America's Vanishing Third Places: A Public Health Crisis
An investigation by Fortune highlights a decline in public gathering spaces in the U.S., which adversely affects community health and well-being. Since 2001, one-fifth of movie theaters and almost one-third of bowling alleys have shut down. A study conducted in 2025 revealed significant closures of third places, such as coffee shops and libraries, between 2019 and 2021, especially in rural regions and areas with higher populations of Black, Hispanic, and less-educated individuals. Jessica Finlay cites increasing costs, gentrification, and the pandemic as contributing factors. Restaurants are experiencing a 38% increase in food costs, with 45% indicating they will not be profitable in 2025. The loneliness epidemic costs the U.S. economy $406 billion each year, with nearly 75% of Americans meeting in person twice a month or less.
Key facts
- The U.S. has lost a fifth of its movie theaters and nearly a third of its bowling alleys since 2001.
- A 2025 study found widespread closures across 12 categories of third places from 2019 to 2021.
- Losses hit hardest in rural areas and communities with larger Black, Hispanic, and less-educated populations.
- Restaurants have seen food costs rise 38% and labor costs 35% since 2019; 45% of operators were not profitable in 2025.
- Liquor liability premiums for bars have jumped 25% to 40% in some regions.
- AMC carries more than $400 million in annual interest expense and $850 million in rent; S&P Global Ratings calls its capital structure 'unsustainable.'
- Chronic loneliness carries a mortality risk comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
- The U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 advisory states socially disconnected people face up to a 29% higher risk of premature death.
- The loneliness epidemic costs the U.S. economy $406 billion a year.
- Gen Z is choosing movies for dates because they are cheaper and require less social pressure.
Entities
Artists
- Jessica Finlay
- Julianne Holt-Lunstad
- Robert Putnam
Institutions
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
- University of Colorado Boulder
- Brigham Young University
- S&P Global Ratings
- AMC Theatres
- Cineworld
- Eventbrite
- Fortune
Locations
- United States
- New York City
- Astoria
- Queens
- San Francisco
- Twin Cities