Best Places to DoorDash

DoorDash is the most popular food delivery app in the United States. The service counts over 7,000 major cities in its coverage area and is under continual expansion into new markets.

On average, DoorDash drivers can expect to earn between $15 to $25 per hour. This includes base pay and customer tips. The earnings vary depending on your location and any peak pay opportunities.

This article will explore the best places to work for DoorDash. We’ll also answer some common related FAQs about this food delivery service.

Top 10 Cities to Doordash in 2024

Here are the 10 best cities to drive for DoorDash right now.

1. San Francisco, CA

San Francisco has over 3,500 restaurants on the app with a 74% market share.

DoorDash’s headquarters are based in San Francisco, California. San Francisco is the most profitable city for DoorDashers because of the high population, huge number of restaurants, and a state minimum wage of $15.50.

Prop 22 guarantees that delivery drivers earn at least 120% of minimum earnings along with healthcare stipends. San Francisco dashers earn up to $30.55 an hour according to Indeed. On Glassdoor, DoorDash gig workers report an average hourly wage of $25 to $28 for the San Francisco market.

2. Houston, TX

Houston has over 800 restaurants on the DoorDash app.

Top-paid Houston drivers can see up to $28.55 an hour based on Indeed data. According to Glassdoor, Houston DoorDashers earn an average hourly wage of $24. While there are no state propositions in Texas to guarantee a minimum wage, Houston drivers still keep plenty busy making deliveries during peak hours.

3. Dallas, TX

There are conflicting reports on DoorDash’s market share in the Dallas area, with figures spanning from 11% to 56%. While its exact dominance is still hard to measure, what is easy to measure is the over 1,000 participating Dasher restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This includes fast food, diners, small eateries, and fine dining.

Top-paid Dallas dashers can make up to $29.50 an hour based on Indeed data. Glassdoor reports Dashers earn an average hourly wage of $20 in Dallas.

4. Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix has over 1,000 restaurants participating in the DoorDash app.

Top DoorDash drivers in Phoenix can earn up to $26.90 an hour based on data from Indeed. According to Glassdoor, drivers average $21 an hour overall in Phoenix.

Similar to California’s proposition, Arizona has in place Arizona Proposition 206. The prop is also known as the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act, which raises the minimum wage to $13.85 in the state of Arizona. This prop extends wage protection to gig workers for DoorDash and similar services like Instacart, Amazon Flex, or Postmates.

This means Arizona dashers are guaranteed at least $13.85 an hour, including base pay and tips. So if your delivery earnings fall short, DoorDash must make up the difference.

5. Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia has over 2,600 restaurants in the DoorDash network. We’ve seen top-paid Dashers in the area make $27.90 an hour. According to salary data in Glassdoor, DoorDashers earn an average of $20 per hour.

6. Washington DC

In the nation’s capital, DoorDash had a commanding 45% market share by April 2021. Since then, its share has only grown. At present, Washington D.C. has more than 2,000 restaurants using the DoorDash delivery and takeout app.

Washington D.C. workers are guaranteed an hourly minimum wage of $16.10 per hour which will increase to $17.00 per hour on July 1, 2023.

The highest-paid DoorDashers make $37 per hour in Washington D.C. according to Indeed. Glassdoor data, however, suggests an hourly average wage of $17.

In the nation’s busy capital, dashing may be feast or famine with the more experienced drivers able to make bank.

7. Atlanta, GA

Atlanta has over 1,200 restaurants using the DoorDash app.

The minimum hourly wage in Atlanta is $7.25 — there are no higher minimum wage laws or special propositions in place.

According to Indeed, the city’s highest-paid Dashers earn $26.10 an hour. Glassdoor salary data shows Atlanta dashers earn an average of $21 an hour.

8. Los Angeles, CA

In Los Angeles, DoorDash claims a 41% market share — including Caviar as well (which DoorDash acquired in 2019).

Los Angeles is a profitable city for DoorDashers because of the minimum wage of $15.50 an hour and high order volume. Prop 22 guarantees that delivery drivers earn at least 120% of minimum earnings.

The city of angels is filled with some big tippers. The highest-paid Los Angelino dashers make $46.55 an hour according to Indeed. Glassdoor, however, suggests a more down-to-earth range of $18 to $25 an hour for Dasher pay.

9. Chicago, IL

Chicago has over 800 restaurants that use DoorDash. The app’s market share may not be as dominant in the Windy City as it is in other large metro areas, but Dashers here still make some very decent money.

According to Indeed, Chicago’s highest-paid Dashers make $28.75 an hour. Glassdoor data suggests that the $28.75 figure may be a bit low and reports that DoorDash drivers average hourly pay ranging from $23 to $32 per hour.

10. New York City, NY

DoorDash is neck and neck with Grubhub in the Big Apple, as they duke it out for market share. As of August 2021, both of these apps claimed a 35% market share for food delivery. Presently, New York City has nearly 7,000 restaurants using DoorDash.

New York City has special laws to increase the minimum wage (which will increase to $16 an hour in January 2024) and enhance working conditions for DoorDash delivery drivers and other gig workers. Among other regulations, this means an app must disclose to the driver all trip details upfront: where to pick up the food (which may give you a good idea whether the order is ready or if you’ll have to place the order and wait for the food to be prepared), where the order is going, and how long the delivery will take.

