The Best Pizza Cities in America: 2024 Data

Ranking 50 Pizza Cities | Top 15 Cities for Pizza | Rankings by Category | 10 Worst Pizza Cities | America's Pizza Preferences | Methodology | FAQ

Running a presidential campaign is a lot like making a pizza. Both require a lot of dough, rely heavily on cheesiness, and inevitably, things get heated. 

Americans, however, are generally less interested in political parties than pizza parties. In fact, demand for pizza is so strong that pizza prices are rising faster than overall inflation — 4.0% compared to 3.5%. Talk about kitchen table issues. 

Although the 2024 election looms late in the year, there's one controversial issue we can tackle today: Which U.S. city is the best for pizza lovers? 

New York and Chicago are consistent contenders, and Detroit is coming off back-to-back years of cheesy, greasy glory — improbably topping our 2022 and 2023 rankings. 

To decide 2024's best city for pizza, the data team at Clever Real Estate analyzed a multitude of mouthwatering metrics. We ranked the 50 biggest metro areas in the U.S. using the following parameters for each city:

• Pizza reputation, based on a survey of 1,000 Americans
• Rate of pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents
• Pizza passion, based on local internet search activity for 34 pizza-related terms (e.g., "pizza near me," "pizza delivery," "pan pizza," etc.)
• Average Yelp rating for pizza restaurants
• Average price of a large cheese pizza
• Average price of a large pepperoni pizza
• Share of median annual income required to purchase one cheese pizza each week for a year
• Share of median annual income required to purchase one pepperoni pizza each week for a year

Read on to find out whether your city is the next commander in cheese — or doomed to drop out of the dough-mocratic primary. 

Keep scrolling after our rankings to see the results of a special 2024 pizza poll.

The 50 Best Cities for Pizza, Ranked

From coast to coast, the Northeast and Southwest are America's hubs for premier pizza. By comparison, the South struggled to keep up.

The 15 Best Cities for Pizza

1. Denver, Colorado

The Mile High City is at the top of the mountain when it comes to the best pizza cities. In addition to earning positive Yelp reviews, Denver pizza is easily affordable for the typical resident. 

Buying a cheese pizza each week for a year in Denver requires 1.03% of the median annual income — 30% less than the income required in the average city we reviewed (1.47%).

Denver scored an 82 out of 100 in our pizza passion metric, which measures how often locals are searching Google for pizza-related terms. Denver's score is 14% higher than the average city's score of 72 and includes ranking No. 1 out of 50 cities for online search interest in pan pizza. 

» Read More Stats on Colorado

2. Buffalo, New York

Buffalo's pizza scene has climbed in our rankings each year, from No. 17 in 2022 to No. 9 in 2023. Now, it's earned the title of the second-best pizza city in the U.S. 

Buffalo scored a 92 out of 100 in our pizza passion metric based on local Google search activity, which is 28% higher than the average city's score of 72. The city ranked first nationwide in online searches for several types of pizza, including brick oven pizza, breakfast pizza, taco pizza, and tomato pie. 

Buffalo had a chance to earn the No. 1 spot overall but was hurt by low affordability. Buying a weekly cheese pizza costs typical residents 1.91% of their annual income — 30% more than the average city's cost of 1.47%. 

» Read More Stats on New York

3. Boston, Massachusetts

In addition to affordability, Boston has 12.3 pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents — 46% more than the typical city's rate of 8.4 per 100,000 residents. 

Boston scored an 88 out of 100 in our pizza passion metric, based on how often locals search the web for pizza-related terms. That's 22% higher than the average city's score of 72. Specifically, Boston ranks No. 1 in online search interest for flatbreads and No. 2 for search interest in Greek pizza. 

» Read More Stats on Massachusetts

4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, you can feel the weight of America's history — without waiting too long for a slice. Philadelphia has 11.2 pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents — 33% more than the average city's 8.4 per 100,000. 

Pizza lovers won't go broke here either. Buying a cheese pizza once per week for a year in Philadelphia costs 1.21% of the typical resident's annual income — 18% cheaper than the typical city's cost of 1.47% of annual income. 

