Who Takes Home Leftovers? A Look at Gender, Income, and Education Trends

Mar 31, 2025

Paper mini takeout box

Image credit: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

A recent survey conducted by CivicScience reveals intriguing insights into American dining habits, particularly the likelihood of taking home leftovers from restaurant meals. The survey, which included 2,181 participants from the United States, found that 51% of respondents are very likely to take home leftovers, while 12% are not at all likely to do so.

Gender plays a significant role in these dining decisions. Among those very likely to take leftovers, 56% are female, whereas 58% of those not at all likely are male. This gender disparity suggests differing attitudes towards food waste or meal planning between men and women.

Join the Conversation: If you don’t finish your meal when dining at a restaurant, how likely are you to take home the leftovers?

Education levels also show notable differences. Respondents with some college education make up the largest group among those very likely to take leftovers, at 27%. In contrast, those not at all likely to take leftovers have a higher percentage of individuals with a bachelor’s degree, at 24%. This could indicate that educational background influences attitudes towards food consumption and waste.

Urbanicity further distinguishes these groups. Suburban residents dominate both categories, with 46% of those very likely and 50% of those not at all likely to take leftovers residing in suburban areas. However, city dwellers are more prevalent among those very likely to take leftovers, at 23%, compared to 17% among those not at all likely.

Parental status reveals another layer of complexity. Among those very likely to take leftovers, 40% are neither parents nor grandparents. Conversely, 38% of those not at all likely are grandparents, suggesting that family dynamics may influence dining behaviors.

Income levels present a stark contrast. A significant 21% of those very likely to take leftovers earn less than $30,000 annually, while 48% of those who say the question does not apply fall into the same income bracket. This disparity highlights how financial considerations might impact decisions about food waste.

These findings underscore the diverse factors influencing dining habits, from gender and education to urbanicity and income. Understanding these distinctions can help restaurants tailor their services to meet the varied needs of their patrons.

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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. Our AI content creation tool, DataScribe, supported the article.

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