These are the best foodie cities in the US, according to a new ranking
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If you’re a foodie, here’s a list of cities that you might want to add to your next places to visit.
WalletHub compared more than 180 major U.S. cities to determine the best locations for food lovers.
Rather than evaluating high-end dining alone, the study aimed to balance culinary excellence with everyday affordability for diners on varying budgets.
Map: Top 20 foodie cities
For the full ranking, click here.
Best foodie cities ranked
Dig deeper:
The rankings are built around two primary dimensions: affordability and diversity, accessibility and quality.
To evaluate these areas, WalletHub analyzed nearly 30 metrics, including meal costs, sales tax rates, grocery affordability, and the prevalence of full-service restaurants, craft breweries, food trucks, and farmers' markets per capita.
Miami topped the list
Big picture view:
Top-tier cities like Miami, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Austin lead the overall rankings.
These cities score exceptionally high in culinary diversity and quality, offering vast selections of craft venues, gourmet specialty markets, and diverse international cuisines.
Affordability played a major role in shifting overall results compared to traditional food rankings, according to WalletHub’s data.
While famous culinary hubs like New York City and San Francisco rank near the top for quality, high dining costs and taxes significantly lowered their overall affordability rank, giving mid-sized or lower-cost cities an edge.
Ultimately, the study highlights that America's top foodie destinations are defined not just by award-winning restaurants, but by vibrant, accessible food cultures that make rich culinary experiences available to everyday diners.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from a WalletHub analysis based on data as of August 31, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, Federation of Tax Administrators, Tax Foundation, County Health Rankings, Avalara, Numbeo, TripAdvisor and Yelp. This story was reported from San Jose.