Delaware ranks No. 4 among easiest states to open a bar, study says
Delaware ranks No. 4 among easiest states to open a bar, study says
Lauren Lingle, Delaware News JournalSat, August 15, 2026 at 9:53 AM UTC
0
Delaware is one of the easiest states in the country to open a bar or social club, ranking No. 4 nationally in a new study that examined alcohol laws, liquor licensing and interest in social gathering spaces.
According to the study conducted by Maxwell Social, the First State ranked higher than all three of its neighboring states. Maryland ranked No. 29, New Jersey ranked No. 34 and Pennsylvania ranked No. 50 – the lowest ranking in the country.
Washington took the No. 1 spot, followed by Colorado, Missouri, Delaware, Nebraska, Connecticut, New York, Georgia, Kansas and Nevada to round out the national top 10.
The study examined six factors to determine which states are most favorable for opening a “third place,” a term used for social spaces outside of home and work, such as bars, cafes and social clubs.
Bar of the Year 2026: Dewey Beach's Bottle & Cork named one of best in US. Why it's special
Bars worth the trip: Delaware bars we think could have made USA TODAY's Bars of Year list
5 of the factors focused on alcohol policy -
The state’s licensing system: Whether the state controls alcohol distribution or allows private retailers to sell alcohol through licenses
Liquor license availability: Whether the state limits the number of liquor licenses available to businesses
Cocktails-to-go: Whether businesses are allowed to sell alcoholic drinks for customers to take home
Sunday alcohol sales: Whether businesses can sell spirits for off-premises consumption on Sundays
Happy-hour laws: Whether businesses can offer discounted alcoholic drinks during designated times
The only factor not related to alcohol policy was “third places search volume per 100k,” which examined how often residents search for the term “third places,” as a measure of interest in social gathering spots.
Each factor was scored from zero to one based on how permissive the state’s policies were, with the six factors weighted equally to determine each state’s overall ranking.
Advertisement
Delaware received the study’s most permissive classification in each of the five alcohol-policy measures.
The state does not have a statewide quota on liquor licenses, a characteristic shared by all of the states in the national top 15. Delaware also permanently allows cocktails-to-go, permits off-premises spirits sales on Sundays and allows happy hour.
More on alcohol sales: Delaware's direct wine shipment law takes effect Aug. 15. What to know
Delaware’s search interest for “third places” was about 79 searches per 100,000 residents, according to the study.
Pennsylvania ranked last in the country, with Michigan, Alaska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Ohio, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah taking the bottom 10 spots nationwide.
The study did not account for local regulations, such as zoning requirements, noise ordinances, cabaret or dance permits and adaptive-reuse rules.
Lauren Lingle is an intern with Delaware Online/The News Journal. Contact her at @llingle@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware ranks No. 4 among easiest states to open a bar, study says
Source: “AOL Money”
