Best Foodie Cities in America (2024)

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterSep 30, 2024

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer
Sep 30, 2024

Americans today apply the term “foodie” to anyone who loves gourmet dining and 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 trucks. For these culinary enthusiasts, the experience of eating is elevated to a hobby or even a lifestyle.

While being a foodie can be quite expensive, culinary hotspots across the U.S. offer plenty of affordable and delicious options. 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 the cost of groceries to the affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants to the number of food festivals per capita.

“In the best foodie cities, including Miami, FL, San Francisco, CA, and Orlando, FL, there are tons of unique culinary experiences to try, from food trucks to specialty-food stores to Michelin-starred restaurants. The top cities cater not just to people who enjoy dining out, but also to foodies who enjoy putting their own skills to the test by exploring new flavors in their own kitchens. In addition, these cities make delicious dining affordable for residents and visitors alike.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Food Cities in America

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Affordability Rank	Diversity, Accessibility & Quality Rank
1	Miami, FL	74.37	145	1
2	San Francisco, CA	71.66	173	2
3	Orlando, FL	71.43	54	3
4	Portland, OR	69.48	101	4
5	Tampa, FL	69.31	76	6
6	Sacramento, CA	66.79	68	8
7	Las Vegas, NV	66.51	82	9
8	Seattle, WA	64.69	176	5
9	Denver, CO	64.08	121	13
10	San Diego, CA	63.74	147	10
11	Atlanta, GA	63.24	167	7
12	St. Louis, MO	62.61	107	14
13	Los Angeles, CA	61.70	170	12
14	Austin, TX	61.42	81	16
15	Pittsburgh, PA	61.16	12	22
16	New York, NY	60.83	178	11
17	Richmond, VA	59.90	63	20
18	Chicago, IL	59.11	126	17
19	Fort Lauderdale, FL	58.37	115	21
20	Washington, DC	58.20	134	18
21	San Antonio, TX	57.55	26	33
22	Cincinnati, OH	57.22	49	29
23	Milwaukee, WI	57.01	19	36
24	Houston, TX	56.79	64	27
25	Portland, ME	56.78	60	31
26	Philadelphia, PA	56.29	116	23
27	Wilmington, DE	56.26	2	47
28	Honolulu, HI	56.10	169	19
29	Phoenix, AZ	55.98	117	25
30	Oakland, CA	55.89	182	15
31	Grand Rapids, MI	55.33	9	45
32	Buffalo, NY	54.93	42	38
33	Salt Lake City, UT	54.88	112	32
34	St. Petersburg, FL	54.33	22	48
35	Scottsdale, AZ	54.20	99	35
36	New Orleans, LA	54.10	158	26
37	Minneapolis, MN	54.04	52	41
38	Charleston, SC	54.03	143	30
39	San Jose, CA	53.58	166	24
40	Reno, NV	53.21	21	51
41	Louisville, KY	53.10	55	44
42	Charlotte, NC	52.91	102	40
43	Vancouver, WA	52.77	164	28
44	Raleigh, NC	52.47	104	43
45	Boston, MA	52.46	114	39
46	Rochester, NY	52.08	125	37
47	Indianapolis, IN	51.83	62	50
48	Tucson, AZ	51.82	95	46
49	Virginia Beach, VA	51.26	15	71
50	Cleveland, OH	51.05	77	52
51	Nashville, TN	51.05	168	34
52	Springfield, MO	50.70	28	82
53	Jersey City, NJ	50.56	73	57
54	Bakersfield, CA	50.47	43	69
55	El Paso, TX	50.38	10	81
56	Anaheim, CA	50.21	85	53
56	Modesto, CA	50.21	58	66
56	Manchester, NH	50.21	17	88
59	Aurora, CO	50.17	70	63
60	Omaha, NE	49.93	45	72
61	Fresno, CA	49.93	44	67
62	Stockton, CA	49.88	48	74
63	Madison, WI	49.82	24	80
64	Dallas, TX	49.78	98	54
65	Providence, RI	49.78	80	65
66	Newark, NJ	49.76	97	60
67	Jacksonville, FL	49.62	72	61
68	Columbus, OH	49.58	88	62
69	Baltimore, MD	49.57	90	58
70	St. Paul, MN	49.53	38	78
71	Salem, OR	49.31	1	89
72	Santa Ana, CA	49.17	149	49
73	Long Beach, CA	49.12	106	59
74	Tulsa, OK	49.02	78	70
75	Burlington, VT	48.88	103	73
76	Colorado Springs, CO	48.63	123	55
77	Des Moines, IA	48.18	23	97
78	Lincoln, NE	47.76	3	122