Philadelphia scored an 86 out of 100 in our pizza passion metric, based on Google search activity for pizza terms. That's 19% higher than the average city's score of 72 and includes ranking No. 2 in online search interest for varieties such as pizza margherita, pizza bagels, and tomato pie.  

» Read More Stats on Pennsylvania

5. San Diego, California

San Diego is the best pizza city on the West Coast. Pizza restaurants here average 4.13 stars on Yelp, the second-best average of any city.

Plus, you won't have to choose between quality and quantity. The city has 9.4 pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents — 12% more than the typical city, which averages 8.4 per 100,000 people. 

San Diego earned a high overall ranking but was hurt by high pizza prices. A large cheese pizza in San Diego costs about $22.70 — the seventh-highest price point of any city in our study. 

» Read More Stats on California

6. San Francisco, California

San Francisco's pizza prowess doesn't stop with pricing. Local pizza restaurants average 4.03 stars on Yelp, better than the typical city's average of 3.89 and the eighth-best mark of any metro we analyzed.

Word of San Francisco's pizza scene has spread. In a Clever poll of 1,000 Americans, 24% say they consider San Francisco among the top five pizza cities in the U.S. — a higher share than 45 of the 50 cities included in the survey.

San Francisco also ranks No. 1 in the country for online search interest in vegetarian pizza. 

7. Hartford, Connecticut

You won't have to search long to find pizza in this Connecticut city. Hartford has 15.1 pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents, the fourth-highest rate of any metro and nearly twice as many as the average city (8.4 per 100,000). 

Although best known for its ties to the insurance industry, Hartford is starting to get some recognition nationwide for its pizza scene. About 8% of Americans say they consider Hartford a top five pizza city in the U.S. 

Hartford residents seem to have two favorite varieties based on Google Trends data, with the city ranking first in online search interest for Greek pizza and New Haven-style pizza. 

» Read More Stats on Connecticut

8. Washington, D.C.

D.C. made one of the biggest jumps in our rankings this year, graduating into the top 10 from No. 24 overall in 2023. 

This metro has both taste and affordable pricing on its side. Pizza restaurants here are well-reviewed — averaging 3.93 stars on Yelp, just above the typical city's average of 3.89 stars. 

Plus, Washington, D.C., is one of the most affordable cities for pizza lovers. Buying a cheese pizza each week for a year costs 1.2% of the local median annual income. That makes D.C. 18% more affordable than the average city, where it costs 1.47% of annual income. 

9. Detroit, Michigan

For starters, no city is more passionate about pizza than Detroit. Residents search Google for pizza-related terms more often than in any other city we reviewed. That includes ranking No. 1 in online search interest for BBQ chicken pizza and, of course, Detroit-style pizza. 

Buying pizza in Detroit won't hurt your wallet. The average cost for a large cheese pizza here is $16.36 — the eighth-cheapest price in the U.S. and 15% cheaper than the average city's price of $19.34. 

Unfortunately, however, Detroit's pizzeria reviews have dropped off since our 2023 list of the best pizza cities. Pizza restaurants here average 3.77 stars out of 5 on Yelp — below the typical city's score of 3.89 stars. 

» Read More Stats on Michigan

10. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

In addition to hosting plenty of pizza places, Pittsburgh has some of the nation's best prices for pizza. A large cheese pizza in Pittsburgh averages about $15.90, the fourth-lowest price in our analysis and 18% cheaper than the typical city's price of $19.34. 

Pittsburgh scored a 90 out of 100 in our pizza passion metric, based on the volume of local Google searches for pizza-related terms. Pittsburgh's score is 25% higher than the average city's pizza passion score of 72. That includes ranking No. 2 nationally for search interest in French bread pizza and No. 3 for interest in tomato pie. 

With Philadelphia and Pittsburgh ranking among the top 10 best pizza cities, we've deemed Pennsylvania the best state for pizza in the U.S. for the second consecutive year.

» Good Pizza in Pittsburgh: Proper Taproom & Piccolo Forno

11. San Jose, California

Thanks to high median incomes, San Jose is the most affordable city in the country for fans of pepperoni pizza. Ordering one pepperoni pie a week costs 1.02% of the typical resident's annual income. That's 39% cheaper than the average city in our analysis (1.68%). 

San Jose also has 12.3 pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents — 46% more than the typical city in our study (8.4 per 100,000 people). 

