The Best Cities For Vegetarians & Vegans

Author Nicole Weaver

September 27th, 2022 7:23 AM

BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 27: Postcards which read Go Vegan at vegan cafe No Milk Today on January 27, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. No Milk Today offers among other self made vegan cakes and pies, smoothies, and breakfast. Since vegan and vegetarian food is a growing trend, more and more stores are specializing in pure herbal products as an alternative to conventional food. (Photo by Steffi Loos/Getty Images)

While a lot of us can’t imagine going a day without eating meat, there are plenty of people in this country who swear by the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. And while it’s getting easier and easier to be vegan/vegetarian these days, there are still some areas in the country that provide better options than others.

WalletHub has just come out with their list of the Best Cities for Vegans and Vegetarians. They judged 100 of the largest American cities across 17 key indicators of vegan- and vegetarian-friendliness, in areas of Affordability, Diversity, Accessibility & Quality, and Vegetarian Lifestyle. That includes things like the cost of groceries for vegetarians, the share of restaurants serving vegan and vegetarian options, cities most likely to order vegetarian options, and more.

So, which city is the best?

Portland, Oregon apparently, which scores 61.15 overall. Portland comes in fifth for diversity, accessibility, and quality, although it’s at 38^th for affordability so apparently being vegetarian and vegan there isn’t necessarily cheap. San Francisco, which is seventh overall, is tops for diversity, accessibility, and for a vegetarian lifestyle, while Laredo, Texas is number one for affordability.

Top Ten Most Vegan & Vegetarian-Friendly Cities

Portland, OR
Orlando, FL
Los Angeles, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Francisco, CA
Tampa, FL
San Diego, CA
Lexington-Fayette, KY

As for the least-friendly city for vegans and vegetarians, San Bernardino, California gets the honor, scoring just a 25.11 and landing pretty low on the list in all three categories, especially diversity, accessibility, and quality.

North Carolina City One Of The Worst For Vegans and Vegetarians

Bad news for vegans and vegetarians in the state. One North Carolina city was ranked one of the worst for vegans and vegetarians in the country. The rankings were compiled by WalletHub by ranking the 100 most populated cities across three key dimensions: 1) Affordability, 2) Diversity, Accessibility & Quality and 3) Vegetarian Lifestyle. And of the five North Carolina cities that fall into the top 50, three were in the bottom 50% and all were in the bottom 60%. And one, well it’s the bottom 10 percent of the country.

You may not realize it but approximately 15.5 million U.S. adults are either vegan or vegetarian. Even with that large of a number, it can still be difficult to find vegan/vegetarian-friendly items at restaurants. And when the options are there they tend to be higher priced. But some cities are better equipped for those choosing a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. And thankfully there are several cities that fit that bill. Many of the cities that are conducive to this type of diet are on the west coast. Though two of the top 10 are in Florida.

To determine the best and cheapest places for a plant-based diet, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities. They did this across 17 key indicators of vegan- and vegetarian-friendliness. Each city was examined based on metrics such as the cost of groceries for vegetarians, the share of restaurants serving meatless options, and salad shops per capita.

You can view the full study here or keep reading to see where each of the largest North Carolina cities ranked in regards to their appeal to vegans and vegetarians. You’ll also see the Top 10 cities.

Where The NC Cities Rank
46. Raleigh, NC

Total Score: 41.65

Affordability: 47

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 54

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 42
47. Charlotte, NC

Total Score: 41.63

Affordability: 56

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 43

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 6
81. Winston-Salem, NC

Total Score: 35.97

Affordability: 49

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 68

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 90
88. Durham, NC

Total Score: 32.86

Affordability: 87

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 60

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 13
93. Greensboro, NC

Total Score: 31.30

Affordability: 58

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 56

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 91
Top 10 Cities For Vegetarians and Vegans
1. Portland, OR
Portland, Oregon, USA downtown skyline with Mt. Hood at dawn.

Total Score: 61.15

Affordability: 38

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 5

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 27
2. Orlando, FL
Orlando downtown skyline panorama over Lake Eola at night with urban skyscrapers, tropic palm tree and clear sky.

Total Score: 56.49

Affordability: 37

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 2

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 15
3. Los Angeles, CA

Total Score: 52.97

Affordability: 45

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 17

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 2
4. Phoenix, AZ

Total Score: 52.81

Affordability: 19

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 13

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 65
5. Austin, TX

Total Score: 52.81

Affordability: 19

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 13

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 65
6. Seattle, WA
Panoramic view of Seattle cityscape and Space Needle at sunset, Washington, USA

Total Score: 51.95

Affordability: 92

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 3

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 3
7. San Francisco, CA
The crookedest street in the world Lombard street at dawn. San Francisco is lightened by morning sun.

Total Score: 51.74

Affordability: 99

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 1

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 1
8. Tampa, FL
Tampa, Florida, USA downtown skyline on the bay at dawn.

Total Score: 50.90

Affordability: 62

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 9

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 5
9. San Diego, CA

Total Score: 50.78

Affordability: 35

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 8

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 19
10. Lexington-Fayette, KY
Aerial view of Jacobson Park Lake and Richmond Road in Lexington, Kentucky

Total Score: 50.47

Affordability: 15

Diversity, Accessibility, & Quality: 63

Vegetarian Lifestyle: 35