The word foodie gets tossed around a lot, but generally applies to anyone who loves everything from gourmet dining to a humble street taco to cooking at home with top ingredients. If you view every meal as a culinary adventure, but don’t want to break the bank following your tastebuds, then a recent study by WalletHub reveals just what you need: the best and the cheapest foodie cities in the U.S.
To determine the best foodie cities, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities based on data ranging from the cost of groceries to the number of food festivals per capita. The ranking was based on the affordability of food in a particular city (30 percent) as well as the diversity, accessibility and quality of food (70 percent).
Taking the crown as the best foodie city in the U.S. is Miami, and it’s not just because of the fancy beachside restaurants. Sure, there are plenty of those, but the city also has a slew of amazing, affordable spots. Miami also has a high diversity of restaurants, and it’s home to 14 that have earned Michelin stars. Miami’s got you covered if you’re a home chef, too. It’s packed with farmers' markets, gourmet food stores, butcher shops and kitchen supply stores.
At number two is San Francisco. If you can afford to live there, the food scene makes up for the high rent. This city has one of the highest numbers of restaurants per capita, so there’s no shortage of places to eat your way through the day. San Francisco boasts 25 Michelin-starred restaurants. The diversity of cuisines is unmatched, with plenty of healthy food options, too. Food festivals, cooking schools, specialty stores and craft breweries make San Francisco a foodie heaven.
Orlando might be known for theme parks peddling giant turkey legs and Mickey-shaped ice cream bars, but Orlando’s food scene is surprisingly good. It’s home to food trucks, ice cream and coffee shops, and even Michelin-starred restaurants that will have you forgetting about roller coasters for a while. Orlando ranks high for diversity in food options, so you can mix it up regularly.
For foodies focused solely on the most bang for a buck, the most affordable foodie cities according to WalletHub include Salem, Oregon; Wilmington, Delaware; Lincoln, Nebraska and Fargo, North Dakota.
Whether you’re chasing five-star meals or seeking out hidden gems, these cities are serving up food scenes that are definitely worth exploring.
Ten best cities for foodies, according to WalletHub
- Miami, FL
- San Francisco, CA
- Orlando, FL
- Portland, OR
- Tampa, FL
- Sacramento, CA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Seattle, WA
- Denver, CO
- San Diego, CA