McDonald’s and Subway Market Presence Analysis Across the USA Using Location Data

Introduction

McDonald’s and Subway are both leading fast food chains in the USA. These fast food brands offer a wide variety of menu items. McDonald’s has been a first-mover fast food chain that innovates to stay ahead of market trends. Subway is also not far behind; in fact, it has more restaurants in the USA, actually. Both are iconic food chains. Subway has roughly 20,156 locations nationwide in 2026, compared to McDonald’s 13,865. In this blog, we will explore McDonald’s location data and Subway location data in further depth.

McDonald’s Locations vs Subway Locations Across the USA

According to recent statistics, McDonald’s operates more than 13,865 restaurant locations in the United States. Subway, on the other hand, has the most locations, with 20,156 locations across 51 territories and states.

Subway has a larger U.S. restaurant footprint than McDonald’s by total unit count at the national level. But McDonald’s has a more standardized and strategically optimized network around the country. The organization’s restaurant market data showed that McDonald’s had 13,865 restaurants in the United States. That’s a sign of a very mature QSR network supported by strong franchising, drive-thru access, digital ordering, and consistent brand visibility.

Subway continues to lead in total U.S. stores, though its domestic presence is diminishing. Subway lost 729 net units in the year 2025 and had 18,773 U.S. units as of its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, Restaurant Dive reported. QSR market analysis in the USA shows that Subway’s U.S. store count declined for the 10th straight year, a sign that the brand maintains its footprint “right-sizing” strategy.

States and Territories With The Most McDonald’s Restaurants

• Texas: This state has the highest number of McDonald’s stores, 1,267 in 2026.

• California: California has a total of 1,232 stores across the USA.

• Florida: Florida is the 22nd largest state. It has only 902 McDonald’s restaurants compared to Texas and California.

State / Territory	Number of restaurants	Population	Population per restaurant
Texas	1,267	29.00M	22.89K
California	1,232	39.51M	32.07K
Florida	902	21.48M	23.81K
Illinois	640	12.67M	19.80K
Ohio	617	11.69M	18.95K
New York	574	19.45M	33.89K
Michigan	522	9.99M	19.13K
North Carolina	482	10.49M	21.76K
Pennsylvania	475	12.80M	26.95K
Georgia	451	10.62M	23.54K

Texas and California are at the top of the list as McDonald’s capitals, with about 9% of the national total in each. Florida is third, due to its large population and the demand for tourism. Illinois and Ohio have strong showings despite smaller populations, suggesting a higher density of outlets per capita. New York does not have as many outlets per population or as much population per restaurant as other states. 

States and Territories With The Most Subway Stores

This section describes the states and territories covered by Subway restaurants, primarily Texas, Florida, and California.

Texas: Texas is the second-largest US state; it has a total of 1,802 stores. 

Florida: This state is small in terms of population; Subway mostly covers 1,147 stores.

California: California has more population than Texas and Florida and has the highest number of Subway stores in the country, with 1,802 locations.

State / Territory	Number of stores	Population	Population per store
California	1,950	39.51M	20.26K
Texas	1,802	29.00M	16.09K
Florida	1,147	21.48M	18.73K
Ohio	925	11.69M	12.64K
Illinois	890	12.67M	14.24K
New York	743	19.45M	26.18K
Michigan	731	9.99M	13.66K
Georgia	689	10.62M	15.41K
North Carolina	653	10.49M	16.06K
Pennsylvania	609	12.80M	21.02K

California, with its large population and high demand for quick-service restaurants, is the top state with nearly 2,000 Subway outlets. Texas ranks No. 2, but has fewer people per store, a higher density of outlets per resident. Ohio has a smaller population, but still has 925 Subway locations, showing the strength of Subway in the Midwest. In New York, there’s about one Subway for every 26,000 people fewer stores per capita than denser states such as Ohio and Michigan. Subway does not have stores in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands.

McDonald’s vs Subway State-Level Market Comparison & Location Analysis

In many of America’s largest states, Subway has a larger physical footprint than McDonald’s.

The top states for both brands are California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, New York, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. It means both McDonald’s and Subway have strong demand for fast food restaurants.

In most of these big states, like California, Subway has more total stores than McDonald’s.

Both brands are important in California and Texas because of their large populations, urban centers, and high consumer traffic. We can also consider Florida for the top 3 position in our report because it has a large population and an increased demand for QSRs.

Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan have deep local market penetration and show strong Subway density. McDonald’s locations in the USA are fewer than Subway’s but have a more standardized and strategically located network. McDonald’s often has an edge over competitors with better access to drive-thrus, brand visibility, digital ordering and high-traffic real estate.

