2023’s Best Cities for Pizza Lovers

There’s no better way to celebrate National Pizza Day on Feb. 9 than by chomping down on a big pizza pie. 

Which cities are serving up the best slice? 

LawnStarter compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities to rank 2023’s Best Cities for Pizza Lovers.

We looked for cities with plenty of highly rated pizza vendors and award-winning pizzerias. We also considered pizza affordability and popularity.

Take a bite out of our ranking below, followed by some highlights and lowlights.

Contents

• City Rankings
• Highlights and Lowlights
• Ask the Experts
• Methodology
• Local Tips: Slices of Heaven

City Rankings 

See how each city fared in our rankings:

Overall Rank (1=Best)	City	State	Overall Score	Access Rank	Quality Rank	Accolades Rank	Popularity Rank	Affordability Rank
1	New York	NY	79.87	1	5	1	1	48
2	San Francisco	CA	38.29	12	57	3	12	3
3	Chicago	IL	37.15	3	21	5	2	109
4	Miami	FL	37.15	13	105	2	45	92
5	Las Vegas	NV	30.45	5	69	4	13	137
6	Los Angeles	CA	25.96	2	51	8	38	64
7	Fort Lauderdale	FL	24.28	45	9	33	8	18
8	Washington	DC	24.14	31	44	33	5	13
9	Portland	OR	23.48	16	24	7	70	58
10	Phoenix	AZ	22.43	10	29	10	34	85
11	Honolulu	HI	22.32	70	76	18	3	147
12	New Orleans	LA	22.02	56	45	12	11	107
13	San Diego	CA	21.87	7	15	29	20	44
14	Anaheim	CA	21.75	87	42	33	7	75
15	Chattanooga	TN	21.72	112	2	33	16	106
16	Scottsdale	AZ	21.72	48	11	22	17	7
17	Orlando	FL	21.63	9	85	33	9	60
18	Savannah	GA	21.13	102	54	33	4	180
19	Jersey City	NJ	20.94	125	22	9	89	35
20	Seattle	WA	20.77	16	10	26	30	25
21	Boston	MA	20.52	14	64	33	14	29
22	Cape Coral	FL	20.42	106	32	33	10	114
23	Fort Worth	TX	20.31	38	75	6	138	65
24	Charleston	SC	20.11	90	35	32	15	12
25	Philadelphia	PA	19.38	6	52	14	26	142
26	Anchorage	AK	19.28	79	128	33	6	30
27	Santa Rosa	CA	18.78	132	12	33	23	72
28	Oxnard	CA	18.64	183	1	33	56	90
29	Denver	CO	18.59	16	36	28	33	55
30	Lubbock	TX	18.13	137	17	33	27	61
31	Frisco	TX	18.05	155	4	33	128	5
32	Naperville	IL	17.68	119	41	33	31	2
33	Baltimore	MD	17.22	27	58	33	24	150
34	Austin	TX	17.2	20	74	20	40	37
35	Hollywood	FL	17.14	94	172	11	18	76
36	Pasadena	CA	17.1	153	23	33	52	21
37	St. Petersburg	FL	17	74	38	33	35	59
38	Chula Vista	CA	16.92	178	3	33	150	68
39	Madison	WI	16.88	65	55	33	28	52
40	Huntington Beach	CA	16.84	102	8	33	140	15
41	St. Paul	MN	16.68	62	25	33	39	159
41	Colorado Springs	CO	16.68	45	46	19	53	82
43	Kansas City	MO	16.66	55	34	25	54	99
44	Oceanside	CA	16.46	132	18	33	71	91
45	Dallas	TX	16.45	15	92	13	68	33
46	Boise	ID	15.88	62	28	33	110	38
47	Miramar	FL	15.77	192	20	33	114	32
48	Olathe	KS	15.73	183	16	33	146	17
49	Garden Grove	CA	15.7	189	66	33	25	96
50	Springfield	MO	15.59	115	37	33	36	182
51	Spokane	WA	15.36	67	30	33	84	158
52	St. Louis	MO	15.34	11	94	33	61	154
53	Carrollton	TX	15.24	166	13	33	165	46
54	Albuquerque	NM	15.23	36	83	33	43	111
55	Plano	TX	15.21	75	53	33	109	14
