Only 7 other states ranked higher than Iowa for the best places for foodies nationwide

Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register
·2 min read
The breaded pork tenderloin at Cliff's Place in Manning, Iowa, was named the best in the state by the Iowa Pork Producers Association in 2023.

California has its light cuisine and famous chefs. Florida has Cuban food and access to fresh seafood. Texas has its barbecue. And Iowa has its farm-to-table fare.

A recent study found that Iowa ranked as the eighth best state for food lovers.

Yes, Iowa.

Better than New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Missouri. Right between New Jersey and Indiana.

The study by HubScore, a website for marketing and public relations that produces data reports about different trends within the United States, looked at all 50 states and judged each based on based on 21 metrics within the categories of cuisine experience, diversity and affordability.

The study found that Iowa landed in the No. 4 spot for cuisine affordability, No. 3 for cuisine experience, and No. 25 for cuisine diversity.

More: Meet the 5 Iowa restaurants that made Yelp’s Top 100 in the Midwest

California and Florida took the first and second place spots, respectively, followed by Texas, Illinois and Arizona.

Affordability was based on factors such as the cost of eating out and dining at home, agricultural cash receipts, sustainable food consumption, culinary schools, and chef earnings.

Diversity looked at the bakeries, steaks, ice cream, and cuisines such as Korean, Greek, Indian, Middle Eastern and Italian in the state, as well as the best breweries.

Experience considered the availability and diversity of nightlife, the amount spent yearly on dining out, and the number of restaurants, food festivals, fast food restaurants, and full-service restaurants in the state.

The bottom of the list included Vermont, Delaware and Rhode Island.

More: A comprehensive guide to finding James Beard Foundation-nominated chefs, restaurants in Iowa

Here are the top 20 states for foodies:

  1. California

  2. Florida

  3. Texas

  4. Illinois

  5. Arizona

  6. Nevada

  7. New Jersey

  8. Iowa

  9. Indiana

  10. Georgia

  11. Missouri

  12. Virginia

  13. North Carolina

  14. Kansas

  15. Pennsylvania

  16. Utah

  17. North Dakota

  18. Michigan

  19. New York

  20. Colorado

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Have a dish she should try? You can reach out to her on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa ranked one of the best states for food lovers in the U.S.