Many companies featured on Money advertise with us. Opinions are our own, but compensation and
in-depth research determine where and how companies may appear. Learn more about how we make money.

Close up of hand of person paying waiter for restaurant bill
Money; Getty Images

Americans are still tipping when they go out to eat, even as inflation pushes food prices higher. But new data released by Toast, a payments platform for restaurants, shows that not every state tips equally.

You can find the most generous tippers in Delaware, where restaurant patrons tipped an average of 21.8% on their dining bills in the fourth quarter. California was the least generous state – tips there averaged just 17.5%.

Toast also ranked the cities with the most generous tippers: Cleveland came out on top of the 12 major metro areas analyzed, with an average tip of 20.6% in the fourth quarter. Residents of San Francisco tipped the least — just 17%.

Toast’s data from 79,000 restaurants across the country includes tips made on a credit card or another form of digital payment, but not cash.

Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.AdAds by Money disclaimer
Saving money now affords you new opportunities in the future
It's never too late to put some money aside in a High-Yield Savings Account. Click on your state and find out more.
HawaiiAlaskaFloridaSouth CarolinaGeorgiaAlabamaNorth CarolinaTennesseeRIRhode IslandCTConnecticutMAMassachusettsMaineNHNew HampshireVTVermontNew YorkNJNew JerseyDEDelawareMDMarylandWest VirginiaOhioMichiganArizonaNevadaUtahColoradoNew MexicoSouth DakotaIowaIndianaIllinoisMinnesotaWisconsinMissouriLouisianaVirginiaDCWashington DCIdahoCaliforniaNorth DakotaWashingtonOregonMontanaWyomingNebraskaKansasOklahomaPennsylvaniaKentuckyMississippiArkansasTexas
Open an Account Today!

The data

Here’s how all the states stacked up against each other, from the highest average tip to the lowest.

  1. Delaware: 21.8%
  2. Indiana: 20.8%
  3. Wyoming: 20.8%
  4. Kentucky: 20.7%
  5. West Virginia: 20.6%
  6. Ohio: 20.6%
  7. New Hampshire: 20.6%
  8. South Carolina: 20.4%
  9. Wisconsin: 20.3%
  10. Pennsylvania: 20.3%
  11. Maine: 20.3%
  12. Michigan: 20.2%
  13. Missouri: 20.1%
  14. Rhode Island: 20.1%
  15. Montana: 20.1%
  16. Iowa: 20.0%
  17. Colorado: 19.9%
  18. Kansas: 19.9%
  19. Nebraska: 19.9%
  20. Maryland: 19.7%
  21. North Dakota: 19.7%
  22. North Carolina: 19.6%
  23. Idaho: 19.6%
  24. Alaska: 19.6%
  25. Tennessee: 19.5%
  26. Vermont: 19.5%
  27. Virginia: 19.5%
  28. Massachusetts: 19.4%
  29. South Dakota: 19.4%
  30. Oregon: 19.4%
  31. Alabama: 19.4%
  32. Arizona: 19.3%
  33. Connecticut: 19.3%
  34. Illinois: 19.3%
  35. Georgia: 19.3%
  36. Utah: 19.2%
  37. Oklahoma: 19.2%
  38. Minnesota: 19.2%
  39. Mississippi: 19.1%
  40. Arkansas: 19.0%
  41. New Jersey: 19.0%
  42. New Mexico: 18.9%
  43. Texas: 18.9%
  44. Louisiana: 18.8%
  45. New York: 18.7%
  46. Hawaii: 18.7%
  47. Nevada: 18.4%
  48. Florida: 18.3%
  49. Washington: 18.2%
  50. California: 17.5%
Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.AdAds by Money disclaimer
Don’t let your credit hold you back
Is bad credit weighing you down? Lexington Law’s credit repair experts can help get you an accurate credit report. Better credit is possible — let’s get started.
View Plans

More from Money:

The Secret to Saving More Money Has to Do With Your Personality: Study

Nearly Half of Americans Think We're in a Recession, and They're Saving Up to Survive It

These Credit Cards Just Started Offering 10% Cash Back on Uber and Uber Eats