Best Cities for Vegans & Vegetarians

Sep 23, 2025

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer

Sep 23, 2025WalletHub Financial Writer

About 18 million U.S. adults are vegan or vegetarian. Unfortunately, it’s not the easiest lifestyle to adopt, as finding meatless options at restaurants and supermarkets can be a challenge. That’s beginning to change, though, as a growing number of venues have begun to offer vegetarian or vegan meals, including many fast-food chains.

One of the biggest concerns people express about vegetarian or vegan diets is the cost. However, with meat prices experiencing much larger year-over-year increases than those of fruits and vegetables, Americans may find working some vegetarian or vegan meals into their diet to be an attractive option.

Certain U.S. cities offer plentiful, inexpensive options for budget-conscious herbivores, while others lag behind. To determine the best and cheapest places for a plant-based diet, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 17 key indicators of vegan- and vegetarian-friendliness. We examined each city based on such metrics as the cost of groceries for vegetarians, the share of restaurants serving meatless options and salad shops per capita.

“While vegetarians and vegans are still a relatively small share of the population, businesses are recognizing their impact on their market. Just look at businesses like McDonald’s and Burger King incorporating Beyond Meat and Impossible burgers into their menus, for example. With meat prices rising significantly faster than vegetable prices, too, we may see a lot more people taking a foray into a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle in the near future.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

Embed on your website

Most Vegetarian- & Vegan-Friendly Cities

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Affordability Rank	Diversity, Accessibility & Quality Rank	Vegetarian Lifestyle Rank
1	Portland, OR	60.88	51	3	6
2	Los Angeles, CA	56.56	40	25	4
3	Austin, TX	56.40	18	4	40
4	San Francisco, CA	56.38	100	1	1
5	Oakland, CA	54.98	92	30	7
6	Phoenix, AZ	54.49	16	14	83
7	Miami, FL	54.40	89	2	53
8	Seattle, WA	54.21	96	9	3
9	Orlando, FL	54.14	60	7	11
10	Madison, WI	53.62	22	29	8
11	San Diego, CA	53.50	46	8	26
12	Tampa, FL	52.65	69	11	10
13	Cincinnati, OH	52.31	37	16	71
14	Lexington-Fayette, KY	52.24	9	51	52
15	New York, NY	51.99	65	5	27
16	Birmingham, AL	51.45	15	22	77
17	Atlanta, GA	51.42	68	12	20
18	Chicago, IL	51.07	63	15	14
19	Las Vegas, NV	51.00	27	18	41
20	Pittsburgh, PA	50.93	26	21	29
21	Washington, DC	50.34	97	6	5
22	Denver, CO	49.11	72	10	58
23	Houston, TX	48.90	21	39	32
24	San Antonio, TX	48.89	17	40	84
25	Irving, TX	48.64	14	79	55
26	Scottsdale, AZ	48.34	55	13	38
27	Bakersfield, CA	48.20	28	35	97
28	Lubbock, TX	48.11	13	64	93
29	Sacramento, CA	47.76	64	26	50
30	St. Paul, MN	47.72	50	42	48
31	El Paso, TX	47.66	3	85	87
32	Charlotte, NC	47.25	58	24	18
33	Jersey City, NJ	47.15	20	83	44
34	Louisville, KY	46.81	32	44	65
35	Chandler, AZ	46.70	33	43	69
36	Indianapolis, IN	46.39	35	41	30
37	Boise, ID	46.35	53	28	68
38	Tulsa, OK	46.28	4	73	86
39	Wichita, KS	46.20	5	78	80
40	Dallas, TX	45.86	47	34	25
41	Corpus Christi, TX	45.80	2	95	79
42	Tucson, AZ	45.51	81	20	96
43	St. Louis, MO	45.03	77	23	61
44	Oklahoma City, OK	44.99	19	61	36
45	Albuquerque, NM	44.78	42	37	34
46	Colorado Springs, CO	44.35	39	60	60
47	Toledo, OH	44.34	6	80	90
48	Buffalo, NY	44.19	12	53	42
49	Anaheim, CA	44.18	88	59	2
50	Lincoln, NE	43.91	7	87	59
51	Plano, TX	43.83	30	81	57
52	Norfolk, VA	43.72	29	77	72
53	Long Beach, CA	43.71	79	66	43
54	Fort Wayne, IN	43.66	44	69	62
55	Gilbert, AZ	43.65	52	50	67
56	New Orleans, LA	43.63	54	32	37
57	Kansas City, MO	43.60	31	65	28
58	Fremont, CA	43.38	93	98	9
59	Newark, NJ	43.37	85	91	31
60	Stockton, CA	42.89	23	49	94
61	St. Petersburg, FL	42.86	87	31	56
62	Mesa, AZ	42.67	33	67	75
63	Hialeah, FL	42.63	56	92	46
64	Raleigh, NC	42.58	80	46	51
65	Fresno, CA	42.53	76	27	99
66	Minneapolis, MN	42.47	94	19	33
67	Riverside, CA	42.36	84	33	73
68	Laredo, TX	42.33	1	90	98
69	Philadelphia, PA	42.12	78	38	70
70	Boston, MA	42.12	86	48	13
71	Glendale, AZ	42.08	59	63	64
72	Virginia Beach, VA	42.06	74	36	74
73	Jacksonville, FL	41.92	75	45	15
74	Chesapeake, VA	41.85	10	93	23
75	Columbus, OH	41.25	49	75	19
76	Baton Rouge, LA	41.22	25	54	100
77	Reno, NV	41.16	70	47	76
78	Cleveland, OH	40.92	62	58	22
79	Omaha, NE	40.84	38	70	82
80	Henderson, NV	40.63	36	84	89
81	Irvine, CA	40.32	91	57	49
82	Garland, TX	40.24	24	99	54
83	Milwaukee, WI	39.81	61	71	24
84	Detroit, MI	39.72	8	86	88
85	Aurora, CO	39.50	73	88	45
86	Winston-Salem, NC	39.17	57	76	92
87	Fort Worth, TX	38.97	48	82	81
88	Nashville, TN	38.93	67	52	39
89	Durham, NC	38.71	83	62	17
90	Honolulu, HI	38.44	98	17	12
91	Arlington, TX	38.31	45	94	63
92	Baltimore, MD	37.49	71	68	35
93	Santa Ana, CA	37.35	82	89	47
94	North Las Vegas, NV	36.93	11	100	85
95	Chula Vista, CA	35.95	43	96	78
96	San Jose, CA	35.90	95	55	16
97	San Bernardino, CA	35.66	41	97	66
98	Memphis, TN	35.63	66	74	91
99	Greensboro, NC	32.25	90	56	95
100	Anchorage, AK	30.02	99	72	21

