Seattle ranks among top 5 best cities for foodies in new study

Foodie friendly cities, as defined by WalletHub, offer affordable options that maintain quality and appeal to all types of food lovers.

Seattle was ranked the 4th best city for foodies, according to a study by WalletHub.

The finance company surveyed more than 180 cities in the U.S. and used 28 key factors to determine foodiness.

Portland ranked second-best city for foodies, Seattle fourth

Coming in at number one was Miami, number two was Portland, and just barely beating Seattle (by 0.13 points) in third place was San Francisco. However, Seattle ranked third for diversity, accessibility, and quality.

“In the best foodie cities, including Miami, FL, Portland, OR, and San Francisco, CA, there are tons of unique culinary experiences to try, from food trucks to specialty-food stores to, in some cities, Michelin-starred restaurants,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo stated in the study. “The top cities cater not just to people who enjoy dining out, but also to foodies who enjoy putting their own skills to the test by exploring new flavors in their own kitchens.”

WalletHub noted that Portland wasn’t ranked number one because, unlike Miami and San Francisco, it doesn’t have any Michelin-starred restaurants. However, it stood out for its range of options and for not taxing food.

“Portland, OR, is the second-best foodie city, standing out in terms of the number of craft breweries and wineries, herbs and spices shops, food and wine tours, and food festivals per capita,” WalletHub wrote.

Rounding out the top 10 in most foodie-friendly cities were Orlando, FL, Austin, TX, Tampa, FL, Las Vegas, NV, Sacramento, CA, and San Diego, CA. The least foodie friendly cities surveyed were Pearl City, HI, Lewiston, ME, and Moreno Valley, CA.

Seattle ranks low in affordability

Although Seattle was ranked 4th overall, it was ranked 166th in affordability. Cities with lower overall scores, but ranked high in affordability, were Garland, TX, Wilmington, DE, and Grand Rapids, MI.

When it came to affordable groceries, Texas cities took four out of the top five spots, with the cheapest groceries seen in Laredo, Brownsville, Amarillo, and Corpus Christi, along with Fort Smith, AR. The cities with the most expensive groceries were San Francisco, CA, Anchorage, AK, Juneau, AK, Honolulu, HI, and Pearl City, HI.

Another category where Seattle stood out was, of course, craft breweries and wineries per capita. Seattle took the third spot, coming in behind Portland, OR, and Santa Rosa, CA.

But those looking for cheap drinks should visit Nevada, with Reno, Las Vegas, and North Las Vegas showing the lowest average beer and wine prices. Meanwhile, Anchorage, AK, Pittsburgh, PA, and Jersey City, NJ had the highest average beer and wine prices.

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