Best Metros for Smart Cooler Vending: 2026 Data Study

By Cedric Lavergne, Vending Business 101 — in vending since 2006. Last reviewed: October 30, 2026.

Which U.S. metro areas are best for smart cooler vending? Measured by large workplaces per resident, Grand Rapids, MI, Milwaukee, WI and Louisville, KY lead the 50 largest metros. Grand Rapids has 25.1 manufacturing plants, warehouses, hospitals and hotels with 100 or more employees for every 100,000 residents. By raw count, Los Angeles (1,232), Chicago (1,175) and New York (1,073) have the most. These figures come from U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns for 2023, the latest year published.

Smart coolers do best where the same people stay on site for hours and have few other food options. Large plants, warehouses, hospitals and hotels often fit that pattern. This study counts those workplaces in every one of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, so you can see where they are concentrated. It does not measure cooler sales, and it does not replace walking a site. Every number below comes from public Census Bureau files, and the full dataset is free to download.

Key findings: where large on-site workplaces are concentrated

• Grand Rapids, MI ranks first per resident. It has 293 large workplaces in the four sectors, or 25.1 per 100,000 residents. That is about 6.4 times the rate in Washington, D.C., which ranks last of the 50 at 3.9.
• The Midwest dominates the per-resident list. Seven of the top 10 are metros centered in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota or Indiana. In each of those seven, large manufacturing plants make up more than half of the count.
• Los Angeles has the most in total. It counts 1,232 large workplaces in the four sectors, ahead of Chicago (1,175) and New York (1,073). Los Angeles and Chicago tie for the most large manufacturing plants, with 854 each.
• Manufacturing makes up most of the opportunity. Across all 50 metros, plants account for 67% of the 17,065 qualifying workplaces. Hospitals account for 13%, hotels and other lodging for 10% and warehouses for 10%.
• Some metros have a clear specialty. Las Vegas has 35 lodging establishments with 1,000 or more employees, more than twice Orlando’s 14, the next highest. Memphis has the most large warehouses per resident (62, or 4.6 per 100,000). New York has 119 hospitals with 1,000 or more employees.

Best metros for smart cooler vending per resident: top 15

This ranking divides each metro’s count of large workplaces by its 2023 population. It answers a practical question: how dense are the opportunities? A high rate can mean shorter drives between good sites. All counts are establishments with 100 or more employees.

The median for the 50 metros is 9.5 per 100,000 residents. Hartford ranks 10th even though it is the smallest metro on the list, with 119 large plants. Big coastal metros such as New York, Miami and Washington, D.C. rank near the bottom per resident. They have many large workplaces, but most of their big employers are in other industries. Only 5.3% of Washington’s establishments with 100 or more employees, and 8.8% of New York’s, are in the four sectors.

Metros with the most large on-site workplaces: top 15

This ranking uses the raw count. It suits an operator or company that wants the largest pool of possible sites in one market, even if they are spread out.

Size helps here. The three largest metros by population take the top three spots. Detroit (580) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (531) are the only metros that rank in the top 10 on both lists. Cincinnati is 15th on this list and 5th per resident.

Which metros lead in plants, warehouses, hospitals and hotels?

Each sector suits a different kind of smart cooler placement. Plants and warehouses often run several shifts. Hospitals run around the clock. Hotels have guests and staff on site at all hours. Here are the leaders in each sector, by count and per resident.

Warehousing is concentrated in freight hubs. Memphis, Indianapolis and Columbus have the highest rates per resident, and the Riverside-San Bernardino area east of Los Angeles has 26 warehouses with 1,000 or more employees. Hospital rates per resident are highest in Oklahoma City, Milwaukee and Kansas City. Lodging is led by tourism metros: Las Vegas and Orlando have the highest rates per resident.

All 50 metros: full table

Metros are listed from largest to smallest by 2025 population. “Per 100k” uses 2023 population, the same year as the business counts. “Up to” shows the highest the four-sector total could be if every suppressed Census cell held the maximum two establishments (see the methodology). The last column counts large establishments in all industries, including offices and stores, for context.

What about Louisiana metros?

No Louisiana metro is in the 50 largest. By 2025 population, New Orleans-Metairie ranks 59th and Baton Rouge ranks 67th among U.S. metro areas, so neither is ranked above. We pulled the same figures for them, and for Lafayette, as a reference for Louisiana readers. They are in the downloadable file too.

New Orleans’ rate of 9.7 per 100,000 is close to the top-50 median of 9.5. Treat these three rows with extra care. Smaller metros have more suppressed Census cells, so a zero can hide one or two real establishments. That is why the “Up to” column is noticeably higher for them.

Methodology: how we ranked the metros

We kept the method simple so anyone can check it.

1. Metros. We took the 50 largest U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas by the Census Bureau’s July 1, 2025 population estimates (Vintage 2025). Micropolitan areas are excluded.
2. Workplaces. From the Census Bureau’s 2023 County Business Patterns (CBP) metro file, we counted establishments with 100 or more employees in four industry groups: manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), warehousing and storage (NAICS 493), hospitals (NAICS 622) and accommodation (NAICS 721). The Census Bureau defines an establishment as a single physical location where business is conducted. That is the right unit for vending, because a cooler goes in one building. “100 or more employees” is the sum of four CBP size classes: 100-249, 250-499, 500-999 and 1,000 or more.
3. Per-resident score. We divided each metro’s four-sector count by its July 1, 2023 population and multiplied by 100,000. We used 2023 population so both numbers describe the same year.
4. Total score. The raw four-sector count, with no adjustment.
5. No weights. Every qualifying establishment counts as one, whatever its sector or size. We did not weight hospitals above hotels or big plants above small ones, because we have no data showing how much more a cooler sells in one than another. The size breakdown is in the CSV if you want to build your own weights.

