For this study, the 50 largest metros in the U.S. received weighted scores that boosted them for independent pizzerias, interest in pizza variations, price and affordability and quantity and quality of the establishments.

On the flip-side, they were docked points for having a lot of big chain pizza places.

In the end, the Top 15 pizza cities in the U.S. are all in the Eastern half of the country, with Detroit and Cleveland being #1 and #2.  How? 

Detroit has the most independent pizza restaurants per capita, and it ranked #1 in “pizza passion,” which included internet searches for a variety of pizza styles.

Columbus, Ohio is third on the list and with two of the Top Three cities, Ohio was named the Best State for pizza.

Here’s the rest of the Top 15 pizza cities:  Boston was fourth, followed by Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Providence, Rhode Island, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Virginia, Baltimore, Tampa, Minneapolis, Chicago and Nashville.

New York City didn’t even make the Top 20.  It’s #22, after Buffalo, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee.