Rank #16 of 33
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
9.6
Tacos per hour at the local median wage
$2.50
Avg taco price
$23.96
Median hourly wage (2024)
$3.00
Fast-casual taqueria
$1.99
Taco Bell crunchy taco
Phoenix sits above the national average. An hour of local work buys 9.6 tacos here, compared with 9.3 tacos per hour across the 33-city index (+0.3 vs national average).
Local note
Phoenix and the surrounding Valley have one of the largest concentrations of Sonoran-style taquerias in the country, particularly in Maryvale, South Phoenix, and along Van Buren Street. Prices sit near the national average, kept moderate by the metro's deep supply and competitive food-truck scene.
Where the numbers come from
Fast-casual: Tacos Chiwas (~$3 each), La Frontera (low-$2 truck pricing), Ta'Carbon, Mesquite Fresh Street Mex. Chain: Taco Bell crunchy taco $1.99 (national avg).
Average taco price ($2.50) is $0.27 below 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.