Get custom fast food location data at scale with LocationsCloud.

Cities With The Most McDonald’s Stores

In the table, we have covered the top 10 cities of the USA, but we will understand the statistics of the number of store locations of McDonald’s,

City	State / Territory	Number of Locations
Houston	Texas	129
Chicago	Illinois	101
San Antonio	Texas	85
Las Vegas	Nevada	74
Los Angeles	California	66
Dallas	Texas	62
Phoenix	Arizona	61
Orlando	Florida	56
Miami	Florida	52
Indianapolis	Indiana	50

Houston, Texas has the most McDonald’s restaurants, with 129 locations. This shows good coverage of McDonald’s in one of the largest and fastest-growing metro markets in the U.S. Second is Chicago, Illinois, with 101 McDonald’s restaurants. The strong count is a function of high urban density, commuter traffic and long-standing quick-service restaurant demand.

Another Texas major market with high brand penetration is San Antonio, Texas, with 85 McDonald’s restaurants. Las Vegas, Nevada, has 74 McDonald’s restaurants. The city’s strong fast food presence is likely predicated on tourism, entertainment traffic, and high visitor movement. Other cities mentioned in the table (Los Angeles, Dallas, Phoenix, Orlando,

Miami and Indianapolis have fewer McDonald’s Stores, but generate more profit per square foot.

Visit our site to buy McDonald’s location data.

Cities With The Most Subway Stores

City-level store analysis shows the importance of Subway restaurants.

City	State / Territory	Number of Locations
Houston	Texas	200
Chicago	Illinois	182
San Antonio	Texas	113
Los Angeles	California	102
Las Vegas	Nevada	90
Miami	Florida	88
Indianapolis	Indiana	70
Baltimore	Maryland	65
Phoenix	Arizona	65
New York	New York	64

Again, in the case of Subway also wins with a total of 200 locations.  Houston, Texas, has the most Subway locations in the USA, with 200 stores. Chicago, Illinois, is second with 182 Subway locations, demonstrating a strong Subway presence in a major urban market. Subway has 113 stores in San Antonio, Texas, one of its strongest state-level markets in the U.S. Other cities in the US have two-digit-number locations. For better clarity, you must hire a restaurant location data provider to collect high-quality data.

How Can LocationsCloud Help Businesses Collect McDonald’s and Subway Locations Data?

LocationsCloud is one of the best companies specializing in providing a large-scale McDonald’s and Subway location dataset for the USA.

• QSR location dataset provider like LocationsCloud gives you access to the Locations API for integrating real-time data.
• Offers a flexible and modern approach to accessing location-specific data.
• Delivers precise and reliable records with extracted coordinates.
• Provides accurate data in JSON, CSV, XML, or in your desired file formats.
• Helps you conduct in-depth foot traffic analysis.
• We are the most trusted solution for buying Subway location data.
• Enables businesses to gain complete insights into competitor activity.
• Helps you conduct market analysis at a bigger scale by collecting QSR location data in the USA.
• Collect a clean and structured McDonald’s store location dataset.

Conclusion

This McDonald’s vs Subway location analysis is written to help businesses analyze the number of McDonald’s and Subway restaurant locations. This information uncovers hidden trends and patterns that help you stay ahead of the competition. You can use this report to make faster, data-driven decisions for your business. Collect your high-quality McDonald’s and Subway market data now. Visit LocationsCloud to learn more about it.

FAQ

What is location intelligence data and how is it used to analyze restaurant market presence?

Location Intelligence is a process of gaining accurate insights from geospatial data. It includes detailed information about every place, including the type of place and opening and closing hours. Fast food location data is useful for restaurants to expand their business.

How many McDonald’s and Subway locations are included in this analysis?

McDonald’s has a total of 13,865 restaurant locations in the United States. Subway, on the other side has the most locations, with 20,156.

What data sources were used to compare McDonald’s and Subway store counts across the USA?

We have used official websites and reliable digital sources to compare McDonald’s and Subway store counts across the USA. This will help you understand fast food chain locations in the USA.

How often do fast food POI data providers update location data for fast food chains like Subway?

Subway POI dataset provider scrapes location data for fast food chains, updating it either in real-time or based on your requirements.

Which state has the most McDonald’s locations?

Texas has the most McDonald’s locations; it has 1,267. You can hire a McDonald’s POI dataset provider for competitor benchmarking.

Which state has the most Subway locations?

California has the most Subway locations; this is 1,950.