Aug 21, 2023 - Food and Drink

D.C. dines later than New York

Last year, the New York Times declared 6pm the new 8pm for New Yorkers, with Big Apple diners eating dinner earlier in the evening.

This is interesting, because D.C.'s dining scene may be more nocturnal than the city that never sleeps: D.C. residents eat dinner later than any state, clocking in at 7:10pm, according to household data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

🍝 Zoom out: Dinner time nationally peaks at 6:19pm, according to the data.

But it varies widely: Pennsylvanians gather at 5:37pm. New York State takes a seat at 6:35pm.
Texas and Mississippi are more like D.C., both at 7:02pm.

Of note: The usual caveat applies when national surveys compare urban D.C. to states.

"The District of Columbia, which covers a smaller geography and probably less variation in work schedules and commute, has a narrower range than most of the states," notes Nathan Yau, who compiled the stats on his blog, FlowingData.

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