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These states led (and lagged) in tipping this summer

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Published  November 19, 2025 12:48pm EST
Consumer
FOX Local
article

Man in restaurant paying using handheld credit card reader, selecting tip, Manhattan, New York City. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Full-service restaurant tips ticked up to 19.2% in Q3 2025 after a seven-year low, while quick-service tips held steady at 15.8%.
    • Delaware led the nation in tipping at 21.1%, while California ranked lowest at 17.2%.
    • Despite tipping fatigue, most Americans still tip generously, with 34% leaving 20% or more.

BOSTON - Toast, Inc., the all-in-one digital platform powering restaurants nationwide, has released its latest Restaurant Trends Report, offering a detailed look into the evolving habits of American diners. 

Its latest report offers which states where diners tipped the most and the least this past summer. 

States where diners tipped the most and least

By the numbers:

Delaware (21.1%), New Hampshire (20.4%), West Virginia (20.9%) and Indiana (20.5%) led the nation with the highest tip percentages. While California (17.2%) and Washington (17.5%) had the lowest tip percentages in the country. 

Full-service restaurant tips show modest recovery after hitting seven-year low

The report also highlighted that after dipping to a seven-year low in the previous quarter, full-service restaurant (FSR) tips on the Toast platform saw a modest rebound in Q3 2025, averaging 19.2%, up slightly from 19.1% in Q2.

RELATED: Americans fight back against growing 'guilt tipping' pressure at digital checkout screens

Meanwhile, quick-service restaurant (QSR) tipping held steady for the fourth consecutive quarter at 15.8%.

Historically, FSR tips have reached highs of 19.8% several times in 2021, while QSR tips peaked at 16.5%, highlighting how tipping behavior has gradually stabilized across both dining formats.

Is tipping at a tipping point?

Is tipping at a tipping point?

Traditionally, 15 percent was an average tip, with 20 percent for excellent service. Now, the suggested tips on many restaurant bills include 22 percent, 25 percent and even 30 percent. As FOX News correspondent Jonathan Serrie reports, it's a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the second straight quarter, Delaware held its spot as the most generous tipping state, with an average tip of 21.1% in Q3 2025—slightly down from 22.4% in Q2.

At the other end of the spectrum, California once again recorded the lowest average tip in the nation, holding steady at 17.2% quarter over quarter.

Tipping culture in US

Big picture view:

According to FOX News, despite widespread fatigue over tipping prompts, Americans still tend to be generous when dining out at restaurants.

A recent study of more than 1,000 consumers found that 34% of restaurant-goers leave a 20% tip, while 19% tip less than 10%. The revealing split highlights both goodwill and growing fatigue across the country's complicated tipping culture, according to the CouponCabin study.

RELATED: Tipping culture is "out of control," more Americans say in annual poll

But tipping today has also become a source of tension, according to many accounts. The rise of digital payment systems has made tipping both easier and more awkward, especially when prompts appear at counters, kiosks and drive-thru windows.

Most Americans still believe in rewarding good service, just not being asked at every