Detroit has been named one of the top five “pizza cities” in the U.S.
The Motor City came in fourth place in a tie with Buffalo, New York — behind Rochester (New York), Philadelphia, and Boston, but ahead of other notable pizza capitals like New Haven, Connecticut (No. 6), Chicago (No. 10), and even the mighty New York City (No. 8).
That’s according to Clever Real Estate, which published its 2025 “Pizza Cities” rankings.
The real estate advice service evaluated 100 of the largest cities in the U.S. on factors including the number of pizzerias per capita, the average price of large cheese and pepperoni pizzas on thousands of menus (compared to local incomes), a “Pizza Passion Score” based on Google searches related to pizza in various markets, and “the city’s perceived pizza quality, as measured by a poll of 2,000 Americans.”
Of Detroit’s “Pizza Passion” score of 80.6 out of 100, Clever Real Estate says:
“That can be explained in part by Detroit pizza’s rise into the national spotlight in recent years. The thick, chewy, rectangular pies are cooked in high-sided pans like the type once designed as a parts tray for the auto industry. Sauce is applied in dollops or stripes, and cheese spread to the edge of the crust helps create a crispy, lacy texture.”
The report also noted that a typical large cheese pizza in Detroit is more affordable than average ($16.25 vs. $18.02), as well as large pepperoni pies ($17.86 vs. $20.42).
Detroit ranked low, however, when it comes to pizzerias per capita, with only 6.8 per 100,000 residents — half the national average of 12.4.
Detroit was ranked No. 1 pizza city by Clever Real estate in 2022 and 2023.
Earlier this year, our intrepid reporter Steve Neavling tasted and ranked more than 25 Detroit-style pizzas.
