On-Demand App Market Statistics (2025, US): Adoption, Spend & Unit Economics
By idea2appAdmin
September 18, 2025
Table of Contents
The on-demand economy has transformed how Americans get their food, transportation, health care, and so many other daily services. With the rise of platforms such as Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, and a new wave of niche players, consumers no longer have the patience for easy access or a digital experience that is not seamless. As we move through 2025, new on-demand app stats highlight how much of a marketplace role these platforms have become to consumers and businesses in the American Communities.
The US on-demand market will surpass milestones in both adoption and spend in 2025. Consumers are not just ordering rides and meals — they are using apps for health consultations, fitness coaching, home services, and even business-to-business needs. Both entrepreneurs and investors are paying close attention to on-demand app stats because they hint at market saturation, growth, and long-term unit economics.
This is a deep dive into on-demand app statistics in the US for adoption rates, customer spend behavior, and unit economics by Industry. We’ll also discuss the rise of new opportunities, local growth hotspots, and how AI is influencing the next phase of the on-demand economy. If you’re an app founder, a VC investor, or a business leader, knowledge of these statistics is crucial for competing in the tough landscape of on-demand in 2025.
Apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub have helped drive the value of the US food delivery market past $74 billion. American dining is routinely delivered to us, and we increasingly crave it, seek it out — thanks to the convenience, speed, and variety services like these have fostered. Growth is powered by younger demographics and urban areas with more density than suburban sprawl. This surge of demand underscores how food delivery has become a utility that many Americans cannot live without, rather than just a luxury.
Three out of four restaurant orders will be takeout in the US by 2025 — whether through drive-thru, pickup, or Delivery. This radical change has more than a little to do with how the restaurant economy is no longer centered around you, but around whether it’s easy. Fast-food and fast-casual chains succeed because consumers value speed and convenience. The news that 95% of consumers say speed matters only confirms why on-demand marketplaces have flourished.
Nearly half of all US adults call for takeout at least once a week, demonstrating that the demand for off-premise dining has always been strong. No longer the result of pandemic drivers, the trend is a long-term habit now embedded into consumer routines. This conversion rate is why on-demand apps need to keep fine-tuning what days and times they deliver each promotion. It’s another reason why digital channels have become a top priority as a source of business for restaurants.
Some 28.2% of food delivery app users in the US are using these services on a weekly basis, and another 44% use them occasionally. Meanwhile, 24.5% of Americans have never used adult diapers, implying substantial untapped room for growth. This divide indicates the market is continuing to reach new demographics. Brands that are able to get first-time users through promotions or subscriptions may unlock the second wave of acceptance.
It’s that spontaneous usage, with three in four Americans ordering last-minute Delivery in the past month. Fifty percent of parents order on a weekly basis (something that becomes even clearer when we consider the whole text, since we understand families depend heavily upon the convenience driven by consumerism). This dynamic is part of why apps invest so much in logistics and algorithmic prediction. Supply-seasoned surges demand smart batching, driver serviceability, and real-time pricing to take care of consumer likeness productively.
US cities are experiencing the highest demand for Delivery, with 40% of urban residents ordering weekly, versus only 15% in rural areas. This urban bias is in part related to population density, higher availability of couriers, and more restaurants themselves. Rural uptake is low because of fewer product choices and more expensive deliveries. For platforms, that means city-specific operations power unit economics, while rural regions require different fulfillment models.
The generational divide is huge: 40% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers are weekly users of delivery apps, compared with about 20% of Gen X and fewer than 10% of Boomers. Young people came of age experiencing digital-first interactions and so were natural customers for on-demand platforms. This requirement confirms loyalty programs, gamification, and mobile-centric interfaces continue to be core platform strategies.
The US grocery delivery market is forecast to reach $327.9 billion by 2025 as consumers increasingly turn to apps such as Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and Walmart+. The Pandemic sped the adoption, but continued convenience and time savings are driving demand. As infrastructure is getting better, grocery delivery is widening beyond larger cities, with penetration in rural and suburban areas increasing consistently. That makes grocery one of the most valuable on-demand categories.
Target’s next-day Delivery, which is the shipped portion of its parcel service offering, now serves 54 percent of the United States population, compared to just 20 percent previously. Now in 35 of the top 60 metro markets, Target is going head-to-head with Amazon and Walmart at last-mile speed. This coverage expansion is indicative of the strategic value logistics has in retail. But delivering service more quickly is not just about acquiring customers; it also increases order frequency and basket size.
