Denver ranks among the top 25 major cities in the U.S. for catering to vegetarians, but the suburb of Aurora, Colo. finishes toward the bottom of the ranking.
That’s according to a new analysis published by WalletHub. “To determine the best and cheapest places for a plant-based diet, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 17 key indicators of vegan- and vegetarian-friendliness,” the analysis states. “We examined each city based on metrics such as the cost of groceries for vegetarians, the share of restaurants serving meatless options and the number of salad shops per capita.” While Denver finished 23rd, Aurora came in 80th.
Approximately 6% of U.S. adults are vegetarian, which works out to more than 15.7 million people, according to the study. “While it’s not the easiest lifestyle to adopt, as finding meatless options at restaurants and supermarkets can be a challenge, that’s beginning to change,” the analysis explains. “A growing number of venues, including popular fast-food chains, have started offering vegetarian or vegan meals. One of the biggest concerns people express about vegetarian or vegan diets is the cost. However, with meat prices experiencing much larger year-over-year inflation compared to that of fruits and vegetables, Americans may find working some vegetarian or vegan meals into their diet to be an attractive option.”