Food Truck Industry Statistics 2026
TL;DR: The U.S. food truck industry generated $1.4 billion in revenue in 2023 and is projected to reach $2.0 billion by 2028. There are approximately 35,000–50,000 food trucks operating in the U.S., with the average truck generating $250,000–$500,000 annually.
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Market Size & Growth
$1.4 billion
U.S. food truck industry revenue in 2023.
Source: IBISWorld
~$2.0 billion
Projected U.S. food truck industry revenue by 2028.
Source: IBISWorld
7.5% annually
Expected CAGR of the U.S. food truck market from 2023–2028.
Source: IBISWorld
35,000–50,000
Estimated number of food trucks operating in the U.S.
Source: IBIS World / National Food Truck Association
4%+
Year-over-year growth in number of food truck businesses since 2018.
Source: IBISWorld
$1.2 billion
Total U.S. food truck revenue in 2020, despite COVID-19 disruption — a sign of the model's resilience.
Source: Statista
Revenue & Profitability
$250,000–$500,000
Annual revenue range for an average full-time food truck.
Source: Food Truck Nation / NFTA
6–9%
Average net profit margin for a food truck, after food costs, labor, fuel, permits, and fees.
Source: Food Truck Empire
$20,000–$42,000
Estimated annual net profit for a food truck doing $300,000 in revenue at a 7% margin.
Source: Food Truck Empire
$500–$2,000
Revenue a food truck can earn at a single busy festival or event day.
Source: Operator surveys
30–35%
Typical food cost as a percentage of revenue for food truck operators.
Source: Restaurant365 / operator benchmarks
25–30%
Typical labor cost as a percentage of revenue for a two-person food truck operation.
Source: National Restaurant Association
Startup Costs
$50,000–$175,000
Typical total startup cost to launch a new food truck, including vehicle, equipment, permits, and initial inventory.
Source: Food Truck Empire
$20,000–$100,000
Cost to purchase a used, fully equipped food truck.
Source: Roaming Hunger
$75,000–$175,000
Cost to purchase or build a new, fully equipped food truck.
Source: Roaming Hunger
$1,000–$20,000
Annual cost of health permits, business licenses, and commissary fees, depending on city.
Source: NFTA
$500–$2,000/year
Commercial auto insurance cost for a food truck, depending on state and coverage.
Source: Progressive / Insureon
$3,000–$8,000/year
General liability insurance for a food truck operation.
Source: Insureon / Next Insurance
Top Cities for Food Trucks
#1 Portland, OR
Consistently ranked the top food truck city in the U.S. for density of trucks per capita and permitting friendliness.
Source: Food Truck Nation
#2 Austin, TX
Austin's food truck park model is one of the most developed in the country, with hundreds of permanent food truck lots.
Source: Eater Austin
#3 Los Angeles, CA
Largest food truck market by total volume, though high operating costs and complex permitting are challenges.
Source: LA County DPH
4,000+
Estimated active food trucks in the Los Angeles metro area, the highest concentration in any U.S. market.
Source: Roaming Hunger
500+
Food truck vendors registered with the City of Austin, TX as of 2024.
Source: City of Austin
200+
Active food trucks operating in Kansas City, MO — consistently cited as one of the best mid-market food truck cities.
Source: KCMO
Popular Cuisines
#1 American / BBQ
American comfort food and BBQ is the most popular food truck cuisine by number of trucks nationally.
Source: Roaming Hunger data
#2 Mexican / Tacos
Mexican food is the second-most common cuisine, with taco trucks representing the single largest food truck subcategory.
Source: Roaming Hunger data
#3 Pizza
Pizza trucks are the fastest-growing subcategory, driven by wood-fired mobile ovens.
Source: Roaming Hunger data
2x growth
Asian fusion food trucks have grown at roughly 2x the industry average rate since 2018.
Source: IBISWorld
30%
Percentage of food truck menus that include at least one vegan option, up from 12% in 2018.
Source: National Food Truck Association
45%
Percentage of millennials who eat from a food truck at least once per month, compared to 26% of Gen X.
Source: Technomic
Technology & Online Ordering
67%
Percentage of food truck customers who prefer to see a truck's location and menu online before visiting.
Source: Roaming Hunger consumer survey
43%
Percentage of food truck operators who accept online pre-orders, up from 18% in 2020.
Source: Square / Roaming Hunger
28%
Average increase in average order value when customers order online vs. in-person (fewer impulse skips).
Source: TrooNow platform data
30%
Commission rate DoorDash and Uber Eats charge food truck operators — roughly 5–7x what a dedicated ordering platform costs.
Source: DoorDash / UberEats published rates
3.2x
Increase in repeat customer rate for food trucks that use a loyalty rewards program vs. those that don't.
Source: Fivestars / Square Loyalty data
$19/month
Cost of TrooNow — an all-in-one platform covering POS, online ordering, live location, loyalty, and festival mode, with 0% commission on orders.
Source: TrooNow
Operations & Permits
50–100 hours
Average time to obtain all required permits and licenses before launching a food truck in a major U.S. city.
Source: NFTA
$500–$20,000
Range of annual permit and licensing fees for a food truck, with the highest costs in cities like Los Angeles and New York.
Source: NFTA city data
60%
Percentage of food trucks that use a licensed commissary kitchen for food prep, storage, and cleaning.
Source: National Environmental Health Association
6–12 months
Average time to profitability for a new food truck business, assuming full-time operation.
Source: Food Truck Empire
17%
Annual failure rate for food trucks — lower than the oft-cited 80% restaurant failure rate.
Source: Food Truck Empire / Bloomberg
5 permits
Average number of separate permits and licenses required to legally operate a food truck in a typical U.S. city (business license, health permit, food handler card, commissary agreement, mobile vending permit).
Source: NFTA
Consumer Behavior
$12–$18
Average spend per visit at a food truck, compared to $8–$12 at fast food and $20–$35 at casual dining.
Source: Technomic
72%
Percentage of food truck customers who discovered a new truck via social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook) in 2024.
Source: National Food Truck Association survey
18–34
Age range that represents the largest segment of food truck customers — millennials and Gen Z drive disproportionate food truck traffic.
Source: Technomic
Lunch (11am–2pm)
Peak hours for food truck sales. Trucks at office parks and lunch locations earn 50–70% of daily revenue in this window.
Source: Roaming Hunger
4.4/5 stars
Average Yelp rating for food trucks, compared to 3.8/5 for fast food chains — food trucks consistently outperform on satisfaction.
Source: Yelp Trend Data
2x per month
Average visit frequency for a food truck's loyal customers — higher repeat rate than most quick-service chains.
Source: Square Loyalty data
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Data sources & disclaimer: Statistics on this page are sourced from IBISWorld, NFTA (National Food Truck Association), Roaming Hunger, Technomic, Food Truck Empire, National Restaurant Association, Square, Yelp, and TrooNow platform data where noted. Industry figures represent estimates and ranges — actual results vary by market, operator, and business model. Last updated May 2026.