The Best Cities for Donut Lovers (2024)

Mmmmm donuts. Homer Simpson was onto something, for sure.

Whether it’s glazed, sprinkles or jelly-filled, donuts are one of the most iconic breakfast treats in the country.

Best cities for donuts

Our rankings go beyond favorite shops around the U.S. We looked at the 150 most populated cities in the country. Then, to create our top 10, we looked at the proportion of donut businesses in a city, donut businesses per capita and donut businesses per density.

Take a look at our top 10 best cities for donut lovers — you won’t be able to walk away without your favorite donut hole.

10. McKinney, TX

Historic downtown McKinney will capture your heart with its charm. Visit one of the many stores on Main Street, followed by a bit of barbecue and a concert at the McKinney Performing Arts Center.

The quiet town is only 45 miles from Dallas with about 15 donut shops per 100,000 residents, so you’ll have your pick. Get in line for one of The Donut Kitchen‘s apple cinnamon donuts that tastes just like fall.

9. Philadelphia, PA

We’ll never know if our forefathers enjoyed a good donut, but Philadelphia, indeed, has many options when you look both at density and per capita rank. You’ll get a unanimous “Beiler’s Doughnuts” on where to go first if you ask anyone in the city. The Amish bakery serves Pennsylvania Dutch doughnuts like an apple fritter, chocolate glazed cake and famous peanut butter and jelly.

For the vegan inclined, Dottie’s Donuts offers lemon lavender, vegan maple bacon, cinnamon sugar and even a vegan Boston Creme.

8. Orlando, FL

7. Boston, MA

Boston enjoys a high city walk score of 89, making it easy to hop from donut shop to donut shop in the mornings with a bit of cardio in between. The city has 11 stores per 100,000 residents and a high density of donut shops at 1.6.

Union Square Donuts takes the cake for most original with brioche-style dough that resembles more pastry than a donut but is equally good.

If you’re just looking for a cup of joe and a traditional donut, try Demet’s Donuts.

6. Newark, NJ

Newark isn’t just an airport layover stop — it’s also home to more than 25 Dunkin’ locations just minutes from each other. The density of Dunkin’ in Newark and how many hot and fresh donuts they’re making each morning pushes Newark to No. 6 on our list.

If you want something more unique, stop by Suissa. This small Portuguese bakery makes a deep-fried sonho, a sugar-topped donut you’ll love.

5. Buffalo, NY

4. Providence, RI

Despite having a population of fewer than 200,000 residents, Providence has an impressive density of donut shops. For gourmet donuts, visit PVDonuts, a local favorite that serves brioche-style donuts along with seasonal offerings. Similarly, Knead Doughnuts makes fresh donuts every day via pre-order like maple sea salt, butternut squash fritter and spiced sour cream.

3. Jersey City, NJ

Sure, you could go to Krispy Kreme, but Jersey City has so many more donuts to offer. Taking the No. 3 spot on our list, Jersey City has both coffee shops and donut shops to choose from. The Grind Shop carries donuts from New York’s Doughnut Plant with flavors like matcha green tea, red velvet, PB&J and more.

Or, head to The LoDG, where very creative flavors rotate monthly. Don’t miss the Lil’ Chickies (chicken and waffles cake donut), What’s the Flan and Reverse O-S’moresis.

2. Rochester, NY

Family-owned and secret recipes are the name of the donut game in Rochester. Since 1958, Donuts Delite has baked their famous cannoli donuts. The donut is filled with fresh cannoli cream and chocolate chips. Ridge Donut Cafe, operating since 1977, boasts over 30 varieties, including the classic glazed, coconut and powdered blueberry.

Rochester has a pretty high density of shops, so these two will get you started on a delicious tour.

1. Worcester, MA

And our No. 1 best city for donut lovers is Worcester, with an impressive density of shops that offer hot donuts. Worcester also has a whopping 22 stores per 100,000 residents — that’s a lot of donuts near each other. Glazy Susan, a newer specialty shop in the city, slings flavors like cannoli, pumpkin cheesecake, maple French toast cake and, of course, chocolate sprinkle. Get there early, as the shop tends to sell out.

The 50 best cities for donut lovers

Your city didn’t make the list? D’oh! Don’t worry, check out the 50 best cities for donut enthusiasts below and find the nearest spot to you.

