Best cities for urban gardening

The Nation -   With grocery prices projected to rise by 3.1% in 2026, there’s never been a better time to grow your own food. Estimates show that growing a 600-square-foot plot for fruits and vegetables can save you around $600 in a single season.  To celebrate National Gardening Day (April 14), LawnStarter ranked 2026’s Best Cities for Urban Gardening.

10 Best Cities for Urban Gardening in 2026

Atlanta

Miami

Houston

St. Louis

Jacksonville, Florida

Orlando, Florida

Cincinnati

Fort Myers, Florida

Tampa, Florida

Austin, Texas

To rank the cities, we considered access to community gardens per 10,000 residents, the number of food forests, and average yard sizes. We also factored in local climates, access to gardening supplies, and support like “Right to Garden” laws, among 15 total metrics.

Atlanta (No. 1) dethrones New York (No. 13), which held the top spot in our 2025 ranking....

8.8% of the 500 largest U.S. cities are home to a community food forest. “A food forest is like having a produce stand in your neighborhood,” says Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp (The Hoosier Gardener).

 “Imagine walking down the block to harvest some green beans and tomatoes for dinner and pick a few apples or raspberries for dessert.”

The median yard size among the cities in our ranking is 8,883 sq ft, meaning a modest 600 sq ft vegetable garden would take up approximately 6.8% of the typical backyard. San Francisco (No. 16) is the only city in our ranking where typical homeowners lack the space for a 600 sq ft garden, with average yard sizes of 596 sq ft.

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