The State That Eats The Most Pizza (Hint: It's Landlocked!)

As you travel around the United States, you'll find a wide variety of cuisine, ranging from old-school New England comfort food and Southern barbecue to Tex-Mex and fresh West Coast flavors, but no matter where you go, there's one type of food you can find just about anywhere: pizza. The state that consumes the most pie may surprise you. It's not one of the Northeastern states often associated with the dish. It's Iowa, which, by the numbers, is the country's top pizza-eating state.

That conclusion comes from a December 2024 survey of 5,000 Americans by Talker Research that determined Iowans eat pizza five times per month, the most in the nation. The Hawkeye State barely edged out North Dakota (4.9 times per month) and Alaska (4.7 times monthly). Iowa is also neck-and-neck for the top spot when it comes to the number of monthly family "pizza nights," 3.3 times to 3.5 in Louisiana and 3.4 in Connecticut. The survey also determined Iowans' favorite pizzas are meat lover's, which includes pepperoni, sausage, ham, and bacon, and supreme, topped with pepperoni, sausage, green and red peppers, black olives, onions, and more. 

Although few outside the region may know it, Iowa also shares its own unique pizza variety with neighboring Illinois. Known as "Quad City-style," it's distinguished by a sweeter, molasses-rich crust and large quantities of ground sausage and mozzarella as toppings. This Midwestern pie is typically served in strips rather than traditional slices. Despite the departure from how many Americans enjoy their pies, it's still far tamer than the unusual ways people eat pizza around the world. (For example, Russians prefer their pizza cold, while canned tuna is a favorite topping in Germany.)

Regardless of how you prefer your pizza, if you're like many Americans, you're fairly consistent in your orders. The same Talker Research survey found that the typical respondent had been ordering pizza the same way without changing their preferred toppings for over two years. Unfortunately, this means missing out on so many of the most unique pizza recipes you need to try.