Pennsylvania’s cities aren’t great places for vegans, vegetarians: study

Apparently, Pennsylvania is for meat-eaters.

That is, at least according to one recent study, which doesn’t list anywhere in the Keystone State among the top best places for vegans or vegetarians.

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Researchers at financial site, WalletHub, looked at the U.S.’s 100 most populated cities across three key dimensions as the basis for this study: “Affordability;” “Diversity, Accessibility & Quality;” and “Vegetarian Lifestyle.”

These dimensions were then graded on various metrics such as “Cost of Groceries for Vegetarians;” “Share of Restaurants Serving Vegan Options;” and “Vegan & Vegetarian Meetups per Capita” to come to their final conclusions.

When it came to cities in Pennsylvania, well, they didn’t fare all too hot for those of the vegan or vegetarian persuasions: Philadelphia was ranked in the bottom 50 in the number 54 spot. Pittsburgh didn’t even make it on to the list.

The top five cities who were among the best for vegans and vegetarians were: Austin, Texas (number five); Phoenix, Ariz. (number four); Los Angeles, Calif. (number three); Orlando, Fla. (number two); and Portland, Ore. (number one).

And for those who do choose to follow a vegan or vegetarian diets, Jane Burrell—associate professor of nutrition science at Syracuse University’s College of Sport and Human Dynamics—would like for them to try to avoid common misconceptions when attempting to incorporate either into their lifestyles.

“A common mistake I see is that people just cut animal foods and do not replace them with other plant-based foods,” states she. “This can leave someone without enough calories to be satisfied.”

The bottom five cities were, by the way, North Las Vegas, Nev.; Fremont, Calif.; Chula Vista, Calif.; San Jose, Calif; and San Bernardino, Calif.