WalletHub Just Released Its List of the Best Foodie Cities in America—and the Top Spot Will Surprise You

If you're a foodie, you may think areas like New York and California have the most impressive food scenes. But a new report byWalletHub shows that there are plenty of food-centric spots across the country to consider. The personal finance site just released its list of the best foodie cities in America, and its top contender will likely come as a surprise.

To obtain these findings, WalletHub surveyed 182 cities across two dimensions: affordability and diversity. The company then evaluated those categories using 28 relevant metrics (all graded on a 100 point scale), including cost of groceries, restaurants per capita, and access to healthy food options. Each city's overage score was calculated by combining the weighted average across all metrics.

According to the report, Orlando ranked first as the country's best city for foodies. Its high ranking is attributed to its diversity and quality of restaurants, number of ice cream and frozen yogurt shops, number of coffee shops, number of gourmet specialty-food stores, as well as its affordability.

Following, Orlando, WalletHub ranked Portland, Ore. as second on its list. The foodie-focused city ranked high for its diversity, accessibility, quality, and affordability. Rounding out the top five is Sacramento, Calif., Miami, Fla., and San Francisco, Calif., respectively.

Shockingly, New York, N.Y., which has a reputation for its booming food scene fell all the way to number 20 on WalletHub's list. The city received an overall score of 56.99 (more than 10 points lower than Orlando) and lost points for its affordability. In fact, Manhattan ranked 179th for the city with the highest average beer and wine prices.

Best Foodie Cities in America

1. Orlando, Fla.
2. Portland, Ore.
3. Sacramento, Calif.
4. Miami, Fla.
5. San Fransisco, Calif.
6. Tampa, Fla.
7. San Diego, Calif.
8. Las Vegas, Nev.
9. Austin, Texas
10. Seattle, Wash.
11. Denver, Colo.
12. Atlanta, Ga.
13. Los Angeles, Calif.
14. Chicago, Ill.
15. Richmond, Va.
16. Pittsburgh, Pa.
17. Washington, D.C.
18. St. Louis, Mo.
19. Houston, Texas
20. New York, N.Y.