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.

Cost of Groceries for Vegetarians

Lowest

Lowest
1. Oklahoma City, OK
2. San Antonio, TX
3. Tulsa, OK
4. Corpus Christi, TX
5. El Paso, TX

Highest

Highest
96. Fremont, CA
97. New York, NY
98. San Francisco, CA
99. Honolulu, HI
100. Anchorage, AK

% of Restaurants Serving Vegetarian Options

Highest

Highest
T-1. Scottsdale, AZ
T-1. Anchorage, AK
3. Orlando, FL
4. St. Petersburg, FL
5. Washington, DC

Lowest

Lowest
96. Santa Ana, CA
97. San Bernardino, CA
98. Newark, NJ
99. North Las Vegas, NV
100. Laredo, TX

% of Restaurants Serving Vegan Options

Highest

Highest
T-1. Scottsdale, AZ
T-1. Orlando, FL
3. Washington, DC
4. St. Petersburg, FL
5. New Orleans, LA

Lowest

Lowest
96. Garland, TX
97. Newark, NJ
98. Hialeah, FL
99. Laredo, TX
100. North Las Vegas, NV

Farmers Markets & CSA Programs per Capita

Most

Most
1. Miami, FL
2. San Francisco, CA
3. New York, NY
4. Washington, DC
5. Honolulu, HI

Fewest

Fewest
94. North Las Vegas, NV
95. Santa Ana, CA
96. Irving, TX
97. Newark, NJ
98. Lincoln, NE

Juice & Smoothie Bars per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Honolulu, HI
T-1. Atlanta, GA

