When it comes to vegans and vegetarians, 5 California cities rank in the top 20

Did you know that About 15.2 million U.S. adults are vegan or vegetarian. It’s not the easiest lifestyle to adopt, as finding meatless options at restaurants and supermarkets can be a challenge. That’s beginning to change, though, as more and more venues have begun to offer vegetarian or vegan meals, including some of the top fast-food chains in the country.

With Oct. 1 being World Vegetarian Day and Nov. 1 being World Vegan Day, and with the prices of synthetic meat products dropping considerably during the pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021’s Best Cities for Vegans and Vegetarians, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.

To determine the best and cheapest places for following a plant-based diet, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 16 key indicators of vegan- and vegetarian-friendliness. The data set ranges from the share of restaurants serving meatless options to the cost of groceries for vegetarians to salad shops per capita.

Top 20 Cities for Vegans and Vegetarians

1. Portland, OR
2. Orlando, FL
3. Los Angeles, CA
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Boise, ID
6. Austin, TX
7. Seattle, WA
8. Lexington-Fayette, KY
9. Oakland, CA
10. San Diego, CA
11. Tampa, FL
12. Atlanta, GA
13. Miami, FL
14. New York, NY
15. Madison, WI
16. Washington, DC
17. Bakersfield, CA
18. Chicago, IL
19. Fort Wayne, IN
20. Las Vegas, NV

Best vs. Worst

  • Scottsdale, Arizona, has the highest share of restaurants serving vegetarian options, 27.99 percent, which is 10.1 times higher than in Laredo, Texas, the city with the lowest at 2.77 percent.
  • Scottsdale, Arizona, has the highest share of restaurants serving vegan options, 16.41 percent, which is 19.5 times higher than in North Las Vegas, Nevada, the city with the lowest at 0.84 percent.
  • San Francisco has the most community-supported agriculture programs (per square root of population), 0.0160, which is 20 times more than in San Antonio, the city with the fewest at 0.0008.
  • Miami has the most salad shops (per square root of population), 0.2226, which is 18.2 times more than in North Las Vegas, Nevada, the city with the fewest at 0.0122.

To view the full report and your city’s rank, click here.

 

Image Sources

  • Vegetarian meal: Pexels