CA Tippers Are The Cheapest In The US: Report

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Golden State boasts being home to more millionaires than any other state in the country, but according to a new report, it's also one of the cheapest with its service workers.

According a report released last week by Toast, California was found to be the lowest in the United States for tipping full-service. The data also found that Californians leave an average tip of 17.2 percent, which is lower than the national average of 19.2 percent.

Tips at full-service restaurants averaged 19.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 while tips at fast-food restaurants were about 15.8 percent. Both metrics were similar to figures in the previous quarter.

California's tipping culture has been under the microscope before. Last year, the state was found to be the least generous tipping state in the country, with Californians leaving an average of about 17.8 percent, according to a study from BLogic Systems. The state scored 24.5 on the BLogic Systems Generosity Index.

The BLogic study also found that Californians have grown tired of being asked to tip.

In contrast, Delaware, had the highest average tip rate with 21.8 percent, an increase from 21.1 percent reported in the previous quarter, according to Toast.

Per Toast, the report was based on an "analysis of aggregated data from selected cohorts of restaurants and in select U.S. states on the Toast platform, which serves approximately 164,000 locations as of December 31, 2025."