Americans today apply the term “foodie” to anyone who loves gourmet dining. But foodie culture isn’t limited to restaurants. Foodies enjoy discovering new and unique flavors wherever they can find them, including in their own kitchens and less prominent establishments like street food stalls. For these people, the experience of eating is elevated to a hobby or even a lifestyle.
Naturally, being a foodie can be quite expensive, especially during times of high inflation. Restaurant prices rose 6.5% just between August 2022 and August 2023. Even cooking your own gourmet meals can be pricy, as grocery store prices rose 3% between August 2022 and August 2023.
Fortunately, culinary hotspots across the U.S. offer plenty of affordable options for cash-strapped foodies. These wallet-friendly cities cater to diners who prefer to cook at home, explore the local flavors or both. To determine the best and cheapest foodie scenes, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 28 key indicators of foodie-friendliness. Our data set ranges from cost of groceries to affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants to food festivals per capita.
Main Findings
Best Food Cities in America
Overall Rank |
City |
Total Score |
Affordability |
Diversity, Accessibility & Quality |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Orlando, FL | 69.38 | 108 | 3 |
2 | Portland, OR | 68.19 | 94 | 5 |
3 | Sacramento, CA | 67.62 | 58 | 7 |
4 | Miami, FL | 66.92 | 172 | 1 |
5 | San Francisco, CA | 66.03 | 176 | 2 |
6 | Tampa, FL | 64.84 | 143 | 6 |
7 | San Diego, CA | 63.90 | 142 | 8 |
8 | Las Vegas, NV | 63.66 | 88 | 11 |
9 | Austin, TX | 63.27 | 70 | 13 |
10 | Seattle, WA | 62.17 | 181 | 4 |
11 | Denver, CO | 61.64 | 46 | 17 |
12 | Atlanta, GA | 61.55 | 135 | 12 |
13 | Los Angeles, CA | 61.42 | 158 | 9 |
14 | Chicago, IL | 60.03 | 132 | 15 |
15 | Richmond, VA | 59.99 | 27 | 21 |
16 | Pittsburgh, PA | 58.99 | 55 | 20 |
17 | Washington, DC | 58.48 | 152 | 16 |
18 | St. Louis, MO | 57.59 | 122 | 19 |
19 | Houston, TX | 57.56 | 60 | 23 |
20 | New York, NY | 56.99 | 179 | 10 |
21 | Oakland, CA | 56.16 | 177 | 14 |
22 | Phoenix, AZ | 55.61 | 84 | 25 |
23 | Santa Ana, CA | 55.49 | 49 | 33 |
24 | Grand Rapids, MI | 55.24 | 5 | 45 |
25 | Cincinnati, OH | 55.22 | 81 | 29 |
26 | Vancouver, WA | 54.70 | 112 | 26 |
27 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 54.59 | 153 | 22 |
28 | Milwaukee, WI | 54.52 | 22 | 44 |
29 | Portland, ME | 54.15 | 114 | 30 |
30 | Charleston, SC | 53.98 | 113 | 31 |
31 | Minneapolis, MN | 53.85 | 57 | 36 |
32 | Honolulu, HI | 53.69 | 174 | 18 |
33 | San Antonio, TX | 53.63 | 38 | 41 |
34 | Philadelphia, PA | 53.35 | 145 | 24 |
35 | Scottsdale, AZ | 53.02 | 48 | 42 |
36 | Salem, OR | 52.75 | 4 | 63 |
37 | Salt Lake City, UT | 52.74 | 127 | 32 |
38 | Charlotte, NC | 52.73 | 116 | 34 |
39 | Louisville, KY | 52.26 | 12 | 56 |
40 | Anaheim, CA | 52.16 | 77 | 43 |
41 | Buffalo, NY | 51.98 | 100 | 39 |
42 | New Orleans, LA | 51.85 | 157 | 27 |
43 | Indianapolis, IN | 51.01 | 34 | 53 |
44 | Garden Grove, CA | 50.74 | 33 | 62 |
45 | Virginia Beach, VA | 50.69 | 11 | 74 |
46 | Reno, NV | 50.58 | 44 | 55 |
47 | Tucson, AZ | 50.42 | 93 | 46 |
48 | Rochester, NY | 50.33 | 148 | 37 |
49 | St. Petersburg, FL | 50.13 | 90 | 49 |
50 | Baltimore, MD | 50.07 | 85 | 48 |
51 | Fresno, CA | 50.02 | 28 | 61 |
52 | San Jose, CA | 49.96 | 169 | 28 |
53 | Aurora, CO | 49.83 | 13 | 78 |
54 | Cleveland, OH | 49.35 | 95 | 52 |
55 | Columbus, OH | 49.34 | 65 | 59 |
56 | Raleigh, NC | 49.09 | 124 | 47 |
57 | Colorado Springs, CO | 48.87 | 36 | 71 |
58 | Jersey City, NJ | 48.83 | 69 | 66 |
59 | El Paso, TX | 48.72 | 24 | 79 |
60 | Tulsa, OK | 48.70 | 51 | 72 |
61 | Newark, NJ | 48.63 | 74 | 67 |
