McCain

23

260,388

23

Ohio

Obama

42

274,679

24

Arizona

McCain

23

277,914

25

Iowa

Obama

10

304,636

26

New Mexico

Obama

6

343,197

27

New Jersey

Obama

23

382,256

28

Nebraska

McCain

4

456,585

29

Idaho

McCain

3

522,527

30

Wyoming

McCain

1

563,626

31

California

Obama

59

631,423

32

Illinois

Obama

19

675,296

33

New Hampshire

Obama

1

1,316,470

34

Minnesota

Obama

3

1,767,975

35

Massachusetts

Obama

2

3,273,815

36

Wisconsin

Obama

1

5,686,986

37

Washington

Obama

1

6,724,540

38

Michigan

Obama

1

9,883,640

39

New York

Obama

1

19,378,102

40

Alaska

McCain

0

40

Connecticut

Obama

0

40

Hawaii

Obama

0

40

Maine

Obama

0

40

Montana

McCain

0

40

Nevada

Obama

0

40

North Dakota

McCain

0

40

Oregon

Obama

0

40

Rhode Island

Obama

0

40

South Dakota

McCain

0

40

Vermont

Obama

0

Table compiled by Smart Politics based on information culled from the official website of Chick-fil-A and 2010 U.S. Census data.

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