It’s one of the most delicious debates in America: who has the best pizza: New York or Chicago? According to a new CivicScience poll of over 50K, 51% of U.S. adults say New York City takes the crown, while 38% give the edge to Chicago. All other cities studied fall below 5% of the vote, making this a two-city showdown for pizza supremacy.
When honing in on those who chose NYC or Chicago only, Americans of all ages lean toward New York style, but adults 45 and older over-index for Chicago-style pizza. City and suburban residents overwhelmingly prefer New York-style, while more than half of rural dwellers favor Chicago deep-dish. Geography plays a clear role: 65% of Midwesterners side with Chicago, while 77% of Northeasterners stand behind New York.
But demographics aren’t the only thing dividing America’s pizza loyalties:
- Pop Culture: NYC pizza fans are twice as likely as Chicago fans to engage with celebrity gossip or news on social media. They’re also roughly twice as likely to say they follow fashion trends ‘very’ closely.
- Lifestyle: Chicago pizza fans are more likely to report spending over an hour in their car every day.
- Sports: NYC pizza fans are 9 percentage points more likely to follow Major League Soccer at least somewhat closely and 6 points more likely to play fantasy sports.
- Mindfulness: NYC fans are more likely to use mindfulness apps, though Chicago fans are slightly more likely to say they plan to start using one.
- Brand Affinities: NYC fans show stronger favorability toward Whole Foods, while Chicago fans over-index in shopping at REI.
Whether it’s a thin, foldable slice or a deep, cheesy pie, the nation’s pizza preferences reveal more than just taste—they reflect lifestyle, habits, and even brand loyalty. One thing’s for sure: when it comes to pizza pride, Americans are deeply divided—but happily well-fed.
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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.