Tampa Ranks Among Top 15 Best Cities For Vegetarians, Vegans; St. Petersburg Ranks No. 71: Study

TAMPA, FL - Tampa ranks No. 15 among U.S. cities for vegetarians and vegans, according to a new study by personal finance website WalletHub. The website examined 15 indicators, including the percentage of restaurants that serve meatlesss options and the cost of groceries for vegetarians. St. Petersburg ranked No. 71 overall on the list.

Tampa ranked 18th for “vegetarian lifestyle” and 12th for diversity, accessibility and quality. The city ranked at No. 71 for affordability. Tampa also ranked 3rd for the percentage of vegetable nurseries per person and Miami ranked first in the category. The study compared the largest 100 cities in America.

St. Petersburg ranked 66th for “vegetarian lifestyle” and 39th for diversity, accessibility and quality. The city was 79th for affordability.

The diversity, accessibility and quality ranking was based on several factors, including a city’s share of restaurants serving vegetarian or vegan options and the juice and smoothie bars per capita.

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Overall, Tampa and St. Petersburg ranked behind the top 10 cities of New York; Portland; Orlando; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Seattle; Washington, D.C.; Scottsdale, Arizona; Miami and San Diego. The worst cities for vegetarians and vegans were Greensboro, N.C.; Toledo, Ohio and Fresno, Calif.

"People choose to adopt plant-based diets for various reasons, some ethical, others health-related. According to a 2016 Harris Poll commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group, about 8 million U.S. adults are vegan or vegetarian," according to the WalletHub study.

"But finding meatless options at restaurants and supermarkets can be a challenge, depending on where you find yourself hungry in America. And though some experts contend that foregoing animal protein could save the average person at least $750 per year, many find the lifestyle still tough on their wallets," WalletHub said.

Click here to see the complete findings and the methodology.

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