56	Fullerton	CA	15.14	170	33	33	118	26
57	Nashville	TN	15.13	35	144	33	21	54
58	Virginia Beach	VA	15.04	34	125	33	29	36
59	Bellevue	WA	15.03	166	39	33	145	6
60	Minneapolis	MN	15.02	42	97	27	32	112
61	Irving	TX	14.96	125	48	33	91	34
62	McKinney	TX	14.94	125	56	33	94	19
63	Tampa	FL	14.94	22	102	31	77	41
64	Mesquite	TX	14.93	178	6	33	189	104
65	Tempe	AZ	14.93	106	61	33	50	105
66	Charlotte	NC	14.88	23	109	33	65	27
67	Rockford	IL	14.86	137	101	33	19	175
68	Pittsburgh	PA	14.85	21	65	33	90	144
69	San Antonio	TX	14.84	8	120	16	80	127
70	Yonkers	NY	14.78	100	31	33	129	88
71	Warren	MI	14.67	159	19	33	111	172
72	Richmond	VA	14.51	44	99	33	46	93
73	Newport News	VA	14.49	144	26	33	122	149
74	Tulsa	OK	14.32	58	90	33	57	98
75	Milwaukee	WI	14.23	40	47	33	81	190
76	Sioux Falls	SD	14.17	137	62	33	88	70
77	Huntsville	AL	14.14	94	80	33	74	73
78	Atlanta	GA	14.1	26	155	33	37	20
79	Houston	TX	14.09	4	168	33	83	53
80	Glendale	AZ	14.09	80	43	33	124	133
81	Rancho Cucamonga	CA	14.08	170	27	33	194	31
82	Omaha	NE	14.04	43	107	33	63	57
83	Paterson	NJ	13.96	148	7	33	184	186
84	Birmingham	AL	13.89	94	49	33	86	177
85	Chandler	AZ	13.74	87	88	33	107	24
86	Lancaster	CA	13.71	195	14	33	185	166
87	Winston-Salem	NC	13.67	106	104	15	72	119
88	Raleigh	NC	13.66	37	116	33	82	43
89	Fremont	CA	13.66	166	67	33	157	4
90	Little Rock	AR	13.6	84	98	33	66	83
90	Providence	RI	13.6	70	115	33	48	86
92	Corpus Christi	TX	13.59	112	60	33	76	176
93	San Jose	CA	13.57	39	103	33	139	8
94	Oakland	CA	13.51	90	114	33	59	40
95	Knoxville	TN	13.38	53	112	33	42	169
96	Louisville	KY	13.37	32	110	23	101	115
97	Glendale	CA	13.36	170	40	33	181	67
98	Long Beach	CA	13.3	69	63	33	143	100
99	Baton Rouge	LA	13.2	94	72	33	125	89
100	Santa Clarita	CA	13.11	137	70	33	163	22
101	Buffalo	NY	13.1	51	59	24	119	188
123	Cincinnati	OH	12.15	28	111	33	147	151
102	Wichita	KS	13.01	80	89	33	104	113
103	Orange	CA	13	170	73	33	161	16
104	Montgomery	AL	12.97	183	157	33	22	131
105	Lexington	KY	12.95	62	121	33	75	69
106	Alexandria	VA	12.71	75	159	33	55	11
107	Salt Lake City	UT	12.63	61	145	33	47	74
108	Santa Ana	CA	12.63	170	50	33	183	101
109	Chesapeake	VA	12.62	102	100	33	137	39
110	Murfreesboro	TN	12.56	119	79	33	152	71
111	Mesa	AZ	12.55	50	152	33	41	103
112	Eugene	OR	12.53	106	78	33	117	153
113	Cleveland	OH	12.49	23	84	33	98	198
114	Oklahoma City	OK	12.47	48	108	33	100	157
114	Columbus	OH	12.47	19	131	33	112	123
116	Salem	OR	12.46	119	77	33	123	152
117	Torrance	CA	12.46	162	93	33	155	23
118	Des Moines	IA	12.39	89	130	33	51	130
119	Peoria	AZ	12.31	117	106	33	116	77
120	Detroit	MI	12.27	54	91	17	78	199
121	Durham	NC	12.23	100	140	33	64	51
122	Irvine	CA	12.19	155	132	21	121	9
124	Port St. Lucie	FL	12.06	106	113	33	120	62
125	Elk Grove	CA	12	151	71	33	172	110
126	Akron	OH	11.93	94	86	33	95	192
127	Sunnyvale	CA	11.85	162	118	33	173	1
128	Lakewood	CO	11.79	132	119	33	106	95
129	Tucson	AZ	11.77	30	149	33	44	191
