If you ever doubt that America is a soda country through and through, just watch a staunch Coca-Cola fan get asked if Pepsi's all right. America loves its bubbly, and the most beloved soft drinks prove it. From mainstay Coca-Cola to controversial favorite Dr. Pepper, we're breaking down the most popular sodas in the United States.
Top U.S. Soda Rankings in 2013
According to CaffeineInformer.com, as of 2013, the top eight best-selling brands of soda in the U.S. have been the same for several years. Remarkably, all eight are made by the three beverage companies with the highest market share, as reported by Statistia.com. This market dominance is exemplified by Beverage Digest's own CSD sales percentages.
| Top 8 Sodas |
CSD % | Beverage Company | Company Market Share % |
| 1. Coca Cola (Coke) |
17.4% | The Coca-Cola Company | 42.4% |
| 2. Diet Coke | 9% | The Coca-Cola Company | 42.4% |
| 3. Pepsi-Cola | 8.9% | PepsiCo | 27.7% |
| 4. Mountain Dew | 6.9% | PepsiCo | 27.7% |
| 5. Dr. Pepper | 6.7% | Dr. Pepper Snapple | 16.9% |
| 6. Sprite | 5.9% | The Coca-Cola Company | 42.4% |
| 7. Diet Pepsi | 4.5% | PepsiCo | 27.7% |
| 8. Diet Mountain Dew | 2.1% | PepsiCo | 27.7% |
According to Beverage Digest, Coca-Cola is by far the best-selling soda in the United States. In 2013, they reported that Coca-Cola accounted for over 17% of the carbonated soft drink (CSD) sales in the country, which is almost double that of its closest competitor.
Top U.S. Soda Brands in 2022-2023
Unfortunately, market research on soda sales is one of the latest areas to get hit by massive paywalls. This means that there's very little public information available surrounding soda sales from the past five years. Of the little that Brand Finance has released, there's been a marked shift from the rankings circa 2013.
| Soda Brands | 2023 Value in Millions | 2022 Value in Millions |
| Coca-Cola | $33,468 | $35,379 |
| Pepsi | $18,335 | $20,712 |
| Dr. Pepper | $4,401 | $3,972 |
| Sprite | $4,166 | N/A |
What Does It Mean?
The soda industry is one of the many things that was hit incredibly hard by the global pandemic, and while they're slowly recovering from the healthy living wave that came in its wake, they don't quite measure up to pre-pandemic levels.
Yet, as early as 2014, ABC News reported that soda sales were declining. They posited that it could stem from consumers' desires to stay away from sugary soft drinks for health and diet concerns.
However, Coca-Cola still dominates with American audiences, with there being a substantial value gap between them and their next closest competitor, Pepsi.
Fun Facts That Are Shaking Up a Storm
Grab your favorite soft drinks, because we've got some fizzy fun facts to pair with them.
- One big shake-up in the top sodas list in the U.S. occurred in 2010, when Diet Coke inched past Pepsi-Cola to become the second best-selling brand, according to USA Today.
- While The Coca-Cola Company occupied the top two spots in 2013, it has only three sodas in the top eight, while PepsiCo has four.
- Even though they didn't own the top two selling CSD beverages in 2013, PepsiCo's earnings significantly outpace The Coca-Cola Company's. In that same year, PepsiCo reported $66.4 billion in revenue, while the Coca-Cola Company reported $46.9 billion.
- Keurig Dr. Pepper's earnings are way behind The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, reporting revenue of $6.0 billion for 2013.
- Caffeine Informer suggests that since three diet sodas occupy positions within the top eight soft drinks, sugar-free beverages are on the rise.
- Despite the decline in popularity, prominent soda brands still hold a major part of America's market share. According to Beverage Digest's 2022 data, as reported in CNN Business, Coca-Cola had 40%, PepsiCo had 29%, and Keurig Dr. Pepper had 25%.
America's Favorite Pastime Is Drinking Soda
There's a ton of things that Americans love. Big cars, thrill rides, and drinking something bubbly at every meal. And while the most popular soda, Coca-Cola, still reigns supreme, there's always an up-and-comer ready to shake up a storm. Who knows, maybe this year will be the one where someone finally takes the crown from good ole Coca-Cola.
