The Most Popular Late-Night Takeout Orders Around the Country
These online food delivery statistics might surprise you.
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When late-night hunger hits, it's difficult not to give into cravings. And thanks to online food delivery services like Grubhub, it's even easier to get exactly what you want delivered right to your doorstep at any time of the day or night.
Some cities order more late-night takeout than others. GOBankingRates partnered with Grubhub to share food delivery statistics about locations that are more likely to order an after-hours meal, plus which dishes are the most popular for post-dinner orders.
Food Delivery Statistics: Which Cities Order the Most Late-Night Takeout?
Not surprisingly, many of the cities that made the top 20 have a large college student population. According to Grubhub, college students are 79 percent more likely than the average diner to order takeout during the late-night hours.
It seems that instead of heading to one of the most popular late-night restaurants, residents in these cities rather eat in the comforts of their own home. Click through to see which cities are ordering the most late-night takeout.
20. Washington, D.C.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 68%
- Most popular orders: Chicken cheesesteak sandwich, $7.72; pizza fries, $5.99; white pizza, $15.33
When late-night hunger hits, residents of our nation's capital love to order chicken cheesesteak sandwiches — a dish that's seven times more popular for late-night orders in D.C. than in the rest of the country.
The frequency of after-hours dining in Washington could be due to politicians working overtime, or the high volume of college students in the area. Washington, D.C., is home to 19 colleges and universities within 5 miles of the city center.
19. Rochester, N.Y.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 83%
- Most popular orders: Steak sandwich, $8.18; pepperoni calzone, $8.14; sesame chicken, $8
It's not surprising that Rochester has a high percentage of late-night eaters given that the upstate New York city is home to three colleges with over 10,000 students enrolled in each: University of Rochester, Monroe Community College and Rochester Institute of Technology. And those students must really like their meat — late-night diners in Rochester order steak sandwiches five times more often than the rest of the U.S.
18. Atlanta
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 91%
- Most popular orders: Chicken teriyaki, $9.47; vegetable egg roll, $3.05; bacon cheeseburger, $7.34
Asian food is the most popular choice for late-night diners in Atlanta, who opt for chicken teriyaki and vegetable egg rolls for their go-to fourth meal. The Southern city also has a large student population — thanks to Georgia Institute of Technology (over 25,000 students), Georgia State University (32,000 students) and Emory University (15,000 students) — who are likely responsible for the high volume of after-dinner orders.
17. Baltimore
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 93%
- Most popular orders: Sweet potato pie, $2.48; apple pie, $2.77; strawberry cheesecake, $3.34
Life is sweet for after-hour diners in Baltimore, who opt for pies and cheesecake for their late-night online orders. The city was the only one of the 20 top late-night takeout cities to have a dessert as all three of its most popular orders.
16. New Haven, Conn.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 98%
- Most popular orders: Buffalo chicken fingers, $7.39; grilled chicken Caesar salad, $8.92; cheesy garlic bread, $4.62
The site of Yale, Gateway Community College and Southern Connecticut State University has a lot of late-night chicken eaters, with the two most popular orders in the Northeastern city containing poultry. New Haven is only one of two cities on the list to have a salad as one of its most popular late-night orders.
15. Boston
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 110%
- Most popular orders: Roasted pork fried rice, $9.74; chicken dumplings, $5.21; crab Rangoon, $6.29
Chinese food seems to be the go-to choice for late-night takeout in Boston, with all three of its most popular orders found at many American Chinese restaurants. The city is not surprisingly home to a large student population — it's the location of 35 colleges, universities and community colleges attended by 152,000 higher education students.
14. Madison, Wis.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 115%
- Most popular orders: Chips and salsa, $2.87; cheese bread, $5.90; tater tots, $2.65
Citizens of Wisconsin's capital place late-night orders for chips and salsa seven times more often than other cities in the country. Residents of the home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which has over 43,000 students, also love cheese bread — which makes sense given that Wisconsin is known as America's "dairyland" and is the No. 1 cheese-producing state in the country.
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13. Medford, Mass.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 119%
- Most popular orders: Buffalo chicken calzone, $14.44; buffalo chicken pizza, $17.95; pepperoni pizza, $11.87
Located less than 6 miles away from Boston, No. 13 on the list, Medford ranks highly for late-night ordering, especially when it comes to buffalo chicken dishes. It's likely that many of those after-hours orders are placed from Tufts University's campus, which has over 11,000 students.
12. Miami
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 121%
- Most popular orders: Margherita pizza, $11.58; pepperoni pizza, $8.76; chicken Caesar salad, $8.81
Miami is known for its nightlife, with many of its bars and clubs remaining open 24/7. With a party scene that extends around the clock, it's no wonder that people there are ordering food around the clock as well. When that post-party hunger hits, Miami dwellers opt for a takeout classic: pizza. Perhaps they're ordering from one of the best pizza restaurants.
