2017’s Best Foodie Cities in America

Americans today liberally apply the term “foodie” to anyone who loves gourmet dining. But foodie culture isn’t limited to restaurants. More importantly, far fewer than the many who claim to be foodies truly deserve the label. “Authentic” foodies, according to experts, not only crave new and different flavors but also savor the exploratory experience of eating, learning and discovering food.

Needless to say, the foodie lifestyle can be quite expensive, considering that restaurant prices alone have risen. In fact, Americans spent more money at food establishments than at grocery stores for the first time in 2015. Dining in can be comparatively more cost-effective — not to mention equally satisfying to the taste buds — but only to the extent that grocery-store prices have declined. Eating at home still can be pricey, depending on the local cost of living as well as the type and quality of ingredients used in preparing homemade meals.

Fortunately, culinary hotspots across the U.S. offer plenty of affordable options for cash-strapped epicures. These wallet-friendly cities cater to foodies who prefer to cook at home, explore the local gastronomy or both. To determine the best and cheapest foodie scenes, WalletHub’s analysts compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 24 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. Read on for the winners, expert foodie insight and a full description of our methodology. Happy eating!

Main Findings

 

 

Best Foodie Cities in America

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	City	Total Score	‘Affordability’ Rank	‘Diversity, Accessibility & Quality’ Rank
1	San Francisco, CA	71.08	151	1
2	Portland, OR	69.66	17	5
3	New York, NY	69.02	171	2
4	Los Angeles, CA	67.54	83	4
5	Miami, FL	66.94	114	3
6	Orlando, FL	66.34	21	7
7	Austin, TX	64.03	4	10
8	Las Vegas, NV	63.92	31	8
9	San Diego, CA	63.03	45	9
10	Seattle, WA	62.46	166	6
11	Tampa, FL	59.88	70	11
12	Atlanta, GA	58.53	106	13
13	Chicago, IL	58.03	123	12
14	Philadelphia, PA	56.62	86	15
15	Sacramento, CA	56.16	33	20
16	Houston, TX	55.18	12	22
17	St. Louis, MO	54.91	65	18
18	Denver, CO	54.73	92	17
19	Washington, DC	53.67	173	14
20	Cincinnati, OH	53.54	9	23
21	Pittsburgh, PA	52.78	49	21
22	Oakland, CA	52.54	135	19
23	Phoenix, AZ	51.56	10	28
24	Honolulu, HI	50.42	179	16
25	San Antonio, TX	49.68	1	41
26	Minneapolis, MN	49.57	71	24
27	Richmond, VA	48.70	39	29
28	Tucson, AZ	48.38	13	35
29	Columbus, OH	48.33	8	36
30	Fort Lauderdale, FL	48.22	47	31
31	Buffalo, NY	48.12	73	26
32	Rochester, NY	48.01	79	27
33	Salt Lake City, UT	48.01	89	25
34	Louisville, KY	47.07	2	46
35	Milwaukee, WI	46.39	15	45
36	Dallas, TX	46.38	32	40
37	Grand Rapids, MI	45.94	30	39
38	Cleveland, OH	45.83	48	37
39	Albuquerque, NM	45.61	11	51
40	Boston, MA	44.64	119	32
41	Long Beach, CA	44.41	67	43
42	San Jose, CA	44.14	163	30
43	Reno, NV	44.13	46	44
44	Indianapolis, IN	43.84	16	59
45	Vancouver, WA	43.65	141	33
46	Fresno, CA	43.53	23	57
47	Santa Ana, CA	43.28	128	34
48	Scottsdale, AZ	43.17	60	48
49	Tempe, AZ	43.05	25	66
50	Spokane, WA	42.92	56	52
51	Bakersfield, CA	42.55	62	49
52	Charlotte, NC	42.54	57	56
53	Jacksonville, FL	42.19	40	60
54	Baltimore, MD	42.09	68	55
55	Hialeah, FL	41.93	104	53
56	New Orleans, LA	41.93	153	38
57	Omaha, NE	41.82	24	73
58	Lexington-Fayette, KY	41.68	6	76
59	Anaheim, CA	41.60	103	47
60	Charleston, SC	41.30	116	50
61	Boise, ID	41.22	42	65
62	Oklahoma City, OK	40.90	28	79
63	Detroit, MI	40.79	5	91
64	Virginia Beach, VA	40.70	101	58
65	Nashville, TN	40.43	122	54
66	Fort Worth, TX	40.21	20	85
67	Springfield, MO	40.03	26	82
68	Des Moines, IA	39.88	37	81
69	Tacoma, WA	39.64	81	70
70	Madison, WI	39.59	80	64
71	Mesa, AZ	39.46	22	92
72	Santa Rosa, CA	39.38	175	42
73	Portland, ME	39.30	126	61
74	Colorado Springs, CO	38.99	35	88
75	Huntington Beach, CA	38.76	85	71
76	Jersey City, NJ	38.30	87	75
77	Anchorage, AK	37.92	138	63
78	Kansas City, MO	37.89	61	90
79	Newark, NJ	37.88	136	68
80	Salem, OR	37.70	50	83
81	Chandler, AZ	37.68	19	107
82	Raleigh, NC	37.63	145	69
83	Tulsa, OK	37.35	51	97
84	Riverside, CA	37.34	148	67
85	Garden Grove, CA	37.33	34	100
86	Knoxville, TN	37.30	120	74
87	El Paso, TX	37.30	29	112
88	Durham, NC	37.24	108	78
89	Providence, RI	37.17	127	77
90	St. Paul, MN	37.15	107	80
91	St. Petersburg, FL	37.05	74	84
92	Stockton, CA	36.91	162	62
93	Columbia, SC	36.90	66	98
94	Tallahassee, FL	36.86	44	96
95	Aurora, CO	36.81	55	94
96	Birmingham, AL	36.68	82	89
97	Wilmington, DE	36.64	58	110
98	Oceanside, CA	36.59	77	95
99	Irvine, CA	36.48	159	72
100	Billings, MT	36.43	3	149
101	Modesto, CA	36.26	112	87
102	Missoula, MT	36.21	41	114
103	Greensboro, NC	36.18	36	101
104	Plano, TX	35.57	94	93
105	Lincoln, NE	35.34	84	102
106	Arlington, TX	35.33	43	136
107	Glendale, CA	35.24	95	105
108	Sioux Falls, SD	34.87	52	116
109	Memphis, TN	34.84	111	103
110	Laredo, TX	34.75	18	151
111	Pembroke Pines, FL	34.51	100	115
112	Peoria, AZ	34.43	59	133
113	Lubbock, TX	34.35	99	108
114	Cape Coral, FL	34.23	7	125
115	Huntsville, AL	34.19	140	106
116	Corpus Christi, TX	34.06	38	135
117	Burlington, VT	33.91	143	111
118	Norfolk, VA	33.90	98	109
119	Oxnard, CA	33.87	167	86
120	Chesapeake, VA	33.78	93	129
121	Wichita, KS	33.75	91	120
122	Cedar Rapids, IA	33.63	53	137
123	Chula Vista, CA	33.53	124	113
124	Brownsville, TX	33.34	72	155
125	Gilbert, AZ	33.22	14	130
126	Glendale, AZ	32.86	27	124
127	Fort Wayne, IN	32.79	78	132
128	Henderson, NV	32.66	90	121
129	Toledo, OH	32.49	64	131
130	Charleston, WV	32.48	63	167
131	Newport News, VA	32.47	96	134
132	Dover, DE	32.25	76	157
133	Akron, OH	32.20	137	126
134	Manchester, NH	32.05	88	146
135	Baton Rouge, LA	31.93	170	104
136	Little Rock, AR	31.58	146	123
137	Amarillo, TX	31.46	75	150
138	Irving, TX	31.45	118	138
139	Fremont, CA	31.40	174	99
140	Overland Park, KS	30.63	165	117
141	San Bernardino, CA	30.61	109	143
142	Chattanooga, TN	30.56	158	128
143	Fargo, ND	30.52	132	154
144	Santa Clarita, CA	30.46	131	140
145	Mobile, AL	30.31	117	145
146	Worcester, MA	30.08	160	122
147	North Las Vegas, NV	29.80	113	141
148	Winston-Salem, NC	29.79	154	139
149	Port St. Lucie, FL	29.58	133	152
150	Garland, TX	29.41	110	158
151	Columbus, GA	29.22	102	169
152	Nashua, NH	29.20	150	162
153	Fontana, CA	28.92	169	142
154	Shreveport, LA	28.80	125	163
155	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	28.70	156	144
156	Augusta, GA	28.62	121	161
157	Aurora, IL	28.54	161	148
158	Warwick, RI	28.53	142	153
159	Casper, WY	28.49	54	180
160	Huntington, WV	28.48	69	177
161	Bismarck, ND	28.38	130	173
162	New Haven, CT	28.34	178	119
163	Fayetteville, NC	28.30	139	164
164	South Burlington, VT	28.12	147	156
165	Rapid City, SD	28.02	157	160
166	Las Cruces, NM	27.90	105	176
167	Ontario, CA	27.86	172	127
168	Fort Smith, AR	27.70	134	172
169	Grand Prairie, TX	27.56	115	165
170	Yonkers, NY	27.41	180	118
171	Bridgeport, CT	26.83	176	147
172	Cheyenne, WY	26.63	97	179
173	Montgomery, AL	26.57	149	170
174	Lewiston, ME	26.41	152	174
175	Columbia, MD	26.16	164	171
176	Moreno Valley, CA	25.73	155	159
177	Jackson, MS	24.40	177	168
178	Nampa, ID	24.15	129	175
179	Gulfport, MS	24.01	168	182
180	West Valley City, UT	23.73	144	181
181	Juneau, AK	23.10	181	166
182	Pearl City, HI	17.46	182	178