Rank	City	Population	Donuts Proportion Rank	Donuts Per Density Rank	Donuts Per Capita Rank
1	Worcester, MA	185,428	3	9	3
2	Rochester, NY	205,695	25	5	1
3	Jersey City, NJ	262,075	5	1	15
4	Providence, RI	179,883	21	3	5
5	Buffalo, NY	255,284	10	7	4
6	Newark, NJ	282,011	7	4	11
7	Boston, MA	692,600	24	2	14
8	Orlando, FL	287,442	53	16	2
9	Philadelphia, PA	1,584,064	19	6	18
10	McKinney, TX	199,177	2	25	6
11	Garland, TX	239,928	4	24	12
12	Chicago, IL	2,693,976	23	10	28
13	Grand Prairie, TX	194,543	1	48	10
14	Long Beach, CA	462,628	17	13	29
15	Yonkers, NY	200,370	13	11	39
16	Miami, FL	467,963	122	8	31
17	Fontana, CA	214,547	6	26	32
18	Santa Ana, CA	332,318	30	11	48
19	Ontario, CA	185,010	9	36	22
20	Irving, TX	239,798	12	32	16
21	Baton Rouge, LA	220,236	54	31	7
22	Frisco, TX	200,490	15	44	19
23	Fort Lauderdale, FL	182,437	73	17	13
24	Tampa, FL	399,700	65	27	8
25	Fort Worth, TX	909,585	11	58	21
26	Plano, TX	287,677	29	28	20
27	Oxnard, CA	208,881	18	20	50
28	Tulsa, OK	401,190	28	63	9
29	Huntington Beach, CA	199,223	27	18	36
30	Houston, TX	2,320,268	37	29	23
31	Anaheim, CA	350,365	36	22	43
32	San Bernardino, CA	215,784	14	52	34
33	Arlington, TX	398,854	22	43	35
34	Dallas, TX	1,343,573	35	41	26
35	Riverside, CA	331,360	33	40	30
36	Pittsburgh, PA	300,286	98	23	24
37	Baltimore, MD	593,490	61	19	42
38	Oceanside, CA	175,742	20	49	46
39	Moreno Valley, CA	213,055	8	62	59
40	Lincoln, NE	289,102	26	57	33
41	Lubbock, TX	258,862	34	74	27
42	Cincinnati, OH	303,940	96	38	25
43	Knoxville, TN	187,603	77	69	17
44	Chandler, AZ	261,165	31	56	54
45	Fresno, CA	531,576	43	46	52
46	Las Vegas, NV	651,319	91	33	40
47	Sacramento, CA	513,624	68	37	49
48	Columbus, OH	898,553	41	55	53
49	Tempe, AZ	195,805	45	47	56
50	New York, NY	8,336,817	44	15	137

The top 10 worst cities for donut lovers

A lower density of donut shops leads to long lines, sold-out inventory and you missing out on a Saturday morning treat. Here are the top 10 worst cities.

Rank	City	Population	Donuts Proportion Rank	Donuts Per Density Rank	Donuts Per Capita Rank
1	Sioux Falls, SD	183,793	150	147	150
2	Montgomery, AL	198,525	146	149	147
3	Spokane, WA	222,081	149	135	148
4	Laredo, TX	262,491	140	142	149
5	Anchorage, AK	288,000	144	150	144
6	Brownsville, TX	182,781	127	148	145
7	Memphis, TN	651,073	141	140	143
8	Madison, WI	259,680	145	125	141
9	Minneapolis, MN	429,606	148	96	146
10	Milwaukee, WI	590,157	143	103	142

Methodology

To find the best cities for donuts, we looked at the 150 most populated cities in the U.S. according to the Census Bureau’s population estimates. We then used a database of more than 8 million business listings to determine the count of donut shops in any given city.

Then, we calculated the proportion of donuts (donut shops compared to all businesses), donuts per density (donut shops per square mile) and donuts per capita (donut shops per population) in each area. We weighted these factors, and the cities with the best overall score were determined to be the best cities for donuts in America.

Business listings may not reflect recent openings or closures.

Muriel Vega is an Atlanta-based journalist who writes about technology and its intersection with arts and culture. She’s worked on content for startups like Mailchimp, Patreon, Punchlist, Skillshare, Rent. and others. Muriel has also contributed to The Washington Post, Eater, DWELL, Outside Magazine, Atlanta Magazine, AIGA Eye on Design, Bitter Southerner and more.