Not all cities are created equal—and certainly not when it comes to coffee.
WalletHub, a Washington-based finance website, examined local coffee scenes at the 100 biggest U.S. cities across 12 key indicators of “coffee-lover friendliness,” the company said.
WalletHub asked: What gave way to java culture?
“Science, for one, has convinced us that caffeine possesses multiple health benefits besides mental stimulation,” the company said. “At the right dosages, caffeine may contribute to longevity.”
Also important is coffee’s social purpose, the company said. “Today, coffee stations are a staple of the workplace, and tens of thousands of shops serve as meeting places for friends, dates and coworkers. Many of those shops have only recently allowed sit-in customers again, though, after switching to only takeout during the pandemic.”
For added insight, WalletHub had experts weigh in on issues related to the coffee industry and consumption.
Included in the study are coffee shops, coffee houses and cafes. Here are some of the highlights.
Best coffee cities in the U.S.:
1. San Francisco
2. Seattle
3. Orlando
4. Honolulu
5. Portland, Oregon
6. Tampa, Florida
7. Pittsburgh
8. Miami
9. Sacramento
10. Denver
Average price of a cappuccino:
Lowest
1. Hialeah, Florida
2. Laredo, Texas
3. Arlington, Texas
4. Lincoln, Nebraska
5. Cincinnati
Highest
95. Santa Ana, California
96. Reno, Nevada
97. Minneapolis
98. Gilbert, Arizona
99. Aurora, Colorado
When asked why some are willing to spend two or three times more for a comparable cup of coffee, Jack Yoest, an assistant professor in the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America, Washington, said, “Normally product features that entice customers are those that are 'faster, better, cheaper.' Here we get two out of three.”
This market segment is less concerned with price and sees the price as a reflection of the value they desire, Yoest said. “High-end, high-priced coffee shops provide service and delivery, a better-tasting coffee product, at a price for the willing buyer.”
The coffee shop today is often a remote workspace with Wi-Fi, community and light fare and beverages, Yoest added. “Expert baristas and the highest-quality coffee offered in an environment where work and collaboration and fellowship have value today demanded by consumers.”
Average spending on coffee per household:
Highest
T-1. Fremont, California
T-1. San Francisco
3. San Jose, California
4. Scottsdale, Arizona
5. Washington
Lowest
96. Newark, New Jersey
97. Toledo, Ohio
98. Detroit
99. Cleveland
100. Hialeah, Florida
Percentage of adult coffee drinkers
Highest
1. Santa Ana, California
2. Anaheim, California
3. Hialeah, Florida
4. San Francisco
5. Jersey City, New Jersey
Lowest
96. Chesapeake, Virginia
97. St. Petersburg, Florida
98. Scottsdale, Arizona
99. Detroit
100. Birmingham, Alabama
Another expert, Rikki Abzug, professor and convener of management, Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College, Mahwah, New Jersey, also weighed in on why some will spend two or three times more for a comparable cup of coffee.
“The rise of the Seattle coffee culture, the late last millennium, fancy coffee shops and designer roasting helped turn coffee into a lifestyle product, a good that is thought to reflect/symbolize a user’s (good) taste, their ‘tribe’ and their values,” she said. “Some consumers may use lifestyle products, such as the $75 cup of coffee from San Francisco’s Klatch Coffee (brewed with the (practically gilded) Elida Geisha Natural beans from Panama), to signal their net worth.”
Conversely, some coffee drinkers are so particular about their bean, brewing or drinking-brethren preferences that they will spend two to three times more for the ambiance, conferred status or specific taste profile of a coffee brewed from a particular hotspot, she said.
“Ultimately, for someone with truly specific tastes (in coffee, drinking company, or even cafe culture), there is no such thing as ‘a comparable cup of coffee’,” Abzug said.
Percentage of households that own coffee makers:
Highest
1. Fremont, California
2. Irvine, California
3. Gilbert, Arizona
4. Plano, Texas
5. Scottsdale, Arizona
Fewest
96. Hialeah, Florida
97. Fort Wayne, Indiana
98. Corpus Christi, Texas
99. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
100. Laredo, Texas
Affordable coffee shops, coffee houses and cafes rated 4.5+ stars per capita
Most
Tie 1. San Diego
T-1. San Francisco
T-1. Portland, Oregon
T-1. Honolulu
T-1. Seattle
Fewest
96. Hialeah, Florida
97. Fort Wayne, Indiana
98. Corpus Christi, Texas
99. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
100. Laredo, Texas
Coffee shops, coffee houses and cafes per capita
Most
1. Orlando, Florida
2. Pittsburgh
3. Honolulu
4. Cincinnati
5. Tampa, Florida
Fewest
96. San Bernardino, California
97. Henderson, Nevada
98. Corpus Christi, Texas
99. New York
100. Laredo, Texas
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Coffee and tea manufacturers per capita
Most
Tie 1. Portland, Oregon
T-1. San Francisco
T-1. Oakland, California
T-1. Fremont, California
5. Seattle
Fewest
89. Greensboro, North Carolina
90. Fresno, California
91. Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tie-92. Riverside, California
T-92. San Bernardino, California
Doughnut shops per capita
Most:
Tie-1. Chicago
T-1. Philadelphia
T-1. Orlando, Florida
T-1. Fort Worth, Texas
5. Dallas
Fewest
96. North Las Vegas, Nevada
97. Laredo, Texas
98. Anchorage, Alaska
99. Henderson, Nevada
100. Boise, Idaho
WalletHub said data used to create the report was collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Numbeo, Google Trends, Yelp, Esri’s Updated Demographics (2022 estimates), GfK MRI, Caffeine Crawl, Coffee Fest, U.S. Coffee Championships, and Specialty Coffee Association.
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