California Ranks Last in US Tipping Habits, Study Finds

Californians are the least generous tippers in the United States, according to a new study by restaurant technology company Toast. The survey of tipping habits across all 50 states found that residents of the Golden State ranked last, leaving an average tip of 17.1% per transaction.

For sit-down meals, the average tip in California was 17.6%, while for counter service, it dropped to 14.8%. This places California significantly below the national average tip of 19.1% for full-service restaurants during the second quarter of 2026, which matches a seven-year low.

Top Tipping States

Delaware led the nation with the highest tipping average at 21.4%. Other states with strong tipping averages of approximately 20% included Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, New Hampshire, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

West Coast Trends

California was not the only West Coast state to show lower tipping rates. Washington ranked third to last, with an overall tipping average of 17.6%.

Shifting Tipping Culture

The study's findings come amid growing national sentiment against the country's evolving tipping culture. Experts note that Americans are increasingly being asked to tip in more situations, including at self-service kiosks and for simple counter service, leading to what some call "guilt-tipping."

William Michael Lynn, professor emeritus of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell University, has observed this trend, stating that attitudes towards tipping have worsened over the years. Research indicated that the percentage of people who wished to abolish tipping rose from 32% in 2016 to 52% by 2022.

Etiquette experts suggest that the expansion of tipping prompts into non-traditional service scenarios, such as order kiosks, makes customers feel pressured to tip even when they don't feel service warrants it. This is often because the interaction is minimal, involving little more than placing an order and bagging it.