“Vegetarianism” and “veganism” may be buzzwords in the culinary world, but are Americans really giving up their love of meat? In percentage terms, not many Americans have cut meat completely out of their diets. Yet they seem to be in favor of eating less meat.
In a 2020 poll by Gallup, 23% of Americans said they ate less meat compared to the year before. A scant 5% reported eating more meat. So that leaves a significant majority — 72% — saying that they’re chowing down on about as much meat as they always have.
Indeed, in a 2018 Gallup poll, only 5% of Americans identified as vegetarian, down from 6% in a similar 1999 poll. The Vegetarian Resource Group sponsored a survey in 2019 in conjunction with the Harris Poll, and uncovered similar results. After surveying 2,000 U.S. adults age 18 or older, 4% identified as vegetarian and 2% as vegan.
But in an interesting finding that has implications for restaurateurs, 46% said they sometimes or always order vegetarian meals when dining out. This suggests that while the majority of Americans may not be hardcore vegetarian or vegan, they’re willing to go meatless on occasion. (Consider these 30 ways to be more environmentally friendly.)
To determine the best cities for vegans and vegetarians, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from WalletHub, which evaluated the 100 largest cities in the country using 16 relevant metrics in three key categories: affordability of groceries and restaurant meals; a combination of diversity, accessibility, and quality (including share of restaurants serving vegan and vegetarian options and per capita numbers of salad shops, community gardens, and vegetarian cooking classes); and vegetarian lifestyle (including number of vegan and vegetarian meetups per capita). In compiling the data, WalletHub drew on 11 sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, USDA Organic IndianaTEGRITY Database, the Council for Community and Economic Research, GrubHub, Meetup, and Yelp.
Click here to see the best American cities for vegans and vegetarians
The West Coast is strongly represented on the list, with Portland (Oregon), Los Angeles, and San Francisco in the top five. Orlando and, in somewhat of a surprise, Boise, round out the top quintet. But in any city here, you can find a delicious plant-based meal when you want to go meatless — even for a day. (Check out the best hidden gem restaurant in every state.)
50. Dallas, Texas
> Affordability: 32nd best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 49th best out of the 100 largest cities
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49. Aurora, Colorado
> Affordability: 20th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 89th best out of the 100 largest cities
48. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
> Affordability: 36th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 45th best out of the 100 largest cities
47. San Antonio, Texas
> Affordability: 13th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 69th best out of the 100 largest cities
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46. Omaha, Nebraska
> Affordability: 50th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 61st best out of the 100 largest cities
45. Cincinnati, Ohio
> Affordability: 31st best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 36th best out of the 100 largest cities
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44. Mesa, Arizona
> Affordability: 39th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 63rd best out of the 100 largest cities
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43. Phoenix, Arizona
> Affordability: 45th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 44th best out of the 100 largest cities
42. St. Paul, Minnesota
> Affordability: 70th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 46th best out of the 100 largest cities
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41. Chandler, Arizona
> Affordability: 63rd best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 42nd best out of the 100 largest cities
40. Laredo, Texas
> Affordability: 1st best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 99th best out of the 100 largest cities
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39. Raleigh, North Carolina
> Affordability: 48th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 48th best out of the 100 largest cities
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38. Louisville, Kentucky
> Affordability: 19th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 38th best out of the 100 largest cities
37. Irvine, California
> Affordability: 72nd best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 53rd best out of the 100 largest cities
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36. Denver, Colorado
> Affordability: 75th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 13th best out of the 100 largest cities
35. Long Beach, California
> Affordability: 85th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 35th best out of the 100 largest cities
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34. Charlotte, North Carolina
> Affordability: 61st best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 29th best out of the 100 largest cities
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33. Jersey City, New Jersey
> Affordability: 33rd best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 91st best out of the 100 largest cities
32. Fresno, California
> Affordability: 76th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 26th best out of the 100 largest cities
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31. Tucson, Arizona
> Affordability: 53rd best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 21st best out of the 100 largest cities
30. Gilbert, Arizona
> Affordability: 54th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 41st best out of the 100 largest cities
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29. Anaheim, California
> Affordability: 86th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 64th best out of the 100 largest cities
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28. Plano, Texas
> Affordability: 8th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 67th best out of the 100 largest cities
27. Scottsdale, Arizona
> Affordability: 58th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 20th best out of the 100 largest cities
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26. Indianapolis, Indiana
> Affordability: 25th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 54th best out of the 100 largest cities
25. Birmingham, Alabama
> Affordability: 28th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 18th best out of the 100 largest cities
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24. Lubbock, Texas
> Affordability: 6th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 79th best out of the 100 largest cities
23. Lincoln, Nebraska
> Affordability: 4th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 90th best out of the 100 largest cities
22. El Paso, Texas
> Affordability: 7th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 87th best out of the 100 largest cities
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21. Houston, Texas
> Affordability: 12th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 56th best out of the 100 largest cities
20. Las Vegas, Nevada
> Affordability: 24th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 15th best out of the 100 largest cities
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19. Fort Wayne, Indiana
> Affordability: 10th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 74th best out of the 100 largest cities
18. Chicago, Illinois
> Affordability: 18th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 19th best out of the 100 largest cities
17. Bakersfield, California
> Affordability: 30th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 34th best out of the 100 largest cities
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16. Washington, DC
> Affordability: 94th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 7th best out of the 100 largest cities
15. Madison, Wisconsin
> Affordability: 67th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 17th best out of the 100 largest cities
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14. New York, New York
> Affordability: 74th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 6th best out of the 100 largest cities
13. Miami, Florida
> Affordability: 84th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 4th best out of the 100 largest cities
12. Atlanta, Georgia
> Affordability: 51st best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 12th best out of the 100 largest cities
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11. Tampa, Florida
> Affordability: 65th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 8th best out of the 100 largest cities
10. San Diego, California
> Affordability: 43rd best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 9th best out of the 100 largest cities
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9. Oakland, California
> Affordability: 99th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 23rd best out of the 100 largest cities
8. Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
> Affordability: 15th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 65th best out of the 100 largest cities
7. Seattle, Washington
> Affordability: 90th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 5th best out of the 100 largest cities
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6. Austin, Texas
> Affordability: 11th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 11th best out of the 100 largest cities
5. Boise, Idaho
> Affordability: 26th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 14th best out of the 100 largest cities
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4. San Francisco, California
> Affordability: 98th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 1st best out of the 100 largest cities
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3. Los Angeles, California
> Affordability: 35th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 16th best out of the 100 largest cities
2. Orlando, Florida
> Affordability: 41st best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 2nd best out of the 100 largest cities
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1. Portland, Oregon
> Affordability: 29th best out of the 100 largest cities
> Diversity, accessibility, and quality: 3rd best out of the 100 largest cities
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