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New Study Reveals The Best And Worst Coffee Cities In The US

It’s hard to imagine life without coffee. A staple to your morning routine and remedy for the midday lull, coffee is an inseparable part of everyday living. Whether you’re a bean snob or prefer an instant boost, there is a coffee perfectly suited to your taste. Real estate advice service, Clever, has compiled a thorough ranking of The Best Coffee Cities In The U.S. for 2024. 

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According to the site, America’s coffee market is valued at $11 billion and is expected to grow 3% annually for five years. The landscape has plenty of diverse coffee options, ranging from major chains to small specialty cafes. Clever used a specific set of metrics to rank the best cities for coffee lovers accurately:

  • 3x: Coffee shops per 100,000 residents
  • 2x: Google Trends score for 15 different coffee-related terms
  • 2x: Coffee roasteries per 100,000 residents
  • 1x: Average price of a cappuccino
  • 1x: Average cappuccino price as a percentage of median income
  • 1x: Average Yelp score of local coffee shops
  • 1x: Donut shops per 100,000 residents

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Photo: Clever

In its findings, Portland, Oregon unsurprisingly landed in the top spot. Its eclectic coffee culture boasts 27.8 coffee shops per 100,00 residents, granting the city a 120% surplus of coffee shops. The other top cities averaged 12.6 coffee shops per 100,000. Portland is easily the number one spot for coffee enthusiasts. Rounding out the top five is San Jose, CA, San Diego, CA, Denver, CO, and San Francisco, CA.

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Some other fun facts include San Jose having the most coffee shops per capita with Detroit having the fewest. Regarding price, Seattle, WA is the most expensive coffee city, ($6.37 on average) while Riverside, CA is the cheapest ($4.04 on average). Less surprisingly, Starbucks is the country’s most popular major coffee chain, though Dunkin’ edges it out in the Northeast. 

Photo: Clever

Houston unfortunately takes the cake when it comes to the absolute worst coffee city. The city only has 4.9 coffee shops per 100,000 residents, 61% less than the average city. Houston residents are clearly sleeping on coffee.

Clever’s “The Best Coffee Cities In The U.S. 2024” list is chock-full of interesting details about each city and its coffee culture. For a more in-depth analysis and full list of city rankings, head over to Clever’s website.