Orlando, Florida, has taken the No. 1 ranking as America’s best city for coffee lovers, according to a new WalletHub analysis of the country’s 100 largest cities. Portland, Oregon, which held the top spot last year, fell to No. 2.
Miami came in at No. 3, followed by Long Beach, California, at No. 4 and Seattle at No. 5. Tampa, Florida, ranked No. 6, while Pittsburgh and Austin, Texas, rounded out the top ten at No. 9 and No. 10.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, who is based in South Carolina, said the rankings reflect a shift in what people want from coffee shops. Rather than trendy cafes, many drinkers are prioritizing affordable, highly rated spots with free Wi-Fi that double as workspaces and social hubs for tourists, students and remote workers.
Lupo said Orlando’s tourism-driven economy plays a major role in its top ranking, since visitors often look for a reliable place to charge phones, get online for free and save money before spending big at nearby attractions.
“People want to have a coffee, they may want to go in and scroll for a little while before they hit Disney World, so they want to make the rest of the experience as affordable as they can to spend more of their money on the tourist attraction,” Lupo said.
The presence of the University of Central Florida in Orlando also factors in, according to Lupo.
“There’s a lot of broke college kids out there and they’re already spending the little money they have on coffee, so they don’t want to have to pay for the Wi-Fi also,” he said.
Cities with large young professional and student populations tended to score well overall, Lupo said, pointing to Pittsburgh’s growing med-tech and tech industries as a driver of its high ranking.
One surprise this year was seeing three Florida cities crack the top 10 alongside Long Beach, another warm-weather city. Lupo suggested the appeal of iced coffee in hot, muggy climates may explain the trend.
“Maybe that’s how a lot of folks start off their day, drinking a cold iced coffee first thing in the morning,” Lupo said.
WalletHub’s rankings were based on measures of “coffee friendliness,” including the price of packaged coffee and cappuccinos, household coffee spending, the share of residents who own coffee makers, and the number of coffee shops per capita. The analysis also factored in the availability of affordable coffee shops with at least a 4.5-star rating and free Wi-Fi, the presence of coffee and tea manufacturers and doughnut shops, and local interest based on Google search data.
New York, by contrast, landed at No. 44, which Lupo attributed partly to rising coffee prices and pressure on small, independent shops in the city.
The report also highlighted the financial stakes of a daily coffee habit. Households in the most coffee-obsessed cities can spend as much as $327 a year on the beverage, while those who prepare espresso or cappuccino at home may save significantly.
Several lower-ranked cities — including Laredo, Texas; Toledo, Ohio; Detroit; Memphis, Tennessee; and Lubbock, Texas — appear to have less room in household budgets for coffee purchases, Lupo said.
“When grocery costs are at a premium, usually one of the first places you’ll cut back [is] things like coffee,” he said.
Lupo added that buying a home coffee or espresso machine can often pay for itself within a couple of months for regular drinkers.
Looking ahead, Lupo said he expects Portland to push for a return to the top spot next year. “I think they’re going to try to make some changes to put themselves back in that No. 1 spot,” he said.
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