Rank #30 of 33

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

8.1

Tacos per hour at the local median wage

$3.09 Avg taco price

$24.89 Median hourly wage (2024)

$4.00 Fast-casual taqueria

$2.19 Taco Bell crunchy taco

Philadelphia sits below the national average. An hour of local work buys 8.1 tacos here, compared with 9.3 tacos per hour across the 33-city index (−1.2 vs national average).

Local note

Philadelphia's taco scene is centered on the Mexican community along the South 9th Street corridor, where South Philly Barbacoa and a handful of Italian Market taquerias have built a national reputation. Prices skew higher than most Northeast cities outside New York, reflecting the destination quality of the standout spots and Philly's elevated food-cost environment.

Where the numbers come from

Fast-casual: South Philly Barbacoa ($4–$6), Tacos El Rodeo (Pennsport, 1000 Washington Ave), Taco Loco (400 Washington Ave), Mi Pueblito Tacos (Front & Dickinson), El Tlaloc. Chain: Taco Bell crunchy taco $2.19 (Northeast urban tier).

Average taco price ($3.09) is $0.32 above the national average of $2.77.

How this is calculated. Tacos per hour = median hourly wage ÷ average taco price. Average taco price is the mean of the fast-casual taqueria anchor and the local Taco Bell crunchy taco price. Wages come from BLS OEWS, May 2024, MSA-level median for all occupations. Full methodology.