Suppressed cells. Since reference year 2017, the Census Bureau publishes a CBP cell only if it contains three or more establishments. In the file, an unpublished size-class cell shows as “N,” which means the true count is 0, 1 or 2. We count those cells as zero, so our totals are a floor. Across the 50 metros, 187 of the cells we used were unpublished, in 45 metros. Even if every one held the maximum possible number of establishments, the 50-metro total would rise by at most 210 (from 17,065). We also cap that maximum by how many establishments in each industry are not assigned to any published size class. The top 10 by total count does not change under that maximum. The per-resident top 7 does not change either; below that, a few metros can move a place or two. The CSV includes both versions of each rank.

Matching geography. The CBP file and the population file use the same metro area codes. All 925 metro and micro area codes match between the two files.

Limitations: what this study does not tell you

• The data year is 2023. It is the latest CBP year the Census Bureau has published. Plants open and close, and warehouses move, so some sites will have changed.
• Establishments are not cooler demand. A 150-person plant may already have a vending contract, a cafeteria or no room for a cooler. This study shows where to look, not where you will sell.
• Suppression undercounts smaller metros and sectors. Counts are a floor, as described above. The effect is small for big metros and larger for small ones.
• Government workplaces are mostly missing. CBP excludes most government employees. Many public hospitals, military bases and government offices are large on-site workplaces, but they are largely not counted here.
• Staffing agency workers are counted elsewhere. The Census Bureau notes that workers supplied by employee-leasing and staffing firms are not always counted in the client’s industry. A warehouse that relies on temporary staff may fall below 100 employees in CBP even when more people work there.
• Only four sectors are counted. Offices, schools, call centers and other large workplaces can also be good smart cooler sites. The all-industry column gives you a wider view.
• Metros are big. A metro area can span many counties. Your real territory is the part you can service on a route.

How to use this study in your own market

A metro’s rank tells you whether the raw material is there. The work of finding a good site is still local. Here is how to turn the data into a short list.

1. Start with your sector. If your metro is strong in plants, start with our guide to vending machines for manufacturing plants. If it is a freight hub, read vending machines for warehouses. The vending machine locations hub rates 15 location types.
2. Find the actual businesses. Members can use Location Scout to search an area for a business category, build a shortlist and see it on a map.
3. Walk the site and score it. After you see the inside, use the free Location Score app. It flags blockers such as no room, no outlet nearby or no internet, and it scores how ready the site is, not how much it will sell.
4. Check the fit for a smart cooler. Read the best locations for AI smart coolers and smart cooler vs vending machine before you pitch.
5. Run your own numbers. This study counts workplaces. It does not predict income. Model any site with cautious inputs in the free ROI Calculator, and read our earnings disclaimer.

Download the data and cite this study

Download the full dataset (CSV). It has every metro, every raw Census count by size class, the suppressed-cell counts, both scores, both ranks and the “if suppressed cells were full” versions of each.

Free to cite with a link to this page. Journalists, researchers and operators may use these figures and tables. Please credit “Vending Business 101 analysis of U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns (2023) and population estimates (Vintage 2025)” and link to https://vendingbusiness101.com/best-metros-for-smart-cooler-vending/.

FAQ

What is the best U.S. metro area for smart cooler vending?

Per resident, Grand Rapids, Michigan ranks first among the 50 largest metros, with 25.1 large plants, warehouses, hospitals and hotels per 100,000 residents. By total count, Los Angeles has the most, with 1,232.

What data is this study based on?

U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns for 2023, the latest year published, and Census Bureau population estimates (Vintage 2025). We counted establishments with 100 or more employees in manufacturing, warehousing and storage, hospitals and accommodation.

Why count workplaces with 100 or more employees?

Smart coolers need enough of the same people on site every day. A workplace with 100 or more employees is a simple, public way to find sites with a large captive audience. It is a starting filter, not a guarantee of sales.

Does a high rank mean I will make money there?

No. The study shows where large workplaces are concentrated. It does not measure sales, competition or whether a site already has vending. Score each site after a walk-through and run your own numbers.

Is any Louisiana metro in the top 50?

No. New Orleans ranks 59th and Baton Rouge 67th by 2025 population. We include their figures, and Lafayette’s, as an unranked reference on this page and in the CSV.

Can I use this data in an article?

Yes. It is free to cite with a link to this page. The full CSV is available to download.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau: County Business Patterns 2023, metro area file (cbp23msa.zip)
• U.S. Census Bureau: metro and micro area population estimates, Vintage 2025 (cbsa-est2025-alldata.csv)
• U.S. Census Bureau: County Business Patterns methodology (establishment definition, three-establishment publication rule, exclusions, employment services)
• U.S. Census Bureau: CBP metro area file record layout (size-class field definitions)