62 | Billings, MT | 48.54 | 17 | 90 |
63 | Dallas, TX | 48.53 | 75 | 60 |
64 | Long Beach, CA | 48.49 | 111 | 54 |
65 | Tempe, AZ | 48.45 | 79 | 73 |
66 | Providence, RI | 48.40 | 123 | 57 |
67 | Jacksonville, FL | 48.32 | 101 | 58 |
68 | Spokane, WA | 48.31 | 131 | 51 |
69 | Boston, MA | 48.22 | 162 | 40 |
70 | Nashville, TN | 48.13 | 167 | 38 |
71 | Albuquerque, NM | 48.01 | 138 | 50 |
72 | Bakersfield, CA | 47.72 | 66 | 76 |
73 | Oklahoma City, OK | 47.31 | 78 | 75 |
74 | Madison, WI | 47.23 | 50 | 83 |
75 | St. Paul, MN | 47.20 | 45 | 85 |
76 | New Haven, CT | 47.13 | 67 | 84 |
77 | Amarillo, TX | 47.10 | 3 | 136 |
78 | Manchester, NH | 46.99 | 76 | 88 |
79 | Springfield, MO | 46.92 | 63 | 86 |
80 | Knoxville, TN | 46.91 | 102 | 69 |
81 | Omaha, NE | 46.84 | 107 | 70 |
82 | Burlington, VT | 46.80 | 133 | 68 |
83 | Detroit, MI | 46.78 | 41 | 87 |
84 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 46.43 | 31 | 108 |
85 | Gilbert, AZ | 46.27 | 6 | 134 |
86 | Stockton, CA | 46.26 | 104 | 77 |
87 | Modesto, CA | 46.22 | 99 | 80 |
88 | Des Moines, IA | 46.17 | 25 | 112 |
89 | Columbia, SC | 46.10 | 71 | 89 |
90 | Santa Rosa, CA | 45.95 | 180 | 35 |
91 | Fort Worth, TX | 45.89 | 20 | 109 |
92 | Plano, TX | 45.88 | 37 | 99 |
93 | Wilmington, DE | 45.60 | 59 | 107 |
94 | Corpus Christi, TX | 45.53 | 2 | 146 |
95 | Overland Park, KS | 45.35 | 39 | 116 |
96 | Tallahassee, FL | 45.27 | 61 | 103 |
97 | Glendale, AZ | 45.26 | 9 | 130 |
98 | Lincoln, NE | 45.11 | 35 | 122 |
99 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 44.96 | 47 | 104 |
100 | Greensboro, NC | 44.85 | 64 | 101 |
101 | Oxnard, CA | 44.71 | 80 | 96 |
102 | Laredo, TX | 44.47 | 1 | 171 |
103 | Oceanside, CA | 44.45 | 62 | 113 |
104 | Kansas City, MO | 44.30 | 105 | 93 |
105 | Newport News, VA | 44.09 | 26 | 143 |
106 | Missoula, MT | 44.09 | 23 | 128 |
107 | Tacoma, WA | 44.04 | 161 | 64 |
108 | Mesa, AZ | 43.97 | 87 | 105 |
109 | South Burlington, VT | 43.90 | 163 | 65 |
110 | Casper, WY | 43.77 | 110 | 114 |
111 | Chesapeake, VA | 43.69 | 8 | 152 |
112 | Toledo, OH | 43.63 | 19 | 138 |
113 | Sioux Falls, SD | 43.62 | 72 | 124 |
114 | Irving, TX | 43.51 | 29 | 144 |
115 | Arlington, TX | 43.49 | 29 | 135 |
116 | Lubbock, TX | 43.43 | 21 | 142 |
117 | Warwick, RI | 43.31 | 128 | 97 |
118 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 43.04 | 156 | 82 |
119 | Cape Coral, FL | 42.83 | 103 | 120 |
120 | Norfolk, VA | 42.81 | 89 | 123 |
121 | Fort Wayne, IN | 42.76 | 10 | 160 |
122 | Brownsville, TX | 42.76 | 7 | 170 |
123 | Worcester, MA | 42.64 | 32 | 141 |
124 | Durham, NC | 42.63 | 83 | 119 |
125 | Boise, ID | 42.56 | 139 | 95 |
126 | Wichita, KS | 42.53 | 82 | 127 |
127 | Dover, DE | 42.44 | 73 | 121 |
128 | Huntington, WV | 42.44 | 16 | 165 |
129 | Glendale, CA | 42.42 | 134 | 111 |
130 | Nashua, NH | 42.31 | 125 | 118 |
131 | Birmingham, AL | 42.24 | 130 | 110 |
132 | Memphis, TN | 41.95 | 129 | 115 |
133 | Henderson, NV | 41.85 | 14 | 155 |
134 | Fayetteville, NC | 41.79 | 18 | 166 |
135 | Huntington Beach, CA | 41.74 | 149 | 94 |
136 | Akron, OH | 41.58 | 43 | 149 |
137 | Garland, TX | 41.58 | 15 | 163 |
138 | Santa Clarita, CA | 41.56 | 68 | 145 |
139 | Fort Smith, AR | 41.53 | 136 | 126 |
140 | Anchorage, AK | 41.45 | 106 | 125 |
141 | Irvine, CA | 41.44 | 149 | 98 |
142 | Chandler, AZ | 41.41 | 52 | 137 |
143 | Baton Rouge, LA | 41.19 | 160 | 92 |
144 | Yonkers, NY | 41.02 | 166 | 91 |
145 | Lewiston, ME | 40.84 | 42 | 164 |
146 | Fargo, ND | 40.79 | 91 | 147 |
147 | Little Rock, AR | 40.77 | 97 | 139 |
148 | Riverside, CA | 40.23 | 118 | 129 |
149 | Aurora, IL | 40.06 | 141 | 132 |
150 | Bridgeport, CT | 39.78 | 168 | 100 |
151 | Hialeah, FL | 39.76 | 175 | 81 |
152 | Peoria, AZ | 39.67 | 53 | 167 |
153 | Huntsville, AL | 39.67 | 86 | 156 |
