As America gears up for the Big Game this Sunday, chicken wings are often popular game-time fare. Of course, wings are popular year-round, as just 19% of U.S. adults say they never eat chicken wings. All this wing eating begs the question: bone-in or boneless? In the same survey, 40% of respondents say they prefer bone-in wings, 7 percentage points higher than boneless wing lovers (33%). Meanwhile, 8% have no opinion either way. 

Demographically, Gen Xers (45-64) are most likely to prefer bone-in wings, while Gen Zers (18-29) are most likely to prefer boneless wings. While men and women are nearly equally as likely to say they eat wings, nearly one-third of men (32%) lean toward boneless wings, six points higher than women. Conversely, 41% of women enjoy bone-in wings, four points higher than men. 

Beyond the topline and demographics, additional survey data offers a glimpse of how those who say they prefer bone-in wings compare with those who lean towards boneless wings: 

Wing Dipping Sauce: Roughly one-third of both boneless and bone-in fans say ranch is the ideal wing dipping sauce, the leader among both groups. That said, boneless wing fans are 12 points more likely to say barbecue sauce is the king of wing dipping (25% to 13%). Bone-in fans outpace in saying blue cheese is the go-to for wing dipping

Spicy Food Fandom: Those who prefer bone-in wings are five points more likely to say they enjoy spicy foods than boneless wing lovers (69% to 64%).

TV Viewership Habits: Thirty-five percent of boneless wing lovers say they typically watch 4+ hours of TV per day, outpacing bone-in wing fans by 10 points. Bone-in lovers are most likely to say they watch between 1-4 hours per day (47%).

Listening to Music While Working: Seventy-nine percent of boneless wing fans say they listen to music while working at least occasionally, nine points higher than bone-in fans (excluding does not apply).

Feelings About Flying: Bone-in wing fans are more than twice as likely to say they ‘love’ flying (33% to 15%, respectively). Meanwhile, those who prefer boneless wings are three times as likely to say they ‘hate’ flying (33% to 11%). 

The data paints a picture of distinct culinary personalities, where wing preferences align with broader patterns in flavor profiles, media consumption, and lifestyle habits. By comparing those who prefer bone-in wings with those who favor boneless, we see how differing approaches—from adventurous spice tolerance to comfort-seeking entertainment choices—influence both our game-day rituals and everyday dining decisions in 2026.

Boneless or bone-in wings? Take this poll now and see how you compare with others who do the same:

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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.