Gas Station Demand Per Capita: State-by-State Fuel Ratios, C-Store Revenue Trends, QSR Impact & Development Concentrations

Executive Summary

Gas station demand is not evenly distributed across the United States. Some states show high gasoline use per resident because of long driving distances, interstate travel, rural geography, tourism, trucking, cross-border fuel purchases, or limited public transit alternatives. Other states show lower per-capita gasoline use but very high gallons per station because of land constraints, dense population, limited station supply, and high-throughput urban corridors.

Two metrics matter most:

• Gallons sold per capita estimates how much transportation gasoline demand exists relative to resident population.
• Gallons per station per day estimates how much demand each reported gas station must absorb.

The highest gallons-per-capita states are generally rural, auto-dependent, or highway-heavy markets: Alabama, Wyoming, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Kentucky, Montana, Tennessee, Louisiana, Iowa, and Texas.

The highest gallons-per-station-per-day states are more often constrained or high-throughput markets: Delaware, Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Utah, New Jersey, Florida, California, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Connecticut, and Texas.

For c-store operators, the major takeaway is this: fuel demand gets customers onto the lot, but foodservice and QSR partnerships can materially change inside-store economics. NACS reported that U.S. convenience-store in-store merchandise and foodservice sales reached $341.2 billion in 2025, marking the 23rd straight year of inside-sales growth. Foodservice represented 28.5% of in-store sales and 38.9% of in-store gross profit dollars — showing why QSRs, prepared food, coffee, and proprietary foodservice matter to the modern convenience-store pro forma.

Methodology

This analysis uses public data:

• 2024 transportation motor gasoline consumption from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s State Energy Data System. EIA reports motor gasoline consumption in thousand barrels and notes that motor gasoline estimates include fuel ethanol blended into motor gasoline.
• 2024 state resident population estimates from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) release table, based on Census Bureau annual population estimates.
• 2023 gas station counts from public state-level establishment data, including gas stations with convenience stores and other gas stations. The source notes the data include only gas stations with employees, meaning some owner-operated locations may be excluded.

Calculations. Gallons per capita = 2024 transportation gasoline consumption × 42 gallons per barrel ÷ 2024 state population. Gallons per station per day = 2024 transportation gasoline consumption × 42 gallons per barrel ÷ 365 days ÷ reported gas station count. The U.S. benchmark is approximately 387 gallons per capita based on EIA’s 2024 U.S. transportation motor gasoline estimate and an approximate 343 million U.S. population reference used by NACS in its 2026 store-count release.

Why Gasoline Demand Per Capita Matters

Gasoline demand per capita is useful because it helps identify states where driving intensity is structurally high. High per-capita gasoline demand often points to longer commute distances, rural or suburban settlement patterns, interstate and tourism traffic, limited transit alternatives, heavy light-truck and pickup use, cross-border purchasing behavior, and commercial or small-business driving.

However, high per-capita fuel demand does not automatically mean a state needs more gas stations. Some high per-capita states already have many stations, which can dilute gallons per site. That is why gallons per station per day is equally important. Alabama, for example, shows the highest gallons per capita in this model, but estimated gallons per station per day are moderate because the state also has many stations. By contrast, Delaware has lower per-capita demand than Alabama, but its estimated gallons per station per day are much higher because the reported station base is much smaller.

Why Gallons Per Station Per Day Matters

Gallons per station per day is a better statewide pressure indicator for gas station development. It estimates how much gasoline demand each reported station is absorbing. High gallons per station per day can indicate strong throughput potential, limited station supply, high-density travel corridors, land-use constraints, high commuter traffic, tourism and interstate fuel demand, and redevelopment opportunity for obsolete stations.

The strongest states by this measure include Delaware, Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Utah, New Jersey, Florida, California, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Connecticut, and Texas. These are not all easy development markets — several are high-barrier markets where entitlement, land cost, environmental requirements, fuel-formulation rules, labor cost, and community opposition can be significant. But they are markets where modern, high-throughput locations may perform well if the site fundamentals are strong.

Do QSRs Increase In-Store Revenue for C-Stores?

Generally, yes — when the QSR or foodservice concept fits the site, customer mission, trade area, and operating model. The modern c-store is increasingly a foodservice business attached to a fuel business. NACS reported that in 2025, convenience-store foodservice and merchandise sales reached $341.2 billion, with foodservice accounting for 28.5% of in-store sales and 38.9% of in-store gross profit dollars.

A QSR, proprietary kitchen, coffee program, or branded food partner can increase in-store revenue by increasing dwell time, converting fuel-only customers into store customers, building breakfast, lunch, and dinner trips, improving gross margin mix, attracting non-fuel customers, creating repeat loyalty behavior, differentiating the station from commodity fuel competitors, and supporting larger-format travel-center economics.

But QSRs are not automatically positive. They require labor, equipment, food-safety systems, brand compliance, utilities, seating or queuing space, waste handling, and consistent execution. The right question is not simply, “Should this c-store have a QSR?” The better question is: which foodservice format best fits the traffic, trade area, store size, labor pool, customer mission, and margin structure?