154 | Rapid City, SD | 39.66 | 164 | 102 |
155 | Charleston, WV | 39.62 | 40 | 175 |
156 | Chattanooga, TN | 39.35 | 159 | 117 |
157 | Winston-Salem, NC | 39.28 | 98 | 151 |
158 | Chula Vista, CA | 38.97 | 155 | 131 |
159 | Ontario, CA | 38.90 | 109 | 150 |
160 | Bismarck, ND | 38.07 | 151 | 140 |
161 | Fremont, CA | 37.91 | 171 | 106 |
162 | Cheyenne, WY | 37.91 | 144 | 154 |
163 | North Las Vegas, NV | 37.62 | 121 | 148 |
164 | Columbus, GA | 37.49 | 92 | 176 |
165 | San Bernardino, CA | 37.39 | 118 | 162 |
166 | Gulfport, MS | 37.13 | 120 | 169 |
167 | Las Cruces, NM | 37.08 | 56 | 177 |
168 | Grand Prairie, TX | 36.94 | 117 | 160 |
169 | Columbia, MD | 36.82 | 147 | 159 |
170 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 36.38 | 154 | 153 |
171 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 36.23 | 96 | 172 |
172 | Juneau, AK | 35.86 | 173 | 133 |
173 | Augusta, GA | 35.47 | 54 | 180 |
174 | Fontana, CA | 35.05 | 137 | 173 |
175 | Jackson, MS | 34.79 | 140 | 178 |
176 | Moreno Valley, CA | 33.72 | 115 | 174 |
177 | Mobile, AL | 33.47 | 170 | 158 |
178 | Montgomery, AL | 33.05 | 126 | 181 |
179 | West Valley City, UT | 32.56 | 165 | 168 |
180 | Nampa, ID | 32.18 | 178 | 157 |
181 | Shreveport, LA | 31.37 | 146 | 182 |
182 | Pearl City, HI | 25.24 | 182 | 179 |
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
- Lowest
- 1. Brownsville, TX
- 2. Corpus Christi, TX
- 3. Laredo, TX
- 4. Fayetteville, NC
- 5. Austin, TX
- Highest
- 178. Fremont, CA
- 179. San Francisco, CA
- 180. Juneau, AK
- T-181. Honolulu, HI
- T-181. Pearl City, HI
- Lowest
- 1. Brownsville, TX
- 2. Gulfport, MS
- 3. Reno, NV
- 4. Fresno, CA
- 5. Indianapolis, IN
- Highest
- 178. Juneau, AK
- 179. New York, NY
- T-180. Manchester, NH
- T-180. Nashua, NH
- 182. Seattle, WA
- Most
- T-1. Miami, FL
- T-1. Orlando, FL
- T-1. Las Vegas, NV
- T-1. San Francisco, CA
- T-1. Los Angeles, CA
- Fewest
- 178. Juneau, AK
- 179. Lewiston, ME
- 180. South Burlington, VT
- 181. West Valley City, UT
- 182. Pearl City, HI
- Highest
- 1. Cape Coral, FL
- 2. Santa Rosa, CA
- 3. Portland, ME
- T-4. Burlington, VT
- T-4. South Burlington, VT
- Lowest
- 178. Birmingham, AL
- 179. Columbus, GA
- 180. Shreveport, LA
- 181. Montgomery, AL
- 182. Jackson, MS
- Most
- T-1. Orlando, FL
- T-1. Las Vegas, NV
- T-1. Miami, FL
- T-1. Tampa, FL
- T-1. San Antonio, TX
- Fewest
- 177. Charleston, WV
- 178. Casper, WY
- 179. Burlington, VT
- 180. Wilmington, DE
- 181. Lewiston, ME
- Most
- T-1. Santa Rosa, CA
- T-1. Portland, OR
- T-1. Seattle, WA
- T-1. San Diego, CA
- T-1. Portland, ME
- Fewest
- 134. Augusta, GA
- 135. Arlington, TX
- 136. Garland, TX
- 137. Pembroke Pines, FL
- 138. San Bernardino, CA
- Most
- T-1. Salt Lake City, UT
- T-1. Richmond, VA
- T-1. Spokane, WA
- T-1. Orlando, FL
- T-1. Pittsburgh, PA
- Fewest
- 178. Lewiston, ME
- 179. Fort Smith, AR
- 180. Columbus, GA
- 181. West Valley City, UT
- 182. Pearl City, HI
- Most
- T-1. St. Louis, MO
- T-1. Honolulu, HI
- T-1. Cincinnati, OH
- T-1. Orlando, FL
- 5. Tampa, FL
- Fewest
- 178. North Las Vegas, NV
- 179. Santa Clarita, CA
- 180. Nashua, NH
- 181. West Valley City, UT
- 182. Pearl City, HI
Ask the Experts
Wallet-conscious foodies don’t always have to sacrifice quality for price. For money-saving advice and policy-related tips for improving the local food scene, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:
- What tips can you provide to foodies on a tight budget?
- In evaluating the best foodie cities for your wallet, what are the top five indicators?
- What are the dining out trends for 2023 and how is inflation affecting Americans eating out habits?
- What tips can you offer to health-conscious foodies who like to eat out?
- What role, if any, can local authorities play in improving the food scene in their city?
Ask the Experts
Methodology
In order to determine the best and cheapest local foodie scenes, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across two key dimensions, “Affordability” and “Diversity, Accessibility & Quality.”
We evaluated those dimensions using 28 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions and costs for foodies. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we used the square root of the population to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.
Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the cities in our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the “city proper” in each case and excluded surrounding cities in the metro area.
Affordability – Total Points: 30
- Cost of Groceries: Double Weight (~7.50 Points)
- Accessibility & Affordability of High-Quality Restaurants: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
Note: This metric measures the prevalence of affordable restaurants with ratings of at least 4.5 stars. - Restaurant Meal Cost: Double Weight (~7.50 Points)
- Sales Tax: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
- Food Tax: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
- Average Beer & Wine Price: Full Weight (~3.75 Points)
Note: “Average Beer Price” refers to the average price, excluding any deposit, of a six-pack of 12-ounce Heineken containers, and “Average Wine Price” refers to the average price of a 1.5-liter bottle of Chablis or Chenin Blanc or any white table wine.
Diversity, Accessibility & Quality – Total Points: 70
- Restaurants per Capita*: Triple Weight (~8.08 Points)
- Ratio of Full-Service Restaurants to Fast-Food Establishments: Triple Weight (~8.08 Points)
- Growth in Number of Full Service Restaurants (2021 vs 2016): Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Restaurant Diversity: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Presence of Michelin-Starred Restaurants: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Average Ranking of Restaurants on Yelp’s “Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.” List: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Food Trucks per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Access to Healthy Food Options: Double Weight (~5.38 Points)
- Farmers Markets & CSA Programs per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
Note: “CSA” refers to community-supported agriculture. - Food Freshness: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
Note: The share of workers involved in agricultural activities was used as a proxy for this metric. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Craft Breweries & Wine Bars per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Gourmet Specialty-Food Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
Note: “Gourmet Specialty-Food Stores” includes, among others, candy stores, chocolatiers and cheese shops. - Grocery Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- International Grocery Stores per Capita*: Half Weight (~1.35 Points)
- Butcher Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Herbs & Spices Stores per Capita*: Half Weight (~1.35 Points)
- Kitchen Supplies Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Food Festivals per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Cooking Schools per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
- Food & Wine Tours per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.69 Points)
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, Federation of Tax Administrators, Tax Foundation, County Health Rankings, Sale-Tax.com, Numbeo, TripAdvisor and Yelp.
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