Fewest

Fewest
96. Toledo, OH
97. Fremont, CA
98. Winston-Salem, NC
99. St. Paul, MN
100. Chesapeake, VA

Salad Shops per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Atlanta, GA
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. San Francisco, CA
T-1. Las Vegas, NV

Fewest

Fewest
96. North Las Vegas, NV
97. Stockton, CA
98. San Bernardino, CA
99. Garland, TX
100. Santa Ana, CA

Vegetable Nurseries per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. Cincinnati, OH
4. Portland, OR
5. Houston, TX

Fewest

Fewest
96. Chula Vista, CA
97. Fremont, CA
98. Jersey City, NJ
99. Boston, MA
100. Newark, NJ

In-Depth Look at the Top Cities

Portland, OR

Portland, OR, is the best city for vegans and vegetarians. One contributing factor is that it has the second-largest number of affordable restaurants with vegetarian or vegan options that have at least 4.5 stars on Yelp. In addition, the city has a very high number of organic farms, community gardens, farmers markets and vegetable nurseries per capita.

Many Portland residents embrace the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, with residents ordering this type of cuisine 148% more often than the U.S. average. Portland also has the ninth-highest percentage of people who consume vegetables daily.

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles is the second-best city for vegans and vegetarians in 2025, which shouldn’t be a surprise when you consider that L.A. residents eat this type of food 187% more often than the U.S. average. In addition, the city has the second-highest number of affordable restaurants with vegan and vegetarian options that have at least 4.5 stars on Yelp.

L.A. also has plenty of places to buy fresh produce for making your own vegetarian or vegan food at home. It has the fifth-most farmers markets, 12th-most organic farms, 35th-most community gardens and 16th-most vegetable nurseries and gardening shops per capita.

On top of that, Los Angeles has the 11th-most vegetarian cooking classes and 14th-most vegan meetups per capita. It also hosts vegetarian and vegan festivals, such as Vegandale Festival and Vegan Street Fair. Residents who prefer the veggie lifestyle have plenty of ways to meet like-minded people.

Austin, TX

Austin, TX, is the third-best city for vegetarians and vegans, it has the seventh-most juice and smoothie bars, fourth-most vegetarian cooking classes per capita and ninth-most community gardens per capita. It also has the seventh-largest number of affordable restaurants with vegetarian or vegan options that have at least 4.5 stars on Yelp.

In addition, the prices of certain vegetarian foods are surprisingly low in Austin. For example, Austin is the third-cheapest city for fresh orange juice, the seventh-cheapest for frozen corn, and the seventh-cheapest for sweet peas. Plus, it’s one of the cheapest cities for eggs – which many vegetarians use as a source of protein rather than meat.

Finally, Austin has the 13th-most farmers' markets, and it hosts festivals such as Texas VegFest.

Ask the Experts

Cutting meat from your diet requires commitment and, in some cases, extra cash. To help you switch successfully to a vegan or vegetarian diet while sticking to your budget, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

What tips do you have for someone who wishes to adopt a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle while on a budget?
Should the government subsidize the purchase of fruits and vegetables by discounting the price for people using food stamps?
What can parents do to encourage children to consume more veggies?
What tips do you have for a person who wants to become a vegetarian? How can they make the transition smoother?
What are the most common mistakes people make when being on a vegan or vegetarian diet, and how can they avoid them?
Should people talk to a registered dietitian to learn how to properly balance a vegan or vegetarian diet before starting one?

Ask the Experts

Barry M. Popkin
W. R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor, Gillings School of Global Public Health - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Read More

Tanya M. Halliday
Ph.D., RD, Associate Professor, Department of Health & Kinesiology – University of Utah, Health
Read More

Jeffrey E. Harris
DrPH, MPH, RDN, LDN, FAND, Professor, Department of Nutrition - West Chester University of PA
Read More

Dr. Casey Colin
DCN, RDN, LDN, FAND - Director, Nutrition and Dietetics Undergraduate Programs; Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, Brooks College of Health | University of North Florida
Read More

Marjorie Freedman
MS, Ph.D., Retired Professor, Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging - San Jose State University
Read More

Caroline Webber
Ph.D., MPH, RD, Associate Professor Emerita, Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences - Western Michigan University
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for vegans and vegetarians in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 100 most populated cities across three key dimensions: 1) Affordability, 2) Diversity, Accessibility & Quality and 3) Vegetarian Lifestyle.