Uber controls 76% of the US rideshare market, compared to Lyft’s 24%. This focus provides Uber with incredible pricing and operational leverage. It will allow them to more aggressively expand into adjacent services, such as grocery, package delivery, and financial products. The scale of Uber also brings more drivers into the fold, further strengthening its network advantage. For Lyft, the trick to survival is cutting a niche in loyalty or regional strength.
And a decade after the ridesharing boom began to transform urban transport, 72 percent of adults in the US still don’t use apps on a regular basis. Only 8% call themselves frequent users, which suggests that rideshare has become mainstream in cities but remains mostly out of reach in the suburbs and beyond. Those factors include cost sensitivities, the car-owning culture, and generally poorer availability outside large metros. Partly a challenge and partly an opportunity for Uber and Lyft — both of which must continue to educate and excite new users.
Lyft had $1.5 billion in revenue in Q1 2025, up 14% year over year. This rise is a sign of higher demand from consumers on the road and in the air again as the post-pandemic recovery takes root. Lyft is trying to sell itself as a cheaper — if still not profitable — alternative to Uber. According to investors, these numbers suggest that rideshare has matured, but there’s still expansion room ahead — much of it with the help of public transit and micromobility.
In 2024, the US gig economy was worth $556.7 billion, driven primarily by on-demand services such as Delivery and transportation, and local labor marketplaces. It is estimated to more than triple by 2032, underscoring its central position in today’s labor force. It’s this ecosystem that provides an elastic labour supply side, enabling on-demand platforms to grow. But greater regulatory pressure on workers’ rights might change gig economics in the years ahead.
The Taxi and Limousine sector nonemployer businesses had receipts of $39.9 billion in 2023, a major contributor to the gig economy. There is much overlap between the lines of these operators and the big rideshare platforms, a sign of the blend of traditional and digital services in evidence today. This goes to show that on-demand app numbers cover not just… It’s basically freelancers-driven ecosystems, if you will.
Promotions play a significant role in overall decision-making, as 80% of US consumers report they use deals like BOGOs when deciding where to order. This highlights how sensitive the on-demand economy is to discounts and customer rewards. Apps that use promotional tactics strategically are able to get more orders and retain customers, though relying too heavily on discounting eats away at margins, making it a smarter play for loyalty programs.
Google One crossed 150 million subscribers worldwide in 2025 after the service was packaged with AI-driven features into its plans. Not exactly on-demand, but it’s another example of subscription and similar models taking the reins in digital economies. People are becoming more accustomed to paying monthly fees for digital services, and on-demand apps that provide subscription perks (like Uber One or DashPass) are getting a lift from the trend.
Forrester Research found that the average American adult has four or more digital subscriptions. A lot of these are on-demand services like streaming, Delivery, or productivity tools. Though it’s an element of the kind of recurring revenue model that underpins most service businesses today, it also amps up consumer sensitivity to both pricing and churn. And for on-demand players, retention and reducing cancellations are actually just as important, if not more so, than acquisition.
In 2024, US consumers paid an average monthly base of $118 across 8.2 live subscriptions. This allocation represents how much of your wallet goes to digital services.” On-demand app subscriptions (such as food delivery memberships or telehealth plans) compete in a zero-sum way for this finite spend. Providers that package benefits and focus on savings can grab a bigger share of consumer budgets.
By Q4 2023, 12.6% of Medicare beneficiaries had used telehealth, much higher than pre-COVID. Although down from the highs of the COVID-era peak, this is an indication that telehealth remains a part of health care delivery for good. For on-demand health platforms, such sustained utilization is proof that virtual care has become mainstream, and even for older age groups who were thought to be less digitally inclined.
Seniors are surprisingly eager adopters, with 43.3% of adults over the age of 65 using telehealth in 2023–24. This defies the story that only young patients adopt digital healthcare. The readiness of older demographics to embrace for-request health services indicates a lasting market.” It also indicates potential for niche solutions targeting support of eldercare, medication management, and chronic care.
One in four to nearly one in three United States medical visits are projected to have taken place over telehealth by 2026, according to analysts. This prolonged motion reflects the regulator’s understanding, reimbursement systems, and consumer acceptance of digital care. For those on-demand health platforms, this means a hybrid care model is here to stay; telemedicine will supplement in-person visits and make healthcare easier to access while operating more efficiently.
