When do people in different US states eat dinner?

At precisely what hour do individuals typically partake in their evening meal? Pennsylvania and Maine stand out as the states where dinner is served the earliest, typically commencing around 5:40 PM on average. In contrast, residents of Mississippi, Texas, and the District of Columbia tend to embark on their supper considerably later, with an average start time occurring after 7 PM. Nathan Yau from flowingdata.com has insightful data on supper times across US states.

Examining the dining habits of households across the United States reveals intriguing variations in dinner times. While meal schedules can diverge significantly worldwide, delving into regional disparities within the United States is equally captivating. This exploration aims to shed light on the temporal nuances of dinner consumption, unraveling disparities in meal timing across the nation.

Drawing insights from a comprehensive dataset compiled during the period from 2018 to 2022, namely the American Time Use Survey, we can discern intriguing patterns regarding when Americans prefer to dine. Our analysis hones in on the evening hours, specifically starting from 4:00 PM and onwards, where we can observe the diverse eating habits of households.

At the outset, it is evident that dinner’s temporal landscape within the United States is far from uniform. The majority of households embark on their evening repast between the hours of 5:07 PM and 8:19 PM, with the zenith of dinnertime popularity occurring squarely at 6:19 PM. This time frame represents the epicenter of American dinner culture, characterized by a substantial proportion of households partaking in their evening meals.

However, the richness of our data transcends this overarching trend, revealing intriguing divergences. Some households are early birds when it comes to dinner, with their dining clocks ticking well before the 5:07 PM threshold. In contrast, others adopt a more leisurely approach, extending their evening meals well into the twilight hours, thus making 8:19 PM the final frontier for dinner in these cases.

The data, when scrutinized meticulously, unveils a fascinating mosaic of regional and demographic disparities in dinner timing. Inquiring minds might wonder who, within the United States, embraces the earliest and latest dinner times. Is it influenced by geographic location, age groups, or perhaps cultural backgrounds?

By examining the percentage of households dining during specific time intervals, we can provide a comprehensive picture of dinner habits across the United States. This exploration promises to unravel not only the temporal tapestry of American dinner culture but also the various factors that influence it. (source)