Planning a Trip? These US Cities Have the Top Vegan-Friendly Food Scenes

Hungry for plant-based foods, American diners are searching for the best plant-based options at every corner, and a new report has unveiled which cities offer the most sustainable, healthy plant-based options. Among the 100 biggest cities in the United States, Scottsdale, Arizona is the highest ranking U.S. city for its percentage of vegan options at restaurants, according to WalletHub. The report found that 16 percent of Scottsdale's restaurants provide customers with vegan eats.

The report details the top five vegan-friendly cities based on information provided by TripAdvisor. Following Scottsdale, the report revealed that St. Petersburg, Florida (14 percent); Washington, DC (13 percent); New Orleans, Louisiana (12 percent); and New York City, New York (12 percent) offered the most vegan options citywide.

WalletHub also recorded the worst cities for vegan options, finding that North Las Vegas, Nevada had 20 times fewer offerings than Scottsdale. Other cities trailing behind include Laredo, Texas; Newark, New Jersey; Hialeah, Florida; and Garland, Texas.

Because 54 percent of millennials are eating more plant-based, identifying as "flexitarians," vegetarian options have gained even more attention than fully vegan foods. WalletHub's report reveals that Plano, Texas ranks best for a percentage of restaurants serving vegetarian options at 64 percent. This is 22 times better than the lowest percentage in Laredo, Texas.

The Best City for Plant-Based Food

This new report presented a comprehensive ranking of the best vegan and vegetarian cities in the entire U.S. Portland, Oregon is ranked as the most plant-based friendly city due to its high amount of community gardens, organic farms, and restaurant options. Despite this, the data indicates that Portland costs more for vegan and vegetarian shoppers than other cities.

WalletHub analyzed the 100 largest cities across three categories: affordability; diversity, accessibility, and quality; and vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. The report examined these categories using 17 relevant metrics of vegan- and vegetarian-friendliness. This means that the report evaluated how the cost and accessibilities of plant-based groceries and restaurants differentiate between cities.

Following Portland, the overall best cities for plant-based consumers include Orlando, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Austin, Texas. The worst city was revealed to be San Bernadino, California.

Growing Interest in Vegan Tourism

Approximately 15.5 million American adults are vegan or vegetarian and even more, hope to reduce their meat consumption. Nearly 76 percent of travelers noted that ethical and environmental sourcing of food influences their choices when planning their vacation. Before recently, traveling with strict dietary preferences could be overly stressful. Now, cities worldwide have introduced more vegan options than ever before. One study from last year found that vegan meat appeared on menus over 1,320 times more than before 2020 as healthier, more sustainable options become more popular.

For plant-based tourists, Vegvisits was launched to alleviate the stress of plant-based travel.
The app is available in over 80 countries, and the founders intend to expand the company's reach even further. But this app only helps you once you arrive at the destination. Luckily, several airlines including United Airlines and Delta have launched plant-based options designed to keep vegan flyers happy and full during their travels.

To find plant-based food anywhere in the world, check out The Beet's Find Vegan Near Me.