The 10 Best Cities for Vegans and Vegetarians in the U.S.

If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll do well in California.

By CaLea Johnson |
L.A. is at the top of the list of the best vegan and vegetarian cities.
L.A. is at the top of the list of the best vegan and vegetarian cities. / Kseniya Ovchinnikova/GettyImages

Vegetarian and vegan diets are gaining popularity in many countries. In addition to being rich in nutrients and easier on the environment than beef, plant-based foods are more accessible than ever. Whether you’ve given up meat or you’re considering making the change, you can find the U.S. cities best suited for the lifestyle below.

To determine the most vegan- and vegetarian-friendly places to live, personal finance site WalletHub scored the 100 most densely populated cities across the country. Researchers focused on three categories: affordability; diversity, accessibility and quality; and vegetarian lifestyle. These categories were then broken down into more specific metrics. Farmers markets per capita, for example, fell under diversity, accessibility, and quality, while availability of vegan and vegetarian festivals fell under lifestyle.

Using these criteria, WalletHub graded the cities on a 100-point scale. Here are the top 10:

Rank

City

Score

1

Los Angeles

61.26

2

Orlando, Florida

60.60

3

Portland, Oregon

59.63

4

San Diego, California

58.08

5

Seattle

56.68

6

Austin, Texas

55.96

7

San Francisco

55.65

8

Miami

55.59

9

Phoenix

54.11

10

Tampa, Florida

53.92

Los Angeles, California, came out on top, with a vegan- and vegetarian-friendly score of 61.26 points out of 100. Although the city isn’t known for affordability, it has the second-highest number of highly-rated, affordable restaurants with vegetarian and vegan options. It’s also home to an abundance of farmers markets, community gardens, and organic farms.

Orlando, Florida, is right behind L.A. with a score of 60.6 points. The city boasts the second-most juice and smoothie bars and the third-highest number of salad shops per capita. Groceries are also generally affordable there. Though not vegan, Orlando’s egg prices are some of the cheapest of any city, which is great news for vegetarians who depend on them for protein.

In third place comes Portland, Oregon. Residents typically order vegan or vegetarian food 148 percent more often than the average U.S. consumer. This might be because Portland has the fourth-largest number of reasonably-priced restaurants with vegetarian or vegan options with at least a 4.5 Yelp rating.

If you’re not able to travel for a vegan or vegetarian feast, consider making these plant-based recipes at home.

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