Photos courtesy of TOP Data and Shutterstock

Fried chicken is one of the go-to items when pulling up to fast food spots. Many of today's more popular chains, including Popeyes, Raising Cane's, and Chick-fil-A, have built their empires upon its crispy goodness.

When it comes to which is the best, we've already got a ranking. In terms of what the country thinks, however, there is some new data that shows which chains are the most popular by state.

This data set comes courtesy of agency TOP Data, which looked at GPS tracking and spending data at the seven largest fried chicken chains across the country. Data does include from what consumers purchased during the ongoing pandemic, which also indicates that fried chicken had the lowest drop of any category in an industry that's taken a massive hit.

TOP Data did not look at data from Alaska or Hawaii, though, but across the contiguous states, KFC reigned supreme, being the most popular in 14 different states. Raising Cane's and Church's Chicken followed at 9 states apiece, Zaxby's took home 7 states, and Popeye's was the favorite in 6. Regional favorite Bojangles also netted three states in the counting.

While Chick-fil-A's data was evaluated, and it does show up in the top five for many states, it was not the most popular chain in any single state. Chick-fil-A actually never finished higher than third overall in a single state, signifying a possible shift away from the chain in recent months.

You can view the full rankings for each state in the data set below, as well as additional info in TOP Data's full report.

Your Inbox is Hungry

Advertisement

404 - Food Not Found

Food News

Taco Bell Gives In: Potatoes And Beyond Meat Are On The Way

Constantine Spyrou

16 hours ago

Advertisement

Food News

Hidden Valley Ranch Now Has A Dairy Free Option

Constantine Spyrou

16 hours ago

Food News

Today I Learned Pizza Cupcakes Exist And They Look DELIGHTFUL

Peter Pham

Jan 13, 2021

Food News

The Most Popular Fast Food Fried Chicken In Each State [INFOGRAPHIC]

Constantine Spyrou

Jan 12, 2021

Food News

Fatburger Launches Vegetarian Chicken Wings

Peter Pham

Jan 13, 2021

Food News

Viennetta Ice Cream Cake Returns After Nearly 30 Years

Reach Guinto

Jan 12, 2021

Food News

Krispy Kreme Just Turned Our Favorite Desserts Into Mini Doughnuts

Constantine Spyrou

Jan 11, 2021

Food News

Ben & Jerry's Just Made Ice Cream Treats For Dogs

Constantine Spyrou

Jan 11, 2021

Food News

Cheetos' New 'Crunch Pop Mix' Is A Cheesy Flip On Two Iconic Snacks

Peter Pham

Jan 11, 2021

Food News

KFC's Massive Chicken Sandwich Gets An Official Nationwide Release

Peter Pham

Jan 7, 2021

Advertisement