Another thing San Jose has going for it is the quality of its pizza parlors. Pizza restaurants average 3.99 stars on Yelp, just above the national average of 3.89 stars. 

» Good Pizza in San Jose: Pizza Antica & Cicero's Pizza

12. Phoenix, Arizona

In addition to stellar reviews, pizza prices are a big plus for Phoenix. The average cost of a large cheese pizza in Phoenix is $16.30 — over $3 cheaper than the national average of $19.34. 

Those savings also apply to pepperoni pizza. A large pepperoni pie in Phoenix averages $19.30 — cheaper than the average city's cost of $22.22. 

Phoenix has a surprisingly strong reputation for quality pizza. About 17% of Americans consider it a top five pizza city, according to a Clever survey of 1,000 people. That's a higher share than 41 of the 50 cities in our survey. 

» Read More Stats on Arizona

13. Sacramento, California

Pizza restaurants in Sacramento average 3.92 stars on Yelp, better than pizza parlors in the average city (3.89 stars). That's one reason why Sacramento soared in our overall rankings this year, moving up from No. 29 in 2023. 

As far as local favorites go, Sacramento ranks No. 4 in the U.S. for online search interest in Hawaiian pizza and vegetarian pizza. 

» Good Pizza in Sacramento: Paesanos & OneSpeed Pizza 

14. Chicago, Illinois

Purchasing a pepperoni pizza each week for a year in the Windy City would cost 2.19% of the local median annual income, making Chicago the third-least affordable city in the country by that metric. 

On the bright side, Chicago scored a 93 out of 100 in our pizza passion metric, which measures the local volume of Google searches for pizza terms. That's the fourth-highest score in the country and 29% higher than the average score of 72. 

Chicago has the third-best reputation of any pizza city, according to a Clever poll of 1,000 Americans. About 35% of Americans say they consider Chicago a top five pizza city, behind New York (41%) and Los Angeles (40%). It's tough to see Chicago beaten by L.A. — a city that considers dairy a dirty word. 

» Read More Stats on Illinois

15. New York, New York 

Let's start with some positives. Even with a massive population, New York still has more pizza restaurants per capita than the average city on our list. The city has 9.7 pizza restaurants per 100,000 people — 15% more than the typical 8.4 per 100,000. 

New York City also has the country's best reputation for quality pizza, according to Clever's polling. About 41% of Americans say they consider NYC among the top five pizza cities in the U.S. — more than any other metro. 

Although it has a strong reputation for prime pies, pizza joints in the city average just 3.93 stars out of 5 on Yelp. That's still above average (3.89 stars) but not the type of results you'd expect from a city known for its pizza. Nineteen cities in our rankings have a better average score.

Despite finishing below Chicago this year, New Yorkers can feel vindicated, knowing that Americans are on their side when it comes to preferring thin crust over deep dish.

» Good Pizza in New York: Prince Street Pizza & Grimaldi's Pizzeria

Pizza Rankings by Category

Using Google Trends data, we examined which cities most often search the internet for certain varieties of pizza. Here are the top five for popular types of pies. 

The 10 Worst Pizza Cities

It's no easy feat to crack the upper crust of our rankings, and some cities struggled to match the competition. The 10 metros below slipped to the bottom of our pizza city list. 

1. Memphis, Tennessee
2. San Antonio, Texas
3. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
4. Cincinnati, Ohio
5. Charlotte, North Carolina
6. Salt Lake City, Utah
7. Raleigh, North Carolina
8. Houston, Texas
9. Louisville, Kentucky
10. Kansas City, Missouri

Memphis is no stranger to the blues, which is fitting for its shortcomings as a pizza scene. Memphis fell to the bottom of our rankings because:

• The city has just 3.5 pizza restaurants per 100,000 people — less than half the average city's rate of 8.4 per 100,000 people. 
• Memphis scored 53 out of 100 in our pizza passion metric, based on the volume of Google search activity for pizza-related terms. That's one of the five lowest scores in the country. 
• Memphis is one of the least affordable cities for pizza lovers. Buying a large cheese pizza each week for a year costs 1.81% of the local median annual income — 23% more than it costs in the typical city (1.47%). 