State-by-State Gas Station Demand Ratios and Concentration Areas

Public estimates may be outdated. Directional only. The U.S. benchmark is approximately 387 gallons per capita (index = 100).

Key Analytics From the 50-State Data

1. High per-capita fuel states are not always the best new-build states

The top states for gallons per capita include Alabama, Wyoming, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Kentucky, Montana, and Tennessee. These states generally reflect driving intensity, rurality, freight movement, and limited transit alternatives. But several have relatively modest gallons per station per day because there are already many stations relative to population and demand.

Development implication: These markets may be better for selective projects — interstate travel centers, diesel-heavy sites, rural multi-service hubs, or replacement of obsolete stores — rather than broad-based new station development.

2. High gallons-per-station states show stronger capacity pressure

The strongest gallons-per-station signals are Delaware, Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Utah, New Jersey, Florida, California, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Connecticut, and Texas. These states may have better opportunity for high-throughput c-store/fuel concepts, especially where existing stations are old, small, difficult to access, or lacking modern foodservice.

Development implication: These are the states where a modern 12- to 24-position fuel facility, strong c-store, QSR, car wash, and diesel offer may have the most upside — if the parcel, zoning, access, and competitive position work.

3. The Sun Belt remains one of the strongest regions for fuel and foodservice development

The data points to strong opportunity in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and parts of Virginia. These markets benefit from a mix of population growth, suburban expansion, freight traffic, tourism, highway travel, and large-format development feasibility. Best concentration areas include the Phoenix/Tucson exurbs; Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and South Florida corridors; Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio; Charlotte, Raleigh, and the Triad; Charleston, Greenville-Spartanburg, and I-95 South Carolina; the Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis corridors; and Northern Virginia and I-81 logistics routes.

4. Dense coastal markets are high-throughput but high-barrier

States such as California, New Jersey, Maryland, Oregon, Washington, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York can show strong gallons per station because station counts are constrained by land cost, zoning, environmental compliance, and redevelopment barriers.

Development implication: In these markets, the opportunity is often not greenfield development. It is redevelopment, acquisition, modernization, or rebranding of obsolete stations.

5. Tourism markets punch above their resident population

States such as Florida, Nevada, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah may have gasoline demand that is not fully explained by resident population alone. Tourism, seasonal travel, ski destinations, national parks, beaches, and interstate corridors create transient demand.

Development implication: Site-level studies should use seasonal traffic, hotel demand, visitor counts, and daypart analysis — not just residential population.

QSR and Foodservice Trends for C-Stores

Trend 1: Foodservice is becoming the profit engine

Fuel attracts visits, but foodservice improves the economics of those visits. Because foodservice produces a higher share of gross profit than its share of sales, it is one of the strongest levers for improving store-level returns. NACS reported that foodservice represented 28.5% of in-store sales and 38.9% of in-store gross profit dollars in 2025.

Trend 2: Prepared food is replacing the old “snacks only” c-store model

Prepared food accounted for 68.4% of c-store foodservice sales in 2024, up from 63.8% in 2020, according to NACS Magazine. This supports the rise of pizza programs, fried chicken, tacos and burritos, breakfast sandwiches, coffee bars, made-to-order sandwiches, grab-and-go meals, co-branded QSRs, and proprietary foodservice brands.

Trend 3: C-stores are competing with QSRs — and sometimes becoming QSRs

Convenience stores are increasingly positioned as fast-food competitors. AP reporting has noted that chains such as 7-Eleven, QuikTrip, and Wawa have expanded food menus, sit-down options, and coffee programs as they compete for meal occasions. For gas station developers, this means a c-store without credible foodservice may be underbuilt for the next generation of competition.

Trend 4: QSRs work best where customer missions align

A QSR is most attractive where customers have a reason to stop beyond fuel: morning commuter traffic, lunch workforce traffic, highway and interstate travel, truck and contractor demand, school and family traffic, tourism corridors, limited nearby restaurant supply, and dense residential growth. A QSR may be less effective at a small fuel-only site with limited parking, weak labor availability, short dwell time, or insufficient inside-store square footage.

Best State Categories for Gas Station and C-Store Development

Category 1: High-throughput constrained markets

These states show strong gallons per station and may support redevelopment or high-volume new builds: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, California, Oregon, Washington, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Hawaii. Best strategy: redevelopment, branded conversion, high-throughput forecourts, strong foodservice, EV-ready infrastructure, and premium real-estate discipline.

Category 2: Growth and migration markets

These states combine demand with population growth and development momentum: Arizona, Florida, Texas, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Best strategy: large-format c-store, QSR, car wash, diesel, commuter corridors, suburban arterials, and interstate exits.

Category 3: Rural high-consumption markets

These states show high gallons per capita but may have lower gallons per station: Alabama, Mississippi, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Kentucky, Montana, Louisiana, and Iowa. Best strategy: travel centers, diesel lanes, agricultural/fleet services, rural convenience hubs, and replacement of older operators.

Category 4: Tourism-heavy markets

These states require seasonal analysis: Florida, Nevada, Hawaii, Colorado, Utah, Maine, New Hampshire, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Oregon. Best strategy: seasonal traffic modeling, peak-day capacity, restroom quality, foodservice, RV access, diesel, and premium convenience.

