The best cities for foodies in the U.S.

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Wednesday, October 15, 2014
15. San Francisco, California
14. Santa Ana, California
13. Brownsville, Texas
12. Modesto, California
11. Huntington Beach, California
10. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
9. Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
8. Austin, Texas
7. New Orleans, Louisiana
6. Reno, Nevada
5. Cincinnati, Ohio
4. Boise City, Idaho
3. Madison, Wisconsin
2. Grand Rapids, Michigan
1. Orlando, Florida
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The best cities for foodies in the U.S.15. San Francisco, California
Wikimedia Commons

There's been a grown shift toward foodie culture the past few years in America, with more and more consumers dishing out their hard earned dough on a fancy meal or extravagant food item where that they might have typically saved for other expenses. And in this modern food renaissance, where millions of citizens act as independent master chefs and tasters, certain cities have better catered to the palettes and payloads of foodies.

Wallethub, an online personal finance resource, recently determined a list of the 150 best and worst foodie cities for your wallet. Their methodology was based on affordability of items like groceries, beer, and prevalence of affordable restaurants with a 4.5+ star rating. The study also included items like number of food trucks per capita, number of gourmet specialty food stores per capita, and number of food festivals.

The study found that the best foodie city in the U.S. is none other than Orlando, Florida, with the most healthy mix of affordable and diverse food options. New Orleans, Austin and Pittsburgh also placed in the top 10. Major metropolitan hubs seemed to place lower: New York City ranked 143 out of 150, Los Angeles 97 out of 150, and Chicago 126 out of 150. Philadelphia ranked 80 out of 150, Houston 96 out of 150, Durham 94 out of 150, Raleigh 132 out of 150, and Fresno 109 out of 150.

Check out the gallery above to see the best foodie cities for your mouth and your wallet.