By late 2024, roughly two-thirds of American consumers said they had used an ordering app at least once. This level of penetration points to on-demand dining as a routine behavior these days. A third of Americans who don’t use them now will be the next to go. There are, however, ways that apps can reach them — from introductory discounts and free trial subscriptions to being covered in smaller cities.
Satisfaction with quick-service and full-service restaurants increased by 1–4 points each in 2024, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. For the on-demand category, this also indicates that restaurants are adjusting to digital-first cultural expectations from app interfaces to delivery packaging. Higher satisfaction scores lead to loyalty, which means more orders and higher revenue for both restaurants and delivery platforms.
The global on-demand services market totals $210.8 billion in 2025 and is anticipated to reach $448.3 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2026 to 2033. Though this is the number from many countries, a large portion comes from the US due to the fact that Americans are far more likely to use it and are far more densely populated compared to Europe and other places. For entrepreneurs, this global scale also highlights the opportunity for expansion and cross-border services, particularly in areas such as Delivery, transportation, and health care.
The global on-demand economy is estimated by PwC research to hit $335 billion in 2025. This larger figure counts consumers and B2B platforms. These estimates of $210 to $335 billion use different methodologies but make the same point: on-demand is one of the largest and fastest-growing components of the digital economy. US firms lead the way in formulating innovation and global adoption patterns.
Food delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats are quickly moving into grocery deliveries. This unification offers consumers more choice and an increase in the frequency of orders, as food and household essentials are merged. For the platforms, it’s an opportunity to deepen basket sizes and unit economics. For retailers, it offers more access to a larger market — yet also ups the competitive pressure on an already densely packed grocery-on-demand space.
The urban-rural digital divide is just as glaring with on-demand app use: 40 percent of urban residents order food at least once a week, compared to the lowly 15 percent among those living in rural areas. That gap corresponds to greater restaurant density, courier availability, and speedier Delivery in cities. But the wait time for rural consumers can be higher, and the costs to them steeper, which hinders their adoption. To expand, platforms will need to try out pickup lockers, micro-fulfillment, or hybrid models for rural markets.
Mainly, it’s a generational story that undergirds the Industry: Forty percent of Gen Z and Millennials get Delivery once a week, whereas around 20% of Gen Xers do so, and fewer than 10% of boomers. Convenience and digital-first mindsets are central to the younger generations. For platforms, this involves developing CX features in marketing, gamification, and loyalty benefits that appeal more to the younger demographic while designing simpler ones based on trust for older demographics.
In the final hours before Delivery, the behavior gets primed, with 75% of consumers ordering spontaneously in the last month. Half of parents are ordering “on the fly” weekly. This variability forces platforms to develop predictive algorithms, manage courier availability, and balance surges. Rather, resilient supply chains—meaning the ability to grow or shrink operations as needed (in this case, to handle unforeseen demand increases during a crisis) in order to manage disruptions and maintain reliability ‚ prevent any single delivery challenge from destroying all the customer trust you’ve worked so hard to build.
Rideshare adoption in the US is primarily driven by younger, higher-income, and repeat riders. Demographics are more urban and less inclined to own multiple vehicles, and more willing to pay for convenience. Econ-omy of Uber and Lyft is one of the bases of expansion, instrumental in building the outward growth penetration forward from the plateau. Rideshare Percent Users by Age Group, Household Income, Education Level, Number of Vehicles, and Urban Premises, Percent of US Drivers, and Research Ro.
In 2018, only 36% of US adults were losing a ride node, which includes Uber and Lyft. Era penetration, a relatively new matter compared to maturity, such as mature food delivery, Aged Unstructured un-growth opportunity explains the book history of unlimited infinity. Consumption of Rideshare by the US by U-ers, the art is.
Telehealth use among Revans beneficiaries in Q4 2023 increased from 12.6% to a pre-pandemic unknown base. For the healthcare platform, other important sub-information indicates that when older Americans are informed and provided with digital care, white is adopted. Medicare’s reimbursement policy is also an important determinant of U.S.-tel health demands, and Industry out.
Three years after the release of 75% of US restaurants, overall traffic came from outside members, Delivery, drive-thru, or rail platform walk-in. These changes are understood as a business model change required for some customer convenience, indicating an important change. The infrastructure is seen as an important and organizational market.
Target has rolled out its market fulfillment model across more than 30–40 US markets. This change means even better delivery times and lower costs all round, with products being sent out from local shops rather than distant warehouses. For the on-demand economy, this is yet another example of a traditional retailer using app-style logistics to compete head-to-head with Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart.
