Surprisingly, New York isn’t the top pizza destination in the U.S., and neither is Chicago. That title actually goes to New Hampshire.
A recent study by Main Lobster ranked states based on their pizza passion, considering factors like Google search data and the average price of pizza. They looked into the number of pizzerias per 100,000 people as well as general interest in pizza.
According to Travel + Leisure, Main Lobster noted, “New Hampshire is the ultimate destination for pizza lovers.” They also highlighted that the state boasts 1,022 pizzerias, which translates to about 72.73 pizzerias for every 100,000 residents.
In fact, Main Lobster’s findings revealed that New Hampshire had the most pizza enthusiasm, with around 22,512 pizza-related searches per 100,000 residents and an average pizza price of $15.74. This suggests that pizza fans in the state have a variety of tasty, budget-friendly options.
Ohio also made a strong showing, with 4,150 pizzerias. It had the highest number of Google searches related to pizza, registering about 28,563 searches per 100,000 people, which is the top rate among the five leading states.
The remaining states in the top five include Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Following them, Kansas, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Indiana round out the top ten.
Kansas shines as a notable pizza spot, with pies averaging $14.96 each. In contrast, New York surprisingly landed in 29th place. According to the study, this might come as a shock since the state is often synonymous with pizza.
New York has roughly 19 pizzerias per 100,000 people, which seems a bit low given its reputation. The average price for a pizza there is around $19.73, making it one of the priciest options in the dataset.
The report notes, “While these figures might seem hard to reconcile with New York’s cultural standing in the pizza scene, regardless of its rank, the city’s iconic, thin-sliced, foldable pizza continues to influence America’s passion for pizza.”
