The Average American Spends 10% of Their Income on Fast Food

Every day, 44.9% of Americans between the ages of 20 and 39 eat fast food. Only 24.1% of those aged 60 and beyond indulge in fast food, compared to 37.7% of those in the 40–59 age group. Because they are still working and earning money, do persons under 60 eat out more frequently? Maybe. People over 60 are typically leaving the workforce and have more time to prepare meals for themselves at home. In addition to being pricey, fast food, retirement can put people on fixed incomes. They might decide to cook at home in order to eat healthier and spend less money.

Although the majority of us are aware that fast food isn't healthy, the truth is that a lot of it tastes extremely nice. The sheer magnitude of the figures attests to this truth. On any given day, more than 36% of American adults will eat fast food. The average American spends 10% of their annual income, expressed in dollars, on fast food.

And while many people are quick to write this off as something that only those with lower incomes do, the opposite is actually true. On any given day, 42% of people with higher incomes consume fast food, compared to 31.7% of people with lower incomes.