Why Pizza In Washington State Costs More Than Anywhere Else In The US

There's a whole universe of unique pizza toppings to choose from and, depending on what state or city you're in, your pizza could be round, square, or rectangular. Even the pizza base has moved on from flour-yeast-water to using more exotic ingredients like millets and cauliflower. Point being: the insatiable appetite for pizzas lies in its versatility — but that still doesn't explain why a slice of pizza costs so much in the state of Washington. 

According to the 2024 Pizza Index, the three most expensive states to have pizza are California, Hawaii, and, last but not least, Washington — where a pizza will cost you and average of $25.75. The average price for a pizza in these states are all well above the national average, and while none of these come close to the most expensive pizza in the world, Washington is the most expensive state in the U.S. to get your fix. Why? 

Restaurant pricing is dictated by a variety of factors. One of the biggest costs, however, is labor. From managers, hosts, and servers, to chefs, line cooks and dishwashers, it takes an army to keep orders ticking over. At full-service restaurants, this can add up to 35-40% of operational overheads. While quick-service pizza restaurants might manage to cut some of that through efficiency, it can still account for a good chunk of expenses — especially in a state like Washington.

At $16.66, Washington has the second highest minimum hourly wage in the country at the time of writing — behind only District of Columbia ($17.50) and more than twice the Federal minimum ($7.50). What this means is that every shift pulled by every human resource at a popular pizza chain there makes it just a little more expensive than elsewhere. Additionally, unlike in some other states, restaurants in Washington can't take tip credits, which allow employers to pay below the minimum wage as long as tips cover the gap.

The 2025 Cost of Dining Report from Washington Hospitality Association reached the same conclusion. According to them, the cost of eating out in Washington was nearly 13.6% higher than the national average — above states like California (+13.3%) and Oregon (+9.1%). But, while cost of labor is an important factor in determining price points, it's not the only one. Other factors that could be impacting the price of pizza in Washington are the high taxes on businesses and the high average price of gas ($4.39 per gallon) – both of which get passed on to the customer.