---
title: "Big Macs or Lattes?"
description: "More Americans would rather live in a place with more McDonald’s than Starbucks."
date: "2009-02-17"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2009/02/17/big-macs-or-lattes/"
---

# Big Macs or Lattes?

When asked whether they would rather live in a neighborhood with more McDonald’s or more Starbucks, Americans manage to typecast themselves by just about every demographic and ideological characteristic under the sun; overall, more Americans choose McDonalds (43%) over Starbucks (35%), but the split is more pronounced — and rather predictable — when analyzed demographically. Liberals want coffee; conservatives choose burgers. Younger Americans vote for caffeine; older Americans decidedly pick the value menu. When one controls for all the factors tested, the variables that do the most to explain whether someone chooses Starbucks over McDonalds are: having a college degree, having a high income, being a liberal, being a Westerner and being a woman. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1111/starbucks-versus-mcdonalds-choices-demographics)