130	McAllen	TX	11.75	192	82	33	156	122
131	Grand Rapids	MI	11.66	47	133	33	97	135
132	Jacksonville	FL	11.57	29	174	33	87	78
133	North Las Vegas	NV	11.47	148	95	33	131	167
134	Waco	TX	11.44	137	122	33	67	181
135	Springfield	MA	11.44	119	138	33	60	168
136	Rochester	NY	11.41	32	96	33	127	196
137	Pasadena	TX	11.4	189	81	33	191	102
138	Amarillo	TX	11.3	124	154	33	62	117
139	Arlington	TX	11.19	70	126	33	148	81
140	Overland Park	KS	11.19	117	169	33	92	10
141	Fort Wayne	IN	11.17	83	123	33	115	160
142	Memphis	TN	11.11	59	151	33	79	162
143	Hialeah	FL	11.07	125	68	33	192	178
144	Indianapolis	IN	10.89	25	178	30	103	132
145	Greensboro	NC	10.89	65	171	33	96	50
146	Reno	NV	10.71	60	146	33	134	87
147	Macon	GA	10.58	170	176	33	49	143
148	Bridgeport	CT	10.54	153	124	33	135	145
149	Augusta	GA	10.52	162	162	33	58	170
150	Surprise	AZ	10.47	155	147	33	102	121
151	Norfolk	VA	10.44	90	165	33	85	136
152	Pomona	CA	10.39	200	87	33	200	156
153	Fort Collins	CO	10.26	115	170	33	105	79
154	Sacramento	CA	10.19	51	135	33	136	185
155	Toledo	OH	10.15	84	117	33	113	195
156	Henderson	NV	10.13	84	181	33	93	56
157	Tallahassee	FL	10.01	77	161	33	108	165
158	Clarksville	TN	9.97	130	136	33	153	146
159	Tacoma	WA	9.96	102	141	33	142	155
160	Aurora	IL	9.96	178	129	33	187	66
161	Dayton	OH	9.87	56	142	33	73	200
162	Worcester	MA	9.86	80	150	33	154	116
163	Fayetteville	NC	9.82	137	148	33	99	179
164	Vancouver	WA	9.59	90	164	33	141	124
165	Lincoln	NE	9.49	94	179	33	132	80
166	Kansas City	KS	9.3	198	127	33	170	174
167	Corona	CA	9.26	146	163	33	186	42
168	Denton	TX	9.25	183	156	33	149	138
169	Modesto	CA	9.23	132	143	33	159	171
170	Ontario	CA	9.14	178	137	33	196	128
171	Palmdale	CA	9.13	195	139	33	178	134
172	El Paso	TX	9.11	40	167	33	167	173
173	Escondido	CA	9.06	148	160	33	160	141
174	Garland	TX	8.96	159	166	33	151	148
175	Hampton	VA	8.94	151	173	33	144	140
176	Laredo	TX	8.8	155	153	33	180	126
177	Pembroke Pines	FL	8.79	137	188	33	132	45
178	Fontana	CA	8.72	170	158	33	198	84
179	Columbus	GA	8.68	144	183	33	130	125
180	San Bernardino	CA	8.61	170	134	33	189	184
181	Riverside	CA	8.43	112	180	33	174	94
182	Grand Prairie	TX	8.01	192	184	33	179	47
183	Roseville	CA	7.67	146	187	33	168	108
184	Killeen	TX	7.67	183	175	33	193	163
185	Joliet	IL	7.64	166	186	33	175	97
186	Thornton	CO	7.19	195	191	33	182	63
187	Brownsville	TX	7.17	159	177	33	177	189
188	Fresno	CA	7.05	67	185	33	176	187
189	Stockton	CA	7	132	182	33	188	183
190	Syracuse	NY	6.85	70	189	33	126	197
191	Moreno Valley	CA	6.72	183	193	33	158	129
192	Bakersfield	CA	6.45	78	196	33	166	28
193	Jackson	MS	6.44	178	194	33	69	194
194	Salinas	CA	6.34	162	190	33	197	164
195	Newark	NJ	5.66	130	192	33	162	193
196	Shreveport	LA	5.19	125	197	33	164	161
197	West Valley City	UT	5.07	199	195	33	195	118
198	Aurora	CO	4.68	106	199	33	169	120
199	Mobile	AL	4.5	119	198	33	171	139
200	Hayward	CA	3.18	189	200	33	199	49

