Study: Fast food costs the most in these cities...
Cities in the Great Lakes region top the list of where consumers spend the most on fast food.
That’s according to a new analysis from WalletHub, which compared the combined cost of a fast-food burger, fried chicken sandwich and pizza across the 100 largest U.S. cities. The totals were then measured against each city’s median household income to determine where fast food is least and most affordable. Fast food prices have risen by 3.2% over the past year, outpacing inflation and making quick meals increasingly expensive.
Detroit topped the list, with fast food accounting for 0.73% of median monthly household income, followed by Cleveland (0.70%), Buffalo, N.Y. (0.60%), Hialeah, Fla. (0.58%) and Toledo, Ohio (0.57%). Birmingham, Ala. (0.57%), Newark, N.J. (0.54%), Milwaukee (0.54%), Baltimore (0.54%) and Memphis (0.53%) rounded out the top 10.
[READ MORE: Study: These states spend the most on fast food…]
“Fast food has grown more and more expensive in recent years, outpacing inflation,” said Chip Lupo, writer and analyst at WalletHub. “As a result, it’s worthwhile for consumers to think critically about whether the convenience of fast food really justifies the cost – and about how much room they have in their budgets for this luxury. “The city in which you live can have a big impact on how much fast food costs.”
On the other side of the spectrum, consumers that live in some of the nation’s wealthiest areas spend the smallest amount on fast food relative to income. These include Fremont, Calif. (0.21%), Plano, Texas (0.24%), Gilbert, Ariz. (0.24%), Austin (0.25%) and Irvine, Calif. (0.26%).
WalletHub detailed its findings about the top-three cities below:
Detroit
“Detroit has the most costly fast food relative to residents’ earnings, with a small pizza, a burger and a fried chicken sandwich totaling 0.73% of the median monthly household income. That may not be all that much on its own, but since it only represents three meals out of an entire month, it can really add up depending on people’s eating habits.
Detroit is the 15th-most expensive city for chicken sandwiches, but only the 41st-most expensive for burgers and the 36th-most expensive for pizza. However, the city has the lowest median household income in the country, at $39,938 per year. As a result, even without overly high fast food prices, each purchase still eats into residents’ incomes a lot.”
Cleveland
“Cleveland residents pay the second-highest share of their income on fast food among all cities. Buying just one fast-food burger, a fried chicken sandwich and a small pizza costs residents 0.7% of the median monthly household income.
The primary reason why Cleveland ranks second is that it has the second-lowest median household income in the country, at $40,801 per year. Its fast food prices are actually reasonable. Out of 100 of the largest cities in America, Cleveland only has the 30th-most expensive burgers and chicken sandwiches and 49th-most expensive pizzas.
Since Cleveland residents’ median earnings are low, though, fast food still takes up a large percentage of their incomes.”
Buffalo, N.Y.
“Buffalo, N.Y., ranks as the third-most expensive city for fast food compared to residents’ incomes. A chicken sandwich, a burger and a small pizza cost 0.60% of the median household income in Buffalo.
If you plan to grab fast food in Buffalo, you may want to avoid burgers, since the city is the fifth-most expensive in the country for them. In comparison, it’s only the 32nd-most expensive city for chicken sandwiches and the 33rd-most expensive for pizza.
Aside from its high burger prices, Buffalo ranks third in our study in large part because it has the sixth-lowest median household income in the nation, at $50,041 per year.”
Data used to create WalletHub’s ranking were collected as of Aug. 25, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Council for Community and Economic Research. The full report can be found here.
