For being such a dominant foodie city, Houston still has some work to do to cater to its plant-based residents, according to a new WalletHub study. Houston ranked as the 23rd best city nationwide for vegans and vegetarians in 2025.
The report annually compares 100 U.S. cities based on grocery affordability, vegetarian restaurant diversity, accessibility, and quality, plus other vegetarian or vegan lifestyle considerations.
Houston came in second statewide to Austin, which also ranked as the 3rd best U.S. city for vegans and vegetarians. Portland, Oregon (No. 1) and Los Angeles, California (No. 2) rounded out the top three.
Houston previously ranked as the 18th best city for vegans and vegetarians in WalletHub’s 2024 report, and it ranked No. 24 in 2023.
This is how Houston fared among the study’s three main categories:
- No. 21 – Affordability rank
- No. 39 – Diversity, accessibility, and quality rank
- No. 32 – Vegetarian lifestyle rank
WalletHub additionally discovered that Houston has the 5th highest number of vegetable nurseries in the nation.
Houston has steadily grown its crop of vegan and vegetarian restaurants over the years, and 2025 has brought a new location of vegetarian-friendly eateries Flower Child and California-inspired Succulent Fine Dining to the scene. Of course, the city’s vibrant Indian restaurants like Kiran’s and Himalaya are very vegetarian friendly. CultureMap editor and local food expert Eric Sandler has previously recommended Casaema, Traveler’s Cart, and Maximo for their accommodating vegetarian and vegan menu items.
Embracing plant-based options isn’t exclusive to vegans or vegetarians; it also appeals to eco-conscious locals who want to reduce food waste within their own homes and save money by cutting down on expensive meat.
“While vegetarians and vegans are still a relatively small share of the population, businesses are recognizing their impact on their market,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “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.”
Elsewhere in Texas, six more cities earned spots among the top 50: San Antonio (No. 24), Irving (No. 25), Lubbock (No. 28), El Paso (No. 31), Dallas (No. 40), and Corpus Christi (No. 41).
The top 10 best U.S. cities for vegans and vegetarians in 2025 are:
- No. 1 – Portland, Oregon
- No. 2 – Los Angeles, California
- No. 3 – Austin, Texas
- No. 4 – San Francisco, California
- No. 5 – Oakland, California
- No. 6 – Phoenix, Arizona
- No. 7 – Miami, Florida
- No. 8 – Seattle, Washington
- No. 9 – Orlando, Florida
- No. 10 – Madison, Wisconsin