Why Traffic Counts Alone Are Not Enough

Traffic counts are valuable, but they are only one part of a good feasibility study. A high-traffic corridor can still fail if the site has poor access, weak visibility, difficult left turns, inadequate stacking, poor signage, strong competitors, limited parking, or insufficient store size.

A complete gas station and c-store feasibility study should evaluate:

• Average annual daily traffic and directional flow
• Turning movements, ingress and egress, road medians, and curb cuts
• Drive-time population and daytime employment
• Tourism and transient demand
• Competitor locations and dispenser counts
• Fuel pricing patterns, diesel demand, and fleet demand
• QSR and foodservice opportunity and in-store sales potential
• Car wash potential and EV charging suitability
• Environmental risk, zoning, and entitlement risk
• Construction cost and operating expenses
• Debt service coverage and sensitivity and stress testing

Traffic tells you who passes the site. Feasibility tells you who will stop, what they will buy, and whether the project can support the capital stack. That analysis runs on capture-rate assumptions, a 10-year pro forma, and Monte Carlo simulation — not exposure alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which states have the highest gas station demand per capita?

The highest gallons-per-capita states are generally rural, auto-dependent, or highway-heavy markets, including Alabama, Wyoming, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Kentucky, Montana, Tennessee, Louisiana, Iowa, and Texas. These figures are directional statewide indicators, not site-level feasibility conclusions.

What is gallons per station per day, and why does it matter?

Gallons per station per day estimates how much gasoline demand each reported station must absorb. It is a better statewide pressure indicator for development than per-capita demand alone because it reflects station supply. High values can indicate strong throughput potential, limited station supply, dense travel corridors, or redevelopment opportunity. The strongest states include Delaware, Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Utah, New Jersey, Florida, California, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Connecticut, and Texas.

Do QSRs increase in-store revenue for c-stores?

Generally yes, when the QSR or foodservice concept fits the site, customer mission, trade area, and operating model. NACS reported foodservice represented 28.5% of in-store sales and 38.9% of in-store gross profit dollars in 2025. Foodservice can increase dwell time, convert fuel-only customers, build multiple dayparts, and improve gross margin, but it also requires labor, equipment, food-safety systems, and consistent execution.

Are high per-capita fuel states the best markets for new gas stations?

Not always. High gallons-per-capita states reflect driving intensity, but several already have many stations relative to demand, which dilutes gallons per site. Those markets may be better for selective projects such as interstate travel centers, diesel-heavy sites, or replacement of obsolete stores rather than broad new-station development.

Why are traffic counts alone not enough for a gas station feasibility study?

Traffic counts show only exposure. A high-traffic corridor can still fail if the site has poor access, weak visibility, difficult left turns, inadequate stacking, poor signage, strong competitors, limited parking, or insufficient store size. A complete study also evaluates trade-area demand, capture rate, competition, foodservice opportunity, operating costs, debt service coverage, and sensitivity testing.

What should a gas station and c-store feasibility study evaluate?

A complete study should evaluate daily traffic and turning movements, ingress and egress, drive-time population and daytime employment, tourism and transient demand, competitor locations and dispenser counts, diesel and fleet demand, QSR and foodservice opportunity, car wash and EV suitability, environmental and zoning risk, construction cost, operating expenses, debt service coverage, and sensitivity and stress testing.

Conclusion

Statewide fuel ratios show that gas station demand is strongest in two different types of markets. The first group is high-driving-intensity states, where gallons per capita are elevated because residents and travelers drive more — Alabama, Wyoming, Mississippi, Missouri, the Dakotas, South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Montana, Tennessee, and Texas. The second group is high-throughput constrained states, where each reported station appears to absorb more demand — Delaware, Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Utah, New Jersey, Florida, California, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Connecticut, and Texas.

For developers, lenders, franchisees, and c-store operators, the best opportunities are not found by one ratio alone. They are found where fuel demand, population growth, traffic quality, competitive gaps, site access, foodservice potential, and financial feasibility all align. A QSR or strong proprietary foodservice platform can meaningfully improve c-store revenue and gross profit, but only if the concept matches the customer mission and the operating model. The modern winning gas station is no longer just a fuel stop — it is a convenience, foodservice, mobility, and local retail platform.

Next-Step Decision Points

• Use gallons per capita to identify high-driving states.
• Use gallons per station per day to identify high-throughput pressure.
• Use local traffic and trade-area analysis to validate site-level demand.
• Test whether QSR, proprietary foodservice, coffee, car wash, diesel, or EV charging improves the pro forma.
• Require a comprehensive feasibility study before committing to land, franchise terms, construction budgets, or financing.

Donald Safranek, MSc

President, Wert-Berater, Inc. — independent feasibility study consultants since 1998. More than 4,000 feasibility studies completed across all 50 states and internationally, evaluating $40.2 billion in project value for SBA, USDA, EB-5, conventional, and institutional financing decisions. Fiduciary duty runs to the lender and agency in every engagement.

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