This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.
Employer coffee and snack-bar establishments per 100,000 residents, from Census industry NAICS 722515. It includes coffee shops, but also nonalcoholic beverage, ice-cream, bagel, doughnut, and specialty-snack establishments, so it is not a coffee-only or independent-shop count. It excludes businesses without paid employees and does not measure quality, seating, prices, hours, or proximity. State figures sum county establishments and divide by state population.
How to read this ranking
Alaska has the highest published coffee & snack shops in this comparison, at 45.7 / 100k residents. The next states shown are Rhode Island (44.2 / 100k residents) and Maine (40.2 / 100k residents).
The table orders 51 states by coffee & snack shops per 100,000 residents. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.
Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Employer coffee and snack-bar establishments per 100,000 residents, from Census industry NAICS 722515. It includes coffee shops, but also nonalcoholic beverage, ice-cream, bagel, doughnut, and specialty-snack establishments, so it is not a coffee-only or independent-shop count. It excludes businesses without paid employees and does not measure quality, seating, prices, hours, or proximity. State figures sum county establishments and divide by state population.