Google can now offer #500DN with its 150m+ Google One subs. The arrival of AI-driven features to scale will underline the ascendancy of multi-cloud subscription bundling… For on-demand apps, the lesson is clear: subscriptions linked to value-add services like AI, faster Delivery, or discounts create stickiness. Subscription-based economics will increasingly be a go-to growth lever for major platforms as competition heats up.
Americans, on average, had 8.2 active subscriptions per person in 2024, for streaming services, food delivery, and productivity apps. This scope suggests that there is growing consumer acceptance of the recurring model. It does, however, create weariness and wallet fragmentation. On-demand services, as a result, need to show reliable value—either exclusive discounts, wrapped-in perks, or tailored deals —to keep members around.
The Taxi and Limousine sector also saw receipts of $39.9 billion in 2023 from its nonemployer businesses, reinforcing the continued significance of independent contractors to transportation. Uber or Lyft drivers. Many also serve as. Though it’s already a trend, it suggests that traditional services seamlessly complement digital platforms. For platforms and policymakers alike, this figure illustrates the quantum of labor directly associated with on-demand mobility.
Revenues reached $18.7 billion in 2023 for the courier and messenger gig sector. A lot of such expansion is connected to the growing demand for last-mile Delivery, thanks to e-commerce and on-demand apps. It’s these independent couriers that drive the logistics workforce, reminding us how critical gig labor can be in order to sustain instant delivery promises made by consumer-facing platforms.
Freelance artists, writers, and performers amassed $25.4 billion in nonemployer receipts in 2023. Not all of them operate through apps, but many tools like Patreon, Fiverr, and Upwork allow a good deal of this demand. This illustrates the blending of creative gig work and digital marketplaces in on-demand app economics—demonstrating that “on-demand” is not just about physical goods delivery and transportation, but also extends to professional services.
The numbers speak for themselves; billions of dollars running through companies that deliver food, rides, medicine, groceries, and the next new thing on a subscription basis—fairly obviously capitalism at work. Yet unlocking that growth takes more than an idea- it requires the proper combination of technology, strategy, and execution. This is where Idea2App, the best on-demand app development company, intervenes.
As a leading on-demand app development agency, we are dedicated to turning your idea for innovation into digital scale applications. We don’t just bring your ideas to market; we help validate and launch the right product from concept and design through development to go-to-market. Whether you’re designing a food delivery marketplace platform, launching a telehealth app, or developing new service categories, we build custom solutions for just about everything using the latest tech stack.
With the right partner, your app won’t simply compete — it will win. If you are prepared to take advantage of the on-demand economy, then Idea2App is the best on-demand app development company for you.
The numbers are unanimous — on-demand app statistics 2025 show just how much penetration these platforms have had within the US economy. From food delivery surpassing restaurant traffic to rideshare driving the future of urban mobility, and from seniors adopting telehealth to subscription models disrupting how consumer spending occurs, the on-demand economy is now much more than just a trend. It’s the new standard.
The US on-demand space covers a number of verticals – food delivery is estimated to be worth more than $74 billion, and grocery delivery alone is estimated to be worth $327.9 billion. Taken in combination with ride share, health care, and services, the market is worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
Around 28 percent of American consumers rely on food delivery apps weekly, though rideshare use is more concentrated in urban areas. Overall, two-thirds of Americans have used an on-demand platform at some point.
Gen Zers and millennials are the most frequent users — about 40% order food delivery weekly. The numbers are lower among Generation X and the Baby Boom generation, though telehealth use is strong even among our nation’s seniors.
On average, American consumers subscribe to 8.2 services and spend approximately $118 a month. That includes passes for food delivery, streaming, and digital services.
The US market is predominantly in the form of food delivery, grocery delivery, rideshare, and healthcare. Other emerging categories include local home services and AI-fueled B2B platforms.
High CAC ( customer acquisition costs ), subscription churn, and regulatory scrutiny are still significant challenges. Platforms that concentrate on retention, pricing transparency, and efficiency do well over the long run.
Telehealth now makes up 12.6 percent of Medicare visits, with 43.3 percent of seniors using it. This indicates that healthcare is taking up permanent residence in the on-demand ecosystem.
They emphasize both possibilities and perils. Service spending: Entrepreneurs who grasp unit economics and are customer-retention focused can unlock billions in spending; those who don’t risk “blowing their jets off.”