Highlights and Lowlights

Pizza Paradise

New York stands tall in first place as the capital of the Pizza Belt and the nation’s pizza empire. All competition folds in the wake of the Big Pizza, which has more than a 40-point lead over the next-best city, San Francisco.

New Yorkers might act superior about their slices, but they have good reason to. New York pizza vendors have a high average consumer rating, and they’re recognized internationally. Out of all U.S. cities, NYC had the most pizzerias included in Italy’s international pizza guide in recent years.

Italian immigrants brought pizza to New York and America at the beginning of the 20th century, but you don’t have to stay in Little Italy to find a cheesy pie. You can’t go far in NYC without encountering one of more than 1,500 pizza vendors feeding the city. 

Saucy Cities

We all know Chicago (No. 3) serves iconic deep-dish pizza, but what about San Francisco (No. 2), Miami (No. 4), and Las Vegas (No. 5)? 

Each of these four cities baked their way into the top five, thanks to abundant Access and numerous Accolades. San Francisco beat out Chi-town with more affordable slices (when adjusted by income) and more pizzerias recognized by international pizza awards.

If you prefer to judge pizza by consumers’ tastebuds, check out pizzerias in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Frisco, Texas; and California cities Oxnard and Chula Vista. These smaller cities stood out in Quality, with plenty of highly rated pizza vendors to pick from. 

California Crusts: Hit or Miss

Golden State cities spread out across our ranking, with two landing in our top 10 and four in our bottom 10. While it’s easy to find a decent pie in big cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles (No. 6), and San Diego (No. 13), that’s not the case for smaller cities in California.

Unfortunately, cities like Moreno Valley, Bakersfield, and Salinas, crisped to the bottom, along with Hayward in last place. These four cities dough not offer many impressive pizzerias, with some of the lowest rankings in Quality, Popularity, and Accolades. They also knead more options: Apart from Bakersfield, these places lack pizza vendors to choose from.

Methodology

For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we gathered publicly available data on the factors listed in the table below. 

We then grouped those factors into five categories: Access, Quality, Accolades, Popularity, and Affordability.

Next, we calculated weighted scores for each city in each category. 

Finally, we averaged the scores for each city across all categories.

The city that earned the highest average score was ranked “Best” (No. 1), while the city with the lowest was ranked “Worst” (No. 200). (Note: The “Worst” among individual factors may not be 200 due to ties among cities.)

Metric	Weighting	Lowest Value	Highest Value	Best Value
Access
Number of Pizza Vendors	5	6	1,509	Highest
Quality
Share of Highly Rated (4.5+ Stars) Pizza Vendors (With 10+ Reviews)	2	0%	40%	Highest
Average Consumer Rating (Out of 5 Stars) for Pizza Vendors	3	3.4	4.6	Highest
Accolades
Total Points for "Top 50 US Pizzas" Ranking (Past 3 Years)	4	0	1,162	Highest
Total Points for "World's Top 100 Pizzas" Ranking (2022)	4	0	347	Highest
Total Points for 2022 International Pizza Challenge Awards	4	0	13	Highest
Popularity
Average Monthly Google Searches for Pizza-Related Keywords Over Past Year	2	5,650	1.6 Million	Highest
Average Number of Reviews per Pizza Vendor	3	5	220	Highest
Affordability
Average Pizza Price (as % of Average Weekly Household Income)	1	0.01%	0.02%	Lowest

Sources: AreaVibes, 50 Top Pizza, Google Ads, Pizza Today, TripAdvisor, and U.S. Census Bureau

Local Tips: Slices of Heaven

Check out some of the best pizza spots in each of our top five cities.

Main Photo Credit: Shutterstock