11 Burger Stats That Will Blow Your Mind (Slideshow)

According to a recent study by CHD Expert, as of June 2014 each burger restaurant's annual sales are around $1.48 million. Do some math, and that means that... 

There are Nearly 50,000 Burger Joints in America

Meaning that for every 10,000 Americans, there are 1.6 burger joints. 

California has More Burger Joints than Any Other State

California has more than 6,000 burger restaurants, with Texas coming in second with 5,500. 

86 Percent of All Burger Joints are Chains

Gotta give props to those independent burger joints, they've got some stiff competition from the big guys! In Washington state, however, 26.6 percent of all burger restaurants are independent, the highest percentage in the nation. 

71 Percent of all Beef Consumed in Restaurants is in the Form of a Burger

You just can't get those perfect grill marks at home. 

The Heart Attack Grill’s Quadruple Bypass Burger is the Most Calorific Burger in the World

With 9,982 calories, this four-patty monstrosity has been recognized by Guinness as the most calorie-laden burger on any menu in the world. It boasts four two full pounds of beef, 20 slices of bacon, eight slices of American cheese, caramelized onions cooked in lard, and three tablespoons of lard, for good measure. 

Meat from More Than 1,000 Cows Can Go into a Single Burger Patty

The beef scraps that become hamburger meat are mixed communally during processing, and according to a study done in 1998, the average fast-food burger contains meat from 55 different cows, but that number can increase dramatically. And that's not only gross, it's dangerous: the more cows involved, the higher chance of E. coli contamination. We suggest asking your butcher to grind it fresh for you.  

McDonald’s Purchases More than 1 Billion Pounds of Beef Per Year

That equals out to millions of cattle. 

Burgers Account for 60 Percent of all Sandwiches Sold

Some folks forget that a burger is, after all, a sandwich. It's also the most popular sandwich in America. 

Americans Eat 14 Billion Burgers Every Year

That equals out to more than 440 burgers per second. 

The World’s Most Expensive Burger Costs $5,000

Feel like paying $5,000 for a burger? Then head to chef Hubert Keller's restaurant Fleur, located inside Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay, where you'll find a creation made with Wagyu beef, foie gras, and black truffles. That seems like quite a markup, even with all those luxurious ingredients. What, no caviar and gold leaf?