Rank #5 of 33
Washington, DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
10.5
Tacos per hour at the local median wage
$3.14
Avg taco price
$32.90
Median hourly wage (2024)
$3.99
Fast-casual taqueria
$2.29
Taco Bell crunchy taco
Washington sits above the national average. An hour of local work buys 10.5 tacos here, compared with 9.3 tacos per hour across the 33-city index (+1.2 vs national average).
Local note
DC's taco scene has matured rapidly since the mid-2010s, anchored by District Taco and a wave of newer fast-casual operators like Taqueria Xochi. The city's high cost of doing business pushes per-taco prices into the upper-coastal tier, even as DC's elevated wages keep its overall affordability in the middle of the index.
Where the numbers come from
Fast-casual: District Taco ($3.49+ standard, 3-for-$9 Tuesday), Taqueria Xochi (U Street fast-casual), Tacos El Chilango, Tacos Los Primos, El Sol Food Truck. Chain: Taco Bell crunchy taco $2.29 (DC urban tier).
Average taco price ($3.14) is $0.37 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.