11. Nashville, Tenn.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 122%
- Most popular orders: Fried mushrooms, $5.40; chili cheese fries, $5.48; cannoli, $4.02
Nashville is home to 15 colleges and universities, including Vanderbilt and its 12,000-plus students who might get the munchies while studying late into the night. Music City is one of only two locales on the list that has a dessert as one of its most popular late-night orders.
10. Albany, N.Y.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 125%
- Most popular orders: Chicken bacon ranch pizza, $16.95; buffalo chicken calzone, $10.18; garlic knots, $2.75
People living in this upstate New York capital city have expensive tastes. At $16.95, chicken bacon ranch pizza is the priciest late-night order on the list.
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9. Brighton, Mass.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 139%
- Most popular orders: Spicy tuna roll, $5.67; chicken lo mein, $9.95; chicken dumplings, $5.50
Located in the city of Boston, Brighton is home to many Boston University and Boston College students. The residential neighborhood has a number of restaurants, bakeries and bars serving all types of food. But when it comes to late-night takeout, sushi is the most popular choice of cuisine.
8. Ithaca, N.Y.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 164%
- Most popular orders: Stuffed cheesy bread, $6.99; fried chicken, $8.25; tater tots, $3.33
As of 2016, college students made up 32 percent of Ithaca's total population. The site of Cornell University is home to over 33,000 higher education students who can't seem to get enough stuffed cheesy bread — Ithaca residents order the dish four times more late night than the rest of the country.
7. Champaign, Ill.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 175%
- Most popular orders: Pork egg roll, $1.15; cheese quesadilla, $4.99; fried mushrooms, $3.79
Like Ithaca, college students make up a large percentage of Champaign's population. As of 2016, the city was home to over 51,000 students who accounted for nearly 22 percent of the total population. Most of the students attend the University of Illinois, which has over 44,000 students. The city has the least expensive most popular order on the list.
6. Providence, R.I.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 177%
- Most popular orders: Tater tots, $5; sweet potato fries, $5.49; curly fries, $5.66
The people of Providence apparently love fried potatoes to satisfy late-night cravings, as all three of its most popular orders are a form of the deep-fried tuber.
The Rhode Island city has an above-average affinity for tater tots — its citizens order over eight times more tater tots after-hours than the rest of the country. Providence is home to five colleges and universities with a total enrollment of nearly 35,000 students who may be responsible for eating the majority of the late-night nibbles.
5. Syracuse, N.Y.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 191%
- Most popular orders: Stuffed cheesy bread, $6.99; pepperoni calzone, $7.25; boneless wings, $8.04
Syracuse is the site of eight colleges and universities. This includes Syracuse University and its 20,000 students who seem to love warm bread and cheese late at night. It's one of four cities on the list to have a cheesy bread as one of its most popular late-night orders.
4. Allston, Mass.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 195%
- Most popular orders: Buffalo chicken pizza, $12.14; scallion pancakes, $6.14; cheese calzone, $8.90
This Boston neighborhood has a large college student population thanks to its proximity to Boston University, Boston College and Northeastern University. With so many college students living in one place, it's no surprise Allston ranks No. 4 for late-night takeout orders.
3. Columbus, Ohio
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 202%
- Most popular orders: Stromboli, $7.92; chicken alfredo, $9.97; waffle fries, $3.26
Columbus is home to nearly 60,000 Ohio State University students — who likely account for thousands of late-night orders. When hunger strikes, Columbus dwellers tend to opt for hearty Italian foods such as Stromboli and chicken alfredo. The city's penchant for Italian food dates back a century to the founding of the historic Italian Village just north of its downtown.
2. New Brunswick, N.J.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 280%
- Most popular orders: Boneless buffalo wings, $10.62; chicken Caesar wrap, $6.54; falafel sandwich, $3.96
New Brunswick residents order nearly five times more late-night boneless buffalo wings than the rest of the country — and it seems likely that many of those orders are thanks to Rutgers University, whose students account for nearly 69,000 members of the city's population. New Brunswick is one of five cities on the list to have a buffalo chicken dish among its most popular late-night orders.
1. East Lansing, Mich.
- % more late-night orders than the rest of the country: 392%
- Most popular orders: Mac and cheese, $6.73; tater tots, $3.39; loaded fries, $9.12
East Lansing, home to Michigan State University and its over 50,000 students, orders the most late-night takeout in the country. The city orders five times more late night mac and cheese than the rest of the country and nearly four times more tater tots. It's one of four cities on the list that ranks tater tots among its most popular orders.
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Methodology: Grubhub looked at orders placed nationwide and during late night hours since 2016. The rankings were determined by comparing each city’s orders to the rest of the Grubhub population.
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