30 Curious Starbucks Demographics

Starbucks is one of the world’s largest sellers of coffee. In the United States, their market share for coffee is nearly equal to that of every quick service restaurant combined, despite the fact that most of their customers are served in urban or upscale suburban areas.

1 in 3 people in the United States will purchase coffee or another beverage or product at a Starbucks today.

The reason why Starbucks has been able to grow so large in such a short amount of time from their beginnings as an establishment at the Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA is that they have focused their marketing efforts on their core demographics. Here is an overview of what the average Starbucks customer tends to be.

Who Gets Starbucks Every Day?

• 49% of the revenue that Starbucks receives every year comes from customers in the 25-40 age demographic.
• This core age demographic grows economically at an average of 3% annually.
• Young adults in the 18-24 age demographic make up another 40% of the revenues Starbucks receives every year.
• Young adults grow at 4.6% economically each year.
• Teenagers under the age of 18 make up just 2% of the revenues Starbucks receives annually.
• Specialty coffee drinks make up 75% of the sales that Starbucks sees on any given day.

If you step into a local Starbucks, you might be surprised by the customers inside the shop. People above the age of 40 who go into a Starbucks tend to enjoy their purchases within the store so they can socialize. When a store seems packed with folks in an older age demographic, it can seem like they are the ones most likely to visit Starbucks for a drink – yet they make up just 9% of revenues. Most younger customers grab their drinks and go – with many utilizing a drive-thru if it is available.

Life As A Starbucks Customer

• 45% of customers who prefer Starbucks say that a religious preference is not very important to them.
• 4 out of 5 Starbucks customers have an active social networking presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or LinkedIn.
• More than half [52%] of Starbucks customers are not parents or grandparents.
• 47% of Starbucks customers say that they prefer to watch movies and full TV shows through online streaming instead of over-the-air broadcasts, satellite, or cable.
• The percentage of Starbucks customers who live with their parents: 18%.
• 1 in 3 Starbucks customers lives in an apartment or rented home.
• 1 in 4 Starbucks customers say that purchasing organic foods, coffee, and other groceries is important to them.
• 3 out of 5 Starbucks customers owns at least an entry-level smartphone.
• About 30% of Starbucks customers say that they get up after 8am. 22% say that they get up before 6am.

Starbucks customers might be considered “worldly” by some demographics in the US, but the fact is these folks are people who think independently, seek their own path, and want to stay connected to family and friends. They are more likely to be artists than administrative professionals or construction workers compared to managers/executives. Interestingly enough, however, Starbucks customers are also 2x less likely to be divorced if they are married compared to other coffee establishment customers in the United States. Maybe some of them still live with Mom and Dad and maybe there is a higher risk of being unemployed, but there is also a greater chance that a Starbucks customer is going to say they are happy and content with life.

Making Connections As a Starbucks Customer

• 70% of Starbucks customers state that they send out SMS text messages on a regular basis.
• 2 out of 3 Starbucks customers will take time to legally download music frequently.
• 1 in 3 Starbucks customers spend at least 5 hours on their preferred social network each week.
• 41% of Starbucks customers are registered Democrats in the United States, compared to just 21% of customers being registered Republicans.
• The percentage of Starbucks customers who have donated to a charity through text message: 23%.
• 58% of Starbucks customers say that they prefer to cook at home, yet they are also 2x more likely compared to the general population to eat at a quick service restaurant at least once per week.
• Half of all Starbucks customers have lived at their current residence for 5 years or less.
• 3 out of 4 Starbucks customers say that they make an effort to exercise at least several times per month.

Starbucks customers are more likely to connect with one another outside of the store itself. If there is time to socialize at the store, then they are going to take it. If not, then connecting through Facebook, Twitter, or texting is common. They are also more likely to travel more than the general population, with more than half of Starbucks customers having been to at least 20 states in the US according to their own self-reporting. And, since Starbucks is in most medium-to-large communities in the US, this gives the people in the company’s core demographics a chance to connect wherever they happen to go.

The Future As a Starbucks Customer

• 71% of Starbucks customers say that the future outlook of the US economy is “weak.” 32% say that the US economy is going to get worse in the next 6 months.
• The percentage of Starbucks customers who believe their own financial outlook will improve in the future: 40%.
• 88% of Starbucks customers are registered voters, but only 58% of this group will make the effort to vote in local, county, or state elections.
• 29% of people who prefer Starbucks believe that making $125,000 per year in salary makes someone “rich.”
• 51% of Starbucks customers say that they are willing to embrace creative solutions for the problems the US faces instead of practical solutions.
• 46% of Starbucks customers say that they make decisions based off of their emotions and how their actions will impact the emotions of others around them.

Starbucks customers may view a $125k salary as being “rich” simply because many of them tend to work in creative occupations. You’ll find many writers, graphic designers, painters, and other artists preferring to visit Starbucks compared to other coffee shops in their community. This is also why creative solutions to problems are embraced more often in these demographics than in the general population. By focusing on emotions more often and making sure that a consideration for others is a high priority, these core customers are likely to see them as being successful at being a human even if they aren’t financially successful – and there’s nothing wrong with that perspective.