Pizza may have been invented in Italy, but we’ve made it our own. It’s been computed that U.S. residents consume about three billion pies per year. There probably isn’t a town of more than a thousand people in America that doesn’t have at least one pizzeria, and many cities have developed identifiable pizza styles and traditions of their own. (These are the most iconic foods every state has given the rest of the U.S.)
Unique varieties aside, which cities are best for pizza lovers? The lawn care company LawnStarter recently surveyed the country’s hundred largest metropolises to compile a list of 2021’s best cities for pizza addicts.
The survey established rankings based on five metrics: total pizza purveyors per 100,000 residents, average cost of a pizza, search interest for “pizza delivery,” how that search interest compared to search interest for just “food delivery,” and the Instagram popularity of pizza businesses.
Pizza-lovers might find some surprises in the list. California has had a huge influence on the American pizza scene, for instance, thanks to the artisanal efforts of Alice Waters at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse and, even moreso, the widely copied post-modern pizza innovations of the ubiquitous Wolfgang Puck of Los Angeles. Yet the highest ranked California city on this list is San Diego, at No. 27 — and only four Golden State cities appear in the top 50. (The absence of Connecticut’s renowned pizza capital, New Haven, is doubtless due to the fact that it’s too small to have been included in the survey.)
The most popular pizza topping in the country by far (not counting the traditional pizza sauce and mozzarella) is pepperoni. It also functions as an edible illustration of how we have made pizza our own, since there’s no such thing as pepperoni pizza in Italy. (Here are 10 Italian dishes that aren’t really Italian.)
Sausage, mushrooms, and “extra cheese” are also common additions to pizza. Some top pizza cities have their own regional specialties, though, and these, added by 24/7 Tempo, are indicated in the list that follows.
Click here to see the best cities for pizza lovers.
50. St. Paul, Minnesota
> Population: 304,547
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $12.59
> Favorite pizza: Sausage and sauerkraut
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49. San Francisco, California
> Population: 874,961
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $13.59
> Favorite pizza: Heirloom tomato
48. Omaha, Nebraska
> Population: 475,862
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.35
> Favorite pizza: Ground beef
47. Norfolk, Virginia
> Population: 244,601
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $12.27
> Favorite pizza: BBQ chicken
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46. Bakersfield, California
> Population: 377,917
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.64
> Favorite pizza: Pepperoni
45. Baltimore, Maryland
> Population: 609,032
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $9.66
> Favorite pizza: Bacon and clam
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44. Kansas City, Missouri
> Population: 486,404
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.98
> Favorite pizza: Bacon, sausage, and pepperoni
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43. Memphis, Tennessee
> Population: 651,932
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.59
> Favorite pizza: BBQ pork
42. Louisville, Kentucky
> Population: 617,790
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $7.97
> Favorite pizza: Country ham
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41. Minneapolis, Minnesota
> Population: 420,324
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $12.59
> Favorite pizza: Hotdish (tater tots and mushroom sauce)
40. New Orleans, Louisiana
> Population: 390,845
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $7.22
> Favorite pizza: Crawfish
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39. Austin, Texas
> Population: 950,807
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.58
> Favorite pizza: Brisket
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38. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Population: 1,579,075
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $8.96
> Favorite pizza: Cheesesteak
37. Fort Wayne, Indiana
> Population: 265,752
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.06
> Favorite pizza: Mushrooms and sausage
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36. Indianapolis, Indiana
> Population: 864,447
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.05
> Favorite pizza: Cheese and pepperoni
35. Greensboro, North Carolina
> Population: 291,303
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $13.47
> Favorite pizza: Mushrooms and pepperoni
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34. Charlotte, North Carolina
> Population: 857,425
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $13.47
> Favorite pizza: Sweet Italian sausage
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33. Washington, District of Columbia
> Population: 692,683
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $12.53
> Favorite pizza: Pepperoni
32. Phoenix, Arizona
> Population: 1,633,017
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $8.01
> Favorite pizza: Margherita
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31. Portland, Oregon
> Population: 645,291
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.15
> Favorite pizza: Pepperoni and pineapple
30. Madison, Wisconsin
> Population: 254,977
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.47
> Favorite pizza: Veggie
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29. Durham, North Carolina
> Population: 269,702
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $13.41
> Favorite pizza: BBQ pork
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28. Los Angeles, California
> Population: 3,966,936
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $12.53
> Favorite pizza: Goat cheese
27. San Diego, California
> Population: 1,409,573
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.90
> Favorite pizza: White (mozzarella, ricotta, and garlic)
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26. Nashville, Tennessee
> Population: 663,750
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.58
> Favorite pizza: Hot chicken
25. Albuquerque, New Mexico
> Population: 559,374
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.64
> Favorite pizza: Green chile
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24. Raleigh, North Carolina
> Population: 464,485
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $13.52
> Favorite pizza: Pepperoni
23. Boise City, Idaho
> Population: 226,115
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.67
> Favorite pizza: Cheese and black olives
22. Tulsa, Oklahoma
> Population: 402,324
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.07
> Favorite pizza: White (mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan)
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21. Houston, Texas
> Population: 2,310,432
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.47
> Favorite pizza: Mozzarella and Italian sausage
20. Miami, Florida
> Population: 454,279
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.34
> Favorite pizza: Cuban (mozzarella, gouda, picadillo)
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19. Buffalo, New York
> Population: 256,480
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.82
> Favorite pizza: Buffalo chicken
18. Fort Worth, Texas
> Population: 874,401
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.87
> Favorite pizza: Barbecue chicken
17. Jacksonville, Florida
> Population: 890,467
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $9.64
> Favorite pizza: Sausage and cheese
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16. Columbus, Ohio
> Population: 878,553
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.44
> Favorite pizza: Tomato sauce and parmesan
15. Dallas, Texas
> Population: 1,330,612
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.87
> Favorite pizza: BBQ sauce and brisket
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14. Orlando, Florida
> Population: 280,832
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $9.64
> Favorite pizza: Fruit (mango, strawberry, etc.)
13. Boston, Massachusetts
> Population: 684,379
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.36
> Favorite pizza: Cheese and bacon
12. Denver, Colorado
> Population: 705,576
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.72
> Favorite pizza: Pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms
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11. St. Petersburg, Florida
> Population: 261,338
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $9.29
> Favorite pizza: Brooklyn-style plain cheese
10. Richmond, Virginia
> Population: 226,622
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $12.28
> Favorite pizza: Vegan cheese
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9. Cleveland, Ohio
> Population: 385,282
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.51
> Favorite pizza: Bratwurst
8. Atlanta, Georgia
> Population: 488,800
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.80
> Favorite pizza: Mushrooms, pepperoni, and extra cheese
7. Las Vegas, Nevada
> Population: 634,773
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $9.29
> Favorite pizza: Margherita
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6. St. Louis, Missouri
> Population: 308,174
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.99
> Favorite pizza: Provel cheese
5. Tampa, Florida
> Population: 387,916
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $9.29
> Favorite pizza: Cuban sandwich (roast pork, salami, ham, pickles)
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4. Cincinnati, Ohio
> Population: 301,394
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $11.51
> Favorite pizza: Goetta (ground pork and oat sausage)
3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
> Population: 302,205
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $8.85
> Favorite pizza: Italian beef
2. Chicago, Illinois
> Population: 2,709,534
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $10.01
> Favorite pizza: Cheese (deep dish)
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1. New York, New York
> Population: 8,419,316
> Cost of living-adjusted price of a cheese pizza: $13.13
> Favorite pizza: Pepperoni
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