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:

1. What tips can you provide to foodies on a tight budget?
2. In evaluating the best foodie cities for your wallet, what are the top five indicators?
3. What tips can you offer to health-conscious foodies who like to eat out?
4. What role, if any, can local authorities play in improving the food scene in their city?

Methodology

In order to determine the best and cheapest local foodie scenes, WalletHub’s analysts 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 24 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 total 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 (~6.67 Points)
• Accessibility & Affordability of High-Quality Restaurants: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the prevalence of affordable restaurants with ratings of at least 4.5 stars.
• Restaurant Meal Cost: Double Weight (~6.67 Points)
• Sales Tax: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Food Tax: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Restaurant Tax: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Average Beer & Wine Price: Full Weight (~3.33 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 (~11.51 Points)
• Ratio of Full-Service Restaurants to Fast-Food Establishments: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Restaurant Diversity: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Presence of Michelin-Starred Restaurants: Quarter Weight (~0.96 Points)
• Average Ranking of Restaurants on Yelp’s “Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.” List: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Food Trucks per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Access to Healthy Food Options: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Farmers Markets & CSA Programs per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
  Note: “CSA” refers to community-supported agriculture.
• Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Craft Breweries & Wineries per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Gourmet Specialty-Food Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
  Note: “Gourmet Specialty-Food Stores” includes, among others, candy stores, chocolatiers and cheese shops.
• Grocery Stores per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Butcher Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Food Festivals per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Cooking Schools per Capita*: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
• Food Freshness: Full Weight (~3.84 Points)
  Note: The percentage of workers involved in agricultural activities was used as a proxy for this metric.

 
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 and Yelp.