79	Albuquerque, NM	47.76	140	56
80	Greensboro, NC	47.72	51	86
81	Billings, MT	47.63	30	104
82	Columbia, SC	47.58	47	87
83	Tempe, AZ	47.25	113	79
84	Detroit, MI	47.16	36	92
85	Oklahoma City, OK	46.96	93	83
86	Spokane, WA	46.69	150	64
87	Sioux Falls, SD	46.68	40	107
88	Knoxville, TN	46.64	144	68
89	Tallahassee, FL	46.61	13	123
90	Santa Rosa, CA	46.59	180	42
91	New Haven, CT	46.51	20	121
92	Mesa, AZ	46.46	109	85
93	Cedar Rapids, IA	46.28	50	110
94	Garden Grove, CA	46.11	146	76
95	Nashua, NH	45.97	61	111
96	Fort Worth, TX	45.94	41	101
97	Toledo, OH	45.61	8	135
98	Fargo, ND	45.59	5	144
99	Amarillo, TX	45.57	18	138
100	Dover, DE	45.45	100	112
101	Missoula, MT	45.28	4	131
102	Lexington-Fayette, KY	45.22	16	125
103	Cape Coral, FL	45.13	34	127
104	Tacoma, WA	45.02	154	77
105	Hialeah, FL	44.96	153	84
106	Kansas City, MO	44.94	110	94
107	Durham, NC	44.92	67	103
108	Corpus Christi, TX	44.87	14	137
109	Pembroke Pines, FL	44.82	86	116
110	Rapid City, SD	44.82	108	109
111	Oxnard, CA	44.78	87	102
112	Wichita, KS	44.68	59	117
113	Baton Rouge, LA	44.67	139	90
114	Newport News, VA	44.45	32	146
115	Glendale, AZ	44.37	37	130
116	Plano, TX	44.30	65	114
117	Norfolk, VA	44.19	75	118
118	Worcester, MA	44.06	31	142
119	South Burlington, VT	44.05	172	75
120	Irving, TX	43.91	57	133
121	Bridgeport, CT	43.66	148	95
122	Casper, WY	43.49	71	139
123	Huntington Beach, CA	43.39	135	98
124	Birmingham, AL	43.37	131	100
125	Fort Wayne, IN	43.34	11	154
126	Brownsville, TX	43.21	6	169
127	Fort Smith, AR	43.13	133	119
128	Winston-Salem, NC	43.00	25	153
129	Riverside, CA	42.93	119	105
130	Boise, ID	42.80	155	93
131	Irvine, CA	42.79	152	96
132	Chesapeake, VA	42.79	32	151
133	Oceanside, CA	42.64	142	108
134	Garland, TX	42.48	39	148
135	Chandler, AZ	42.31	91	129
136	Chattanooga, TN	42.21	151	113
137	Overland Park, KS	42.13	130	124
138	Bismarck, ND	42.13	96	143
139	Santa Clarita, CA	42.02	118	132
140	Glendale, CA	42.00	157	106
141	Huntington, WV	41.99	29	166
142	Warwick, RI	41.77	163	99
143	Aurora, IL	41.76	138	128
144	Fayetteville, NC	41.73	7	170
145	Lubbock, TX	41.68	46	155
146	Charleston, WV	41.66	56	165
147	Akron, OH	41.59	53	150
148	Arlington, TX	41.37	66	149
149	Anchorage, AK	41.21	127	126
150	Laredo, TX	40.95	35	174
151	North Las Vegas, NV	40.91	89	140
152	Gilbert, AZ	40.83	91	147
153	Yonkers, NY	40.69	179	91
154	Memphis, TN	40.54	160	120
155	Little Rock, AR	40.19	122	145
156	Mobile, AL	39.83	111	152
157	Chula Vista, CA	39.80	159	134
158	Huntsville, AL	39.72	105	156
159	Columbus, GA	39.67	74	176
160	Fremont, CA	39.46	174	115
161	Cheyenne, WY	39.13	141	158
162	Fontana, CA	39.13	84	172
163	Henderson, NV	38.82	82	167
164	Las Cruces, NM	38.52	27	178
165	Columbia, MD	38.28	137	161
166	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	38.28	69	171
167	Ontario, CA	38.17	128	159
168	Port St. Lucie, FL	38.03	171	141
169	Juneau, AK	37.79	177	136
170	Gulfport, MS	37.72	120	172
171	Peoria, AZ	37.66	132	164
172	Augusta, GA	37.17	79	177
173	San Bernardino, CA	37.15	128	163
174	Grand Prairie, TX	36.17	161	160
175	Lewiston, ME	36.06	165	162
176	Moreno Valley, CA	34.63	94	175
177	West Valley City, UT	34.38	162	168
178	Shreveport, LA	33.81	124	182
179	Jackson, MS	33.78	156	179
180	Nampa, ID	33.40	181	157
181	Montgomery, AL	33.34	136	181
182	Pearl City, HI	31.46	175	180

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

Lowest

Lowest
1. Brownsville, TX
2. Laredo, TX
3. Fort Smith, AR
4. Fayetteville, NC
5. Oklahoma City, OK

Highest

Highest
178. Fremont, CA
179. San Francisco, CA
180. Juneau, AK
181. Anchorage, AK
182. Santa Rosa, CA

Avg. Beer & Wine Price

Lowest

Lowest
1. Missoula, MT
2. Rapid City, SD
3. Worcester, MA
4. Modesto, CA
5. Gulfport, MS

