Where restaurant chains dominate

Aug 26, 2022

Researchers Xiaofan Liang and Clio Andris estimated the percentage of restaurants that are chains and independent to identify “McCities”:

These high chainness McCities are prevalent in the Midwestern and the Southeastern United States. Independent restaurants were associated with dense pedestrian-friendly environments, highly educated populations, wealthy populations, racially diverse neighborhoods, and tourist areas. Low chainness was also associated with East and West Coast cities.

Check out the interactive map here.

My only criticism is that they used a rainbow color scale instead of using a single hue or a diverging color scale that breaks at half.

Become a member. Support an independent site. Get extra visualization goodness.

See What You Get

Favorites

Who is Older and Younger than You

Here’s a chart to show you how long you have until you start to feel your age.

Counting Happiness and Where it Comes From

Researchers asked 10,000 participants to list ten things that recently made them happy. I counted and connected the dots.

How People Like You Spend Their Time

Looking at American time use for various combinations of sex, age, and employment status, on weekdays and weekends.

A Day in the Life: Work and Home

I simulated a day for employed Americans to see when and where they work.