Why Bigger Cities Drink More Coffee

Right now it's about 6:30 A.M. and I am sitting out on my porch enjoying a nice home brewed cup of coffee. I typically have this one cup in the morning and some days I will drink another small cup around lunchtime. I have seen some people however who seem to drink upwards of four cups a day and I wondered if this was at all unusual. It turns out that the answer is that it depends.

The average coffee consumption across the United States is about three small cups per day, but people who live in large cities tend to far outdrink those in smaller cities or rural areas. For example, coffee drinkers in New York and Chicago both drink an average of 3 times the national average! That is nine eight ounce cups of coffee per day! I found this fascinating in of itself but I began to wonder why.

I thought about the main reason that people drink coffee and it seems in general that besides enjoying the taste, most people drink coffee for the energy boost that comes with ingesting caffeine. A cup of coffee can do two things, wake up a person who has low energy due to sleep deprivation and energize a person who receives a normal amount of sleep. This makes sense in terms of larger cities. Check out my post about cities that get too big.

People who live in larger cities report higher levels of stress and are more likely to be required to work long hours at a job. Working 50, 60 or more hours a week can be exhausting and drain energy; people really should not work more than 40. The solution: grab a cup of coffee. Additionally, those who work long hours are less likely to have the time to sleep enough each night, which can lead to feeling groggy and again needing more coffee. In this regard it makes sense that cities like New York and Chicago drink so much coffee.

Another thing about big cities that encourages coffee consumption is simply related to stress levels. There is so much hustle and bustle in large cities that people must always be alert and aware of their surroundings. Not to mention the fact that it can be stressful to get around due to road and pedestrian traffic. Letting your guard down in a big city is more likely to bring a negative result. Once again coffee serves as a great way to keep vigilant.

Overall it seems that Americans love coffee regardless of location, those who live in more crowded areas simply indulge more. One of the main things to watch out for about coffee is the price! Drinking three or four cups of Starbucks coffee per day can easily amount to a $10 habit.