Charlotte ranked among Top 10 cheapest pizza cities in the U.S., report says
Charlotte is among the most budget-friendly pizza cities in the U.S., a new report says.
A medium cheese pie averages $14.50 in the Queen City, making it the second-cheapest locale to grab a slice, according to NetCredit’s 2026 U.S. Pizza Index.
For the rankings, the personal online lender used GrubHub and DoorDash to find the price of a medium cheese pizza at major chains in America’s 180 largest cities.
Analysts then calculated the average cost of a pie in each city, providing a snapshot of which spots offer the most affordable pizzas.
“Whether ordering a plain cheese or not, comparing the cost of a medium cheese pizza is a simple way to index the relative affordability of an order from one of the big pizza chains around the country,” Matt Pelkey, a finance expert with NetCredit, wrote.
Charlotte was one of two North Carolina cities to crack the Top 10, with Raleigh landing at No. 9, rankings show. Both were among major U.S. cities where the average pizza cost less than $15.
At the opposite end, California was home to five of the six priciest cities for pizza, according to NetCredit. San Diego ($20.76) had the most expensive average pizza, followed by San Jose ($20.02) and Los Angeles ($19.84).
The report also ranked the pizza chains themselves: Little Caesars offered the best value, with a medium cheese pizza averaging $10.27 versus Chuck E. Cheese at $20.23 for the same pie, results show.
Charlotte’s top pizza picks
There’s no shortage of great pizza spots in the Queen City, whether you prefer a classic cheese pie or one with all the fixings.
Local favorite Pizza Baby was named among the nation’s Top 50 pizza joints for the third year in a row, CharlotteFive recently reported. The pizzeria landed at No. 41, falling one spot from last year’s rankings.
Co-founder Steven De Falco cheered the recognition, saying he and co-founder Chef Trey Wilson were honored to earn spot on the coveted list again.
“We’re here to cook and bake for Charlotte and serve the community,” De Falco told C5. “We just love opening our doors for the Queen City — for everyone. It brings us pure joy to do so, to host everyone.”
Father-son duo Jamie and Tristan Graziano crowned Zepeddie’s Pizzeria in LoSo their favorite after trying pies at 16 pizzerias across the city. Zepeddie’s scored an 8.7 out of 10, earning high marks for its balanced flavor and charred crust with “minimal flop.”
Other top picks included Pizzeria Omaggio, Inzio Pizza Napoletana and Bird Pizzeria in NoDa.
Where are the cheapest cities to buy pizza?
NetCredit ranked these 10 U.S. cities as the most affordable spots to buy a pizza:
- Houston, Texas — avg. cost: $14.42
- Charlotte, North Carolina — avg. cost: $14.50
- Austin, Texas — avg. cost: $14.64
- St. Louis, Missouri — avg. cost: $14.66
- Atlanta, Georgia — avg. cost: $14.82
- Grand Rapids, Michigan — avg. cost: $14.83
- Tulsa, Oklahoma — avg. cost: $14.85
- Kansas City, Missouri — avg. cost: $14.91
- Raleigh, North Carolina — avg. cost: $14.95
- Fort Worth, Texas — avg cost: $14.99
