While there isn't an official count, a Gallup report found that about 4% of U.S. residents say they're vegetarian and 1% say they're vegan.
To determine the best and cheapest places for a plant-based diet, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities to see which are best, including two Florida cities in the top ten.
“While vegetarians and vegans are still a relatively small share of the population, businesses are recognizing their impact on their market," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. "With meat prices rising significantly faster than vegetable prices, too, we may see a lot more people taking a foray into a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle in the near future.”
Officials at the personal finance website used a range of indicators to determine
its rankings, including grocery costs, the share of restaurants with vegetarian options, and community gardens per capita, among others.
What are the best Florida cities for vegans and vegetarians?
Two Florida cities appeared in the top 10 best cities for vegans and vegetarians: Orlando and Tampa.
Orlando ranked seventh on the list, with an overall score of 54.45. It ranked high for accessibility and lifestyle but scored lower on affordability.
Over 80 miles away, Tampa ranked tenth on the list, with a score of 52.96. Like Orlando, the city scored high for accessibility and lifestyle but lower on affordability.
What is the best city for vegans and vegetarians?
Oregon's Portland is the best city for vegans and vegetarians, according to Wallethub. It says many Portland residents embrace the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, with residents ordering this type of cuisine 148% more often than the U.S. average.
"One contributing factor is that it has the third-largest number of affordable restaurants with vegetarian or vegan options that have at least 4.5 stars on Yelp. In addition, the city has a very high number of organic farms, community gardens, farmers' markets and vegetable nurseries per capita."
What are the top U.S. cities for vegans and vegetarians? See top 10
These are the top U.S. cities to be vegetarian or vegan, according to WalletHub.
- Portland
- Los Angeles
- Austin
- San Francisco
- Oakland
- Seattle
- Orlando
- San Diego
- Madison
- Tampa
Contributing: Blaise Mesa, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida cities rank among best for vegetarians. What makes them favorable
