Last Updated on September 26, 2024
Around 6% of U.S. adults consider themselves vegan or vegetarian, which accounts for over 15.7 million people nationwide.
As a California resident, I thought these numbers according to WalletHub to be low, but realize I have to consider that the West Coast likely has the greatest number of non-meat eaters.
With meat prices experiencing larger year-over-year inflation compared to that of fruits and vegetables, American are finding that working some vegetarian or vegan meals into their diet to be an attractive option. My husband and I have done this for health reasons and it’s been a fun challenge finding recipes we love and restaurants offering these more-healthy options.
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.
The researchers examined each city based on metrics such as the cost of groceries for vegetarians, the share of restaurants serving meatless options, and the number of salad shops per capita.
A growing number of fast-food chains have even started offering vegetarian or vegan meals.
“While vegetarians and vegans are still a relatively small share of the population, businesses are recognizing their impact on their market,” Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst, said. “Just look at businesses like McDonald’s and Burger King incorporating Beyond Meat and Impossible burgers into their menus. 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.”
10 Most-Vegetarian & Vegan U.S. Cities
1.Los Angeles, CA
It should come as no surprise that Los Angeles ranks first when you consider that L.A. residents eat vegan 187% more often than the U.S. average.
In addition, the city has plenty of places to buy fresh produce for making your own vegetarian or vegan food at home. It has the ninth-most farmers markets, 11th-most organic farms, 12th-most community gardens and 19th-most vegetable nurseries and gardening shops per capita.
On top of that, Los Angeles has the 11th-most vegetarian cooking classes and 15th-most vegan meetups per capita. It also hosts vegetarian and vegan festivals, such as VegFest Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Vegan Beer & Food Festival. Residents who prefer the veggie lifestyle have plenty of ways to meet like-minded people.
2. Orlando, Florida
Orlando is the second-best city for vegetarians and vegans; it has second-most juice and smoothie bars, second-most vegetable nurseries per capita and third-most salad shops per capita. It also has the eighth-highest share of restaurants with vegetarian options and the sixth-highest share with vegan options.
In addition, the prices of certain vegetarian foods are surprisingly low in Orlando. For example, Orlando is the fourth-cheapest city for bananas, the fifth-cheapest for cooking oil, and the second-cheapest for cereals. Plus, it’s one of the least-expensive cities for eggs – which many vegetarians use as a source of protein rather than meat.
Finally, Orlando has the 6th-best access to fresh vegetarian food, and it hosts festivals such as Central Florida VegFest.
3. Portland, Oregon
One contributing factor to Portland’s high ranking is its fourth-largest number of affordable restaurants with vegetarian or vegan options holding 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 percent more often than the U.S. average. Portland also has the ninth-highest percentage of people who consume vegetables daily.
4. San Diego, California
5. Seattle, Washington
6. Austin, Texas
7. San Francisco, California
8. Miami, Florida
9. Phoenix, Arizona
10. Tampa, Florida
11. New York, NY
12. Washington, D.C.
13. Oakland, California
14. Las Vegas, Nevada
15. Chicago, Illinois
16. Atlanta, Georgia
17. Madison, Wisconsin
18. Houston, Texas
19. Sacramento, California
20. San Antonio, Texas
21. Cincinnati, Ohio
22. Tucson, Arizona
23. Denver, Colorado
24. St Paul, Minnesota
25. Lexington, Kentucky