Of course, not every city has to excel in every food group. There are still plenty of positives for foodies in this Tennessee town. Last year, Memphis was named the second-best city for barbecue in the country.

Hot Takes: Americans' Polarized Pizza Opinions 

To dig deeper into this data dish, Clever surveyed 1,000 Americans about their general perspectives on pizza. Here are the top five insights from our pizza polling project. 

1. Pizza vs. Other Foods

Americans prefer pizza over other popular dinner dishes, such as burgers, tacos, and barbecue. About 43% of Americans say pizza is their favorite of the four, followed by burgers (22%), tacos (20%), and barbecue (16%). 

As one might expect, folks in the Northeast give pizza the highest marks, with 52% picking it as their favorite out of the four, compared to just 35% of Americans who live in the West. (Although pizza still tallied a higher percentage than the other options for the West.)

2. New York vs. Chicago pizza

Americans prefer New York-style thin crust pizza (52%) over the deep dish style of Chicago pizza (38%). About 10% of Americans are undecided. Three out of four regions picked New York-style, while the Midwest stuck with deep dish (53%) over thin crust (39%). 

3. Cheese vs. Pepperoni 

Americans generally prefer pepperoni pizza (68%) over cheese pizza (28%). The Northeast has the deepest affinity for cheese pizza, with 35% preferring it. The West has the lowest opinion of cheese pizza, with only 15% preferring it to pepperoni. Responses from vegetarians were excluded from this polling question. 

4. Pineapple Problems 

Despite what your weird friend says, Americans as a whole do not prefer pineapple on their pizza by a margin of 55% to 37% — with 8% undecided. The West is the only region that is generally more fond of pineapple, where it narrowly topped unpineappled pizza, 48% to 46%. 

5. Harsh on Honey 

Some pizza restaurants have taken to serving honey with their pizza, such as Colorado's iconic Beau Jo's. But our polling shows it's not a mainstream preference. Only 21% of Americans say honey goes well with pizza. Westerners are the most likely to enjoy honey with pizza, but still, only 29% of locals support the combination. 

Here are a few other tasty tidbits from our pizza poll:

• 76% of Americans say pizza is an acceptable breakfast food.
• 63% of Americans prefer to eat leftover pizza hot, while just 28% prefer it cold. 
• Pizza Rolls are twice as popular as Bagel Bites. About 60% of Americans say they prefer Pizza Rolls, compared to just 29% for Bagel Bites.  
• 65% of Americans say ranch dressing goes well with pizza, compared to 35% who say it doesn't. Westerners (73%) are the most likely to prefer ranch with pizza, while Midwesterners are the least (58%). 
• 68% of Americans say they eat pizza at least once per week. Clearly, carbs are not a concern. 

For more data on America's best food cities, read our roundup of last year's city rankings.

Methodology

Clever Real Estate compared the 50 largest metro areas in America by population using multiple metrics with different weights to determine the best pizza cities:

• Reputation score: The results from a poll of 1,000 Americans asked to name which cities they consider to be the top five for pizza in the country (32%)
• Pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents (20%)
• Pizza Passion score: Local Google search volume for pizza-related terms (20%)
• Average Yelp rating for local pizza restaurants (12%)
• Local price of a large cheese pizza (4%)
• Cost to buy a large cheese pizza each week as a percentage of median annual income (4%)
• Local price of a large pepperoni pizza (4%)
• Cost to buy a large pepperoni pizza each week as a percentage of median annual income (4%)

Data sources for this information include the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Yelp, Google, and hundreds of individual pizza restaurant websites.

Polling data about pizza preferences was gathered through a survey of 1,000 American adults Dec. 22-23, 2023, in which we asked respondents a battery of questions concerning their food and beverage preferences. An additional poll of 1,000 American adults conducted Dec. 9, 2022, asked respondents to select their favorite cities for pizza.

About Clever

Since 2017, Clever Real Estate has been on a mission to make selling or buying a home easier and more affordable for everyone. 12 million annual readers rely on Clever's library of educational content and data-driven research to make smarter real estate decisions—and to date, Clever has helped consumers save more than $160 million on realtor fees. Clever's research has been featured in The New York Times, Business Insider, Inman, Housing Wire, and many more.

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Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Cities for Pizza