Americans have strong feelings about their morning coffee, and CivicScience data reveal just how different coffee drinkers can be. According to ongoing insights from more than 28K U.S. adults 18+, 25% of coffee drinkers prefer their coffee plain — black, with no cream or sugar — and 75% mix in cream and/or sugar.
Those who drink plain coffee tend to be older, with adults aged 65 and above being the most likely to drink their coffee without adding any flavorings. They also tend to be men, live in rural areas, and report higher incomes. Those who add cream and/or sugar to their coffee are most likely to be younger and from lower-income households. But what you add to your cup may say more about you than you think.
Here’s what sets them apart:
Leaving the House: Black coffee drinkers are significantly more eager to get out and about — nearly 40% say their desire to leave the house has increased in the past month, compared to just 15% of those who prefer cream and/or sugar.
Parenting & Screen Time: Among parents, screen-time rules look very different depending on what’s in their mug.
Those who drink plain coffee are over twice as likely to only allow their kids to use screens on weekends (27% vs. 11%).
Mindfulness Apps: Mindfulness trends flip in favor of cream-and-sugar drinkers — 39% say they use or plan to use mindfulness apps, compared with 29% of black coffee drinkers.
Switching Banks: Black coffee drinkers are nine points less likely to say they plan to switch banks in the next three months.
Wake-Up Times: Early birds overwhelmingly favor their coffee plain. Black coffee drinkers are twice as likely to wake up between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., while cream-and-sugar drinkers dominate the group getting up after 6 a.m.
Grocery Preferences: Black coffee drinkers are 8 points more likely to shop at a local or regional grocery store; cream-and-sugar drinkers lead at discount and wholesale chains like Walmart and Sam’s Club.
Coffee preferences may seem like a simple matter of taste, but CivicScience data shows they reflect deeper lifestyle patterns. From how early Americans wake up to how often they leave the house, manage their households, or even choose their grocery stores, black-coffee drinkers and cream-and-sugar fans diverge in meaningful ways.
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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.