What Are the Most Popular States for Vegans In 2021?

Becoming a vegan can be challenging as you have to make considerable changes in your diet. It is a lifestyle change that takes time to adapt to. 

Veganism is rapidly gaining recognition in many parts of the world, including the United States of America. More people are inclined towards a plant-based healthy eating lifestyle with no animal cruelty.

In this article, we bring you the most vegan-populated states in America. We have determined rating factors and gathered the data required to conclude the vegan population by state. 

Rating Factors To Determine Vegan Population By State

We used four main factors to determine the vegan population of every state in the country. We measured these indicators, and with the complete data set, we were able to rank all 50 states based on veganism.

Vegan Population Per Capita

To determine this factor, we analyzed search trends in Google. We measured the average monthly search volume for the search term “vegan restaurants” to determine how many people were looking for this dining option.

After that, we weighed the search volume of each state per 1 million people basis to compare and rank the states accordingly.

Vegan Socializing Groups

Next, we looked at how many vegan socializing groups are scattered across all states to determine how active vegans are in promoting this lifestyle.

We gathered data using Meetup.com and weighted the data per 1 million people.

Specialized Vegan Restaurants And Eateries

The other factor we considered is how many restaurants were dedicated to vegans in each state. For this, we gathered data using Google Maps and websites like Yelp.com.

We gathered data and weighed the number of restaurants against the population to compare and rank each state.

Animal Welfare Societies

As the last factor, we considered the number of societies and groups that were reserved for supporting animal rights. The results showed us how dedicated people in each state were towards protecting animals and animal welfare.

We used Google Maps to find reliable information on the animal welfare groups scattered in every state.

Top 10 Vegan States

Here is the data we gathered to determine the vegan population by state. 

1. Nevada

• Vegan Population Per Capita: 942 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 8 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 14 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 4 per 1 million people

Nevada stands top in the list of vegan states due to the strong growth in search traffic among the locals of the state.

• California
• Vegan Population Per Capita: 838 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 6 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 11 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 3 per 1 million people

California is closely competing with Nevada in search traffic and the number of vegan restaurants. It also has a considerable number of vegan-related groups.

• Oregon
• Vegan Population Per Capita: 688 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 5 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 16 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 21 per 1 million people

Oregon comes to third place with a considerable number of vegan restaurants and high search volume. However, it needs to improve socializing and organizing vegan groups.

• Hawaii
• Vegan Population Per Capita: 622 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 18 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 19 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 40 per 1 million people

Hawaii seems to have a significant demand for vegan dining options. People are constantly searching for vegan-friendly eateries as a tourist destination, based on the results above.

• New York
• Vegan Population Per Capita: 622 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 6 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 9 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 4 per 1 million people

When researching the popularity of the vegan lifestyle in New York, a significant thing we noticed is that it has a high density of restaurants in certain areas. However, the spread of vegan dining options is not constant across the state. 

• New Jersey
• Vegan Population Per Capita: 405 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 16 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 29 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 17 per 1 million people

New Jersey ranks at the top when it comes to vegan dining options, with a high number of restaurants to select from. 

• Maryland
• Vegan Population Per Capita: 480 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 22 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 11 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 22 per 1 million people

Maryland is on this list mainly because of its search trends and a high number of vegan restaurants. The state also ranks moderately well for vegan social meet-ups and animal rights and welfare support.

• Arizona
• Vegan Population Per Capita: 742 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 5 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 5 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 16 per 1 million people

Arizona ranks well in terms of search trends related to a vegan lifestyle. However, it needs to have more dining options focused on vegans, which is where it loses its score in this list.

• Massachusetts
• Vegan Population Per Capita: 421 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 14 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 10 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 12 per 1 million people

Massachusetts is a turn-around of Arizona with a low ranking in Google search trends and a higher number of vegan restaurants. The state ranks well among the top contesters regarding vegan dining options available locally.

1. Michigan

• Vegan Population Per Capita: 441 per 1 million people 
• Vegan Socializing Groups: 4 per 1 million people
• Vegan Restaurants: 9 per 1 million people
• Animal Welfare Societies: 4 per 1 million people

Michigan has a good mix of search trends and vegan restaurants, which has given it a place in this list. It ranks significantly high when you consider the number of animal welfare societies and vegan groups available in the state.

Looking at the list above, it’s evident that Americans are gradually becoming more vegan and want to follow this healthy lifestyle. Shakes lab has put together a list of top vegan meal replacement shakes that are worth trying out if you plan to become vegan.

Here is a full list of all 50 states according to the vegan population.

1. Nevada
2. California
3. Oregon
4. Hawaii
5. New York
6. New Jersey
7. Maryland
8. Arizona
9. Massachusetts
10. Michigan
11. Virginia
12. Florida
13. Rhode Island
14. Colorado
15. Georgia
16. Utah
17. Washington
18. Vermont
19. Illinois
20. New Mexico
21. Delaware
22. Texas
23. North Carolina
24. Connecticut
25. Pennsylvania
26. New Hampshire
27. Minnesota
28. Ohio
29. South Carolina
30. Tennessee
31. Missouri
32. West Virginia
33. Louisiana
34. Maine
35. Indiana
36. Wisconsin
37. Idaho
38. Nebraska
39. Kentucky
40. Kansas
41. Oklahoma
42. Iowa
43. Montana
44. Arkansas
45. Mississippi
46. Wyoming
47. Alabama
48. South Dakota
49. Alaska
50. North Dakota

Summary: Vegan Population By State

Following is a summary of the top 10 states ranked according to the four factors taken into consideration.

Top 10 States According To Vegan Population Per Capita

1. Nevada
2. California
3. Colorado
4. Arizona
5. Oregon
6. Texas
7. New York
8. Hawaii
9. Washington
10. Florida

Top 10 States Based On Vegan Socializing Groups

1. Delaware
2. Rhode Island
3. Connecticut
4. New Hampshire
5. Vermont
6. Maryland
7. Maine
8. Hawaii
9. New Jersey
10. Massachusetts

Top 10 States Based On The Number Of Vegan Restaurants

1. New Jersey
2. Hawaii
3. Oregon
4. Nevada
5. California
6. Maryland
7. Massachusetts
8. Rhode Island
9. Virginia
10. Michigan

Top 10 States Based On Animal Welfare Societies

1. Delaware
2. South Dakota
3. North Dakota
4. Vermont
5. Rhode Island
6. New Hampshire
7. Wyoming
8. Alaska
9. Idaho
10. West Virginia

Are You Ready To Move Your State To The Top In Terms Of Vegan Population?

It starts with you. If you want to move on to a healthy vegan lifestyle, there are many vegan meal options you can try out.

Believe me, once you move on to a vegan lifestyle, there’s no turning back. You’ll be amazed by the results and how you feel altogether.