Highest

Highest
T-178. Honolulu, HI
T-178. Pearl City, HI
180. Philadelphia, PA
181. Juneau, AK
182. Anchorage, AK

Restaurants per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. San Francisco, CA
T-1. Chicago, IL

Fewest

Fewest
178. Juneau, AK
179. West Valley City, UT
180. Lewiston, ME
181. South Burlington, VT
182. Pearl City, HI

Ratio of Full-Service Restaurants to Fast-Food Establishments

Highest

Highest
1. Cape Coral, FL
2. Santa Rosa, CA
3. Portland, ME
T-4. Burlington, VT
T-4. South Burlington, VT

Lowest

Lowest
178. Birmingham, AL
179. Columbus, GA
180. Shreveport, LA
181. Montgomery, AL
182. Jackson, MS

Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. Las Vegas, NV
T-1. Miami, FL
T-1. Atlanta, GA
5. San Antonio, TX

Fewest

Fewest
177. Casper, WY
178. New Haven, CT
179. Huntington, WV
180. Pearl City, HI
181. Lewiston, ME

Craft Breweries & Wineries per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Santa Rosa, CA
T-1. Portland, OR
T-1. Seattle, WA
T-1. San Diego, CA
T-1. Portland, ME

Fewest

Fewest
132. Hialeah, FL
133. Arlington, TX
134. Garland, TX
135. Pembroke Pines, FL
136. San Bernardino, CA

Coffee Shops per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. Salt Lake City, UT
T-1. Spokane, WA
T-1. Richmond, VA
T-1. Pittsburgh, PA
T-1. Orlando, FL

Fewest

Fewest
178. New York, NY
179. Laredo, TX
180. Columbus, GA
181. West Valley City, UT
182. Pearl City, HI

Gourmet Specialty-Food Stores per Capita

Most

Most
T-1. St. Louis, MO
T-1. Orlando, FL
T-1. Cincinnati, OH
T-1. Pittsburgh, PA
T-1. Honolulu, HI

Fewest

Fewest
178. Santa Clarita, CA
179. West Valley City, UT
180. Henderson, NV
181. South Burlington, VT
182. Pearl City, HI

In-Depth Look at the Best Cities for Foodies

Miami, FL

Miami is the best city for foodies, leading the country when it comes to the availability of affordable restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars out of 5. It also has an extremely high number of restaurants per capita.

In addition to having a lot of dining establishments, Miami also has high-quality choices. The city has the 12th-most diversity when it comes to the types of restaurants available, and the 13th-best ratio of full-service restaurants to fast-food chains. On top of that, foodies who want to partake in fine dining can choose from 14 Michelin-starred restaurants. One of them, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, even has two Michelin stars.

Finally, Miami is a great place for foodies who enjoy cooking at home. It has the third-most farmers’ markets, ninth-most gourmet specialty food stores, second-most butcher shops and most kitchen supply stores per capita.

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco is the second-best city for foodies, offering a very high number of restaurants per capita and one of the best selections of affordable restaurants that are rated at least 4.5 out of 5 stars. San Francisco also currently has a staggering 25 restaurants with Michelin stars, including three establishments with three stars apiece: Atelier Crenn, Benu, and Quince.

In addition, the Golden Gate city has the sixth-best diversity of restaurant types in the country, along with the fourth-best access to healthy food options. San Francisco also has a large number of food festivals and cooking schools per capita, allowing foodies to enjoy new culinary experiences.

To top things off, San Francisco leads the country when it comes to herb and spice stores, international grocery stores and craft breweries per capita.

Orlando, FL

Orlando, FL, is the third-best foodie city, standing out when it comes to the number of food trucks, ice cream shops, coffee and tea shops, and gourmet food stores per capita. Like the other top cities, it also has a very high number of restaurant choices, especially ones with at least 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Orlando is home to seven Michelin-starred restaurants, all of which hold one star each, including Camille, Papa Llama and Soseki. Additionally, the city has the ninth-best diversity of restaurant choices in the country.

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 2024 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

Leora Halpern Lanz
ISHC – Executive Director, OL Academic Programs, Associate Professor of the Practice – Boston University School of Hospitality Administration
Read More

Rebecca Heid
Professor, Hospitality Management – Northampton Community College
Read More

James A. Williams
Ph.D., D.M., CHE, CC – President of SECSA Federation; COIA (Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics) Steering Committee; AHLEI Master Trainer; Associate Professor, Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management – University of Tennessee Knoxville
Read More

Nader Sharkes
C.E.C. – Department Chair/ Culinary Instructor, The Culinary Academy – Contra Costa College
Read More

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 (2022 vs 2017): 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 as of September 2, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, Federation of Tax Administrators, Tax Foundation, County Health Rankings, Avalara, Wikipedia, Numbeo, TripAdvisor and Yelp.

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Questions & Answers(2 questions)

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.

Upvotes

Why isn't Asheville NC included?

joe faber

there is a low ethnic diversity

Upvotes

Any additional source data to do more analysis? I'm in Lexington KY and wanted to did deeper.

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