Additionally, the delivery app must disclose to the customer how much is being paid to the delivery person before asking for any tip.

New York City’s top-paid Dashers make $38.70 an hour according to Indeed’s salary data. Glassdoor data reports hourly earnings from $25 to $34 an hour.

What Are the Best States for DoorDash Drivers?

Below are the best three states for DoorDash based on their population, hourly wages, and any local regulations to enhance working conditions.

Hopefully, you live in one of the best states for DoorDash but you can’t really go wrong driving in any state. On average, DoorDash drivers can expect to earn between $15 to $25 per hour which is well above the nation’s average minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

1. California

DoorDash’s headquarter is based in San Francisco, California. It is only natural that DoorDash has a huge market share in the Bay Area.

The passing of California Proposition 22 (Prop 22) has resulted in higher earnings for many Dashers, in addition to providing essential benefits and protections, like a minimum earnings guarantee and healthcare subsidies. Prop 22 guarantees that delivery drivers earn at least 120% of minimum earnings.

Dashers in California have reported earning up to $46.55 an hour including tips compared to the state’s minimum wage of $15.50 an hour.

2. Texas

Texas is one of the most popular states to gig for DoorDash. Large cities like Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio provide high demand for the DoorDash platform with a large populations and high density of markets.

While Texas does not have special wage protection laws in place for gig workers or any higher local minimum wages, Texas does have low gas prices ($0.37 cheaper than the national average fuel costs) and no state income taxes.

3. Arizona

DoorDash’s presence is most felt in Phoenix (with more than 1,000 restaurants) and it’s expanding into Scottsdale (1,000+ restaurants), Tucson (500+ restaurants), and many other parts of the state.

As an added protective perk, Arizona offers higher minimum wages through its Proposition 206, also known as the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act. As of January 2023, the Arizona state minimum wage has been set at $13.85 an hour, well above the federal minimum wage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about the best places to DoorDash.

What is DoorDash’s market share compared to its competitors?

According to Bloomberg’s latest data from March 2023, DoorDash has a 65% market share for all food delivery services across the United States. Uber Eats and Grubhub come in second and third place with 23% and 9%.

DoorDash’s dominance will likely remain unchecked for the foreseeable future. DoorDash offers additional features that give it a competitive edge, like enabling customers to place orders at restaurants that don’t have computer technology to accept internet food orders. DoorDash has a solution in place for Dashers to be able to place and pay for the order at these eateries, which would otherwise be off the grid.

What Area Pays the Most in DoorDash?

California is one of the best states to do DoorDash for several reasons. The first reason is that California is the most populous state in the country. This contributes to a constant demand for DoorDash drivers.

Secondly, the state of California is home to cities that have an exceptionally high cost of living. San Francisco is a prime example. This higher cost of living can lead to higher food costs and higher income for DoorDash deliveries.

California Proposition 22 (Prop 22) is another reason why California is a top place to gig for DoorDash. Prop 22, officially known as the “App-based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative”, guarantees DoorDash drivers minimum earnings to provide more fair compensation.

So when you perform food delivery gig work in California, you earn at least 120% of the minimum wage (based on the local minimum wage at the pick-up location), plus $0.34 per mile when driving a motor vehicle during active orders. Also under Prop 22, if you dash an average of 15 or more hours per week and have a qualified health plan, then you can get a healthcare stipend at the end of each calendar quarter. San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego are among the most lucrative cities for DoorDash with the highest pay.

What Are the Best Places to DoorDash Near Me?

DoorDash drivers can use the app to determine the best places to dash.

Simply log into the DoorDash app and look for hotspots that are represented as flame icons on the map. These are areas with a large number of restaurants and a high order volume, so staying in these areas will increase your chances of receiving the best orders.

Hotspots are updated every 10 minutes to reflect new active areas or areas that are no longer hot. This isn’t necessarily a 100% guarantee to get the “best” orders, but following hotspots can help.

As you gain more experience, you’ll discover the best places to earn consistent money. Typically, these are places where you can make a string of quick, in-and-out deliveries. A few short, easy deliveries (with relatively low payout) are better than one higher-paying order that can take you on a wild goose chase across town.

DoorDash Is a Growing Side Hustle

DoorDash is a great side hustle to earn money just about anywhere. DoorDash has been around since 2013 and customers love the convenience. The Coronavirus pandemic has proven a boon for the industry.

Covid-19 greatly increased awareness and demand for the app from 2020 to 2021. Currently, over 15 million U.S. households have a Dashpass, a paid subscription enabling them to save on per-order DoorDash delivery fees.

Large metros with a high concentration of restaurants and customers can be the best markets for this independent contractor side hustle. Miami, Seattle, Minneapolis, and plenty of other metro areas not featured on the list are still very lucrative pockets to earn.

Right now, dashers can earn generous extra money for doing this app. And many can even make a full-time living at DoorDash — especially with some states mandating healthcare stipends and other benefits for gig workers.

With the gig economy’s sticking power, look for more cities and states to adopt propositions and protective work measures too, making DoorDash an even better side hustle in even more places.