We evaluated those dimensions using 17 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 for vegans and vegetarians. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), we calculated the population size using the square root of the population 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 our sample. In constructing our sample, we considered only the “city proper” in each case and excluded surrounding cities in the metro area.

Affordability – Total Points: 33.33

Cost of Groceries for Vegetarians: Full Weight (~11.11 Points)
Note: “Groceries” excludes all animal products, except dairy and eggs.
Availability of Affordable, Highly Rated Restaurants Serving Vegan & Vegetarian Options: Full Weight (~11.11 Points)
Note: “Highly Rated” refers to a rating of at least 4.5 stars.
Average Meal Cost: Full Weight (~11.11 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Average Dollar Amount Spent on Food per Week by Food-Secure Individuals / 21 Meals (three meals per day X seven days per week).

Diversity, Accessibility & Quality – Total Points: 33.33

Share of Restaurants Serving Vegetarian Options: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Share of Restaurants Serving Vegan Options: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Farmers Markets & CSA Programs per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Note: “CSA” refers to community-supported agriculture.
Certified Organic Farms per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Juice & Smoothie Bars per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Salad Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Vegetable Nurseries per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Community Gardens per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Access to Fresh Vegetarian Food*: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Note: “Fresh Vegetarian Food” refers to vegetable, melon, potato, sweet potato, fruit, tree-nut, berry and cow-milk production per capita.
Vegetarian Cooking Classes per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)

Vegetarian Lifestyle – Total Points: 33.33

Ranking on Grubhub’s List of Cities Most Likely to Order Vegetarian or Vegan: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)
Note: This metric was used as a proxy for the vegetarian population and is based on GrubHub’s data analysis of “more than 30,000 restaurants’ pickup and delivery orders” to determine where customers are most likely to order vegetarian or vegan options.
Vegetable & Fruit Consumption: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of adults who consumed vegetables and fruits one or more times per day and was used as a proxy for the vegetarian population. A lower share of adults who consume fruits and vegetables daily indicates a lower probability of vegetarian prevalence.
Vegan & Vegetarian Meetups per Capita*: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)
Availability of Vegan & Vegetarian Festivals: Full Weight (~8.33 Points)
Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of vegan and vegetarian festivals, as follows:
1 – The city hosts a vegan and vegetarian festival.
0 – The city does not host a vegan and vegetarian festival.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of August 26, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Feeding America, Yelp, TripAdvisor, USDA Organic INTEGRITY Database, The Trust for Public Land, United States Department of Agriculture, Vegan.com, GrubHub and Meetup.

Supporting Video Files:

Questions & Answers

Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. Please keep in mind that it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.

Was this article helpful?

Important Disclosures

Ad Disclosure: Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers. For full transparency, here is a list of our current advertisers.

Advertisers compensate WalletHub when you click on a link, or your application is approved, or your account is opened. Advertising impacts how and where offers appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear and their prevalence). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.

Advertising enables WalletHub to provide you proprietary tools, services, and content at no charge. Advertising does not impact WalletHub's editorial content including our best picks, reviews, ratings and opinions. Those are completely independent and not provided, commissioned, or endorsed by any company, as our editors follow a strict editorial policy.

WalletHub is not a financial advisor. Our goal is to provide you with top-notch content, data, and tools. You are responsible for deciding what financial products and providers are best for your needs.

Irrespective of whether an institution or professional is a paid advertiser, the presence of information on WalletHub does not constitute a referral or endorsement of the institution or professional by us or vice versa.

We work hard to show you up-to-date product terms, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee its accuracy. Actual terms may vary. Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution. Please let us know if you notice any differences.

Best Cities for Vegans & Vegetarians (2026)

Main Findings

Most Vegetarian- & Vegan-Friendly Cities

In-Depth Look at the Top Cities

Portland, OR

Los Angeles, CA

Austin, TX

Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

Methodology

Affordability – Total Points: 33.33

Diversity, Accessibility & Quality – Total Points: 33.33

Vegetarian Lifestyle – Total Points: 33.33

Supporting Video Files:

Questions & Answers

Important Disclosures