10 States with the Best Food Truck Scenes & 10 Where You'll Struggle

Food Truck Craze

The reports are in, people love food trucks! After all, they’re convenient, high quality, and usually offer cheaper prices. But despite this American love affair, some states have more to show than others. With that in mind, here are 10 states that are food truck paradises, and 10 that will leave you wanting more.

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1. New York

New York offers one of the best food truck scenes in all of America. Regulations can be stricter than in other states, but with a dense population and robust lunch crowds, food trucks thrive and bring a diverse menu. Competition is fierce, so many New York City food trucks need a specific focus or specialty to be popular and stay in business.

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2. Washington

Washington’s larger urban environments have a very strong street food culture. Seattle has a particular affinity for high-quality, creative cuisine, which has allowed premium food trucks to thrive. Festivals and events are common places where you can find high-quality food trucks across Washington.

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3. California

California has always been viewed as the epicenter of the modern food truck movement. Big cities, mild weather year-round, and an ethnically diverse population all create a constantly hungry audience for mobile food of all types. From tacos to fusion cuisine and everything in between, you are sure to find innovative food trucks in the Golden State.

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4. Texas

Food trucks are an important part of the dining landscape in Texas. From Austin to Houston and Dallas, there are often food truck parks and a regular base of customers. The startup and operating costs are typically lower than on the coasts, which helps local vendors and makes it easier to have a great number of food trucks open for business.

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5. Florida

Florida is a great place to own a food truck because of its warm climate. People like eating outside or on patios year-round. Tourist destinations also create a constant influx of new people to serve. Many cities in Florida also regularly host food truck rallies.

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6. Oregon

Oregon is well known for its highly organized food truck pods. Trucks congregate in specific parking spots that attract a steady stream of pedestrians and give them reason to sample several food options instead of competing directly. The state government is also very supportive of small food businesses.

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7. Colorado

The active urban populations in Colorado, combined with regular local events and farmers markets, keep the food truck scene in the Centennial State very healthy. Cities like Denver have also been very friendly to food trucks that operate at breweries or other outdoor gathering places. This gives them consistent demand even outside traditional lunch or dinner rushes.

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8. Arizona

Arizona has seen a boom in its urban populations, and the warm climate is conducive to year-round food truck operations. The operating costs are lower than many coastal states, which attracts new vendors, as well as makes an opening for many interesting and diverse foods. Food truck festivals and similar events are growing in popularity in Arizona.

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9. Georgia

Georgia’s food trucks have seen slow and steady growth in recent years. Atlanta in particular has a diverse pool of customers with varied tastes, which means many different cuisines and styles can be successful. Festivals and private events make up a large part of the food truck business here.

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10. Massachusetts

The Bay State has a very strong culture of eating from food trucks during lunch hours in urban centers. College towns, business districts, and the like provide dependable weekday crowds. Restaurants here are very focused on quality, which can give food trucks a loyal following.

Now that we talked about some states with great fast food scenes, here are 10 that are seriously struggling.

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1. Alaska

The operating season is significantly shorter in Alaska thanks to harsher weather. Operating costs are also higher for food trucks, in part due to supply transportation challenges. Most trucks here are only operational for a few months in the peak summer season.

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2. Mississippi

Mississippi has a lower density of urban areas that support regular daily business for food trucks. Lower population density impacts the overall volume of sales. Some areas of the state are starting to see more success, but the overall growth has been slow.

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3. West Virginia

West Virginia’s more rural layout makes it harder to find foot traffic on a regular basis. Fewer large cities outside of Charleston and Huntington mean not many concentrated lunch crowds. Many food trucks depend on fairs and festivals.

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4. North Dakota

Cold weather and fewer large cities mean fewer high-traffic locations. Outdoor dining is not possible for long periods of the year. Summer months are short, so many food trucks make most of their money in a brief season.

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5. South Dakota

South Dakota has many of the same struggles with weather and population density. Events can be more lucrative, but day-to-day operations are more challenging. Most food trucks work part-time and are not full-time year-round businesses.

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6. Wyoming

Wyoming’s very small population does not allow for high daily volume. Long distances between towns and cities can make regular service difficult. Seasonal tourism helps, but can be unpredictable at times.

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7. Nebraska

Nebraska, outside of Omaha, has a very low urban density. That means there are fewer locations where you can stop daily and still make a profit. The market is starting to grow, but it will take careful business planning and strong niche appeal to succeed.

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8. Iowa

Iowa’s food truck industry is still in a growing phase. Smaller cities also mean fewer high-traffic locations or regular demand. Festivals are one of the only ways that Iowa food trucks can reliably generate income.

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9. Maine

The cold Maine winters make it unappealing to eat outdoors for a good portion of the year. There are some areas that see support from coastal tourism in the summer, but off-season demand is very low. Some food trucks choose to close for part of the year instead.

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10. Montana

Montana’s geography makes it difficult to establish regular service on consistent routes. Small local markets make it hard to maintain a daily sales potential. Seasonal tourism can provide a boost, but it’s not your go-to place for food truck foods.

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