Study Says New Hampshire Is the Best U.S. State for Pizza

• A new study found that New Hampshire is the best destination for pizza lovers in the U.S.
• The Granite State boasts a high number of pizzerias and a low average cost of pizza.
• The report acknowledges that New York still sets the cultural gold standard when it comes to pizza.

Pizza is one of the few truly universally beloved foods—and we’re not the only ones who think so. A 2023 Harris Poll found pizza is the favorite food of 21 percent of Americans. But some states are simply better than others when it comes to a slice of pie. And no, the best place isn’t necessarily New York. 

In February, lobster delivery service Maine Lobster Now released a study that ranked every U.S. state by how much it loves pizza to find out who “dominates” the pizza scene.

Methodology
To determine the top spot, the study analyzed the number of pizzerias per 100,000 residents, along with people’s interest in pizza—it used data from such as Google searches and the average price of pizza in each state. After looking through all the evidence, New Hampshire came out on top.

“New Hampshire is the ultimate destination for pizza lovers. With 1,022 pizzerias, that works out to an impressive 72.73 pizzerias per 100,000 residents—the highest in the dataset,” Maine Lobster Now said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure. “Add in the high pizza enthusiasm of 22,512 pizza-related searches per 100,000 residents and a wallet-friendly average pizza price of $15.74, and you’ve got a state that ensures pizza enthusiasts have ample options at relatively affordable prices.” 

Other top pizza-loving states include Ohio, which has an impressive 4,150 pizzerias, or about 35.13 pizzerias per 100,000 residents. However, “… what really sets Ohio apart is its high pizza enthusiasm, with 28,563 searches per 100,000 residents, the highest in the top five,” the report states. It’s also pretty affordable for pizza lovers, with pies costing around $15.89 each.

Rounding out the top three is Delaware, which ranked highly thanks to 32.56 pizzerias per 100,000 residents and an affordable average pie price of $15.70. It’s followed by Pennsylvania, with 4,060 pizzerias, and Michigan, with 2,896 pizzerias.

The rest of the top 10 spots belong to Kansas, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Indiana. The study noted that Kansas is a stand-out pizza destination thanks to its low average pie price of $14.96.

As for New York, it ranked 29th, which the team admitted is shockingly low for a state so synonymous with pizza. It also noted that the state’s average pizza price of $19.73 puts it as one of the most expensive in the dataset.

“Despite its legendary New York-style slices and 3,717 pizzerias, the state’s density of 19.09 pizzerias per 100,000 residents falls short compared to others,” the report said.” … It’s hard to reconcile these numbers with New York’s cultural dominance in the pizza world, but its iconic, thin, foldable slices continue to shape America’s love for pizza, regardless of the rankings.”

So, don’t feel too bad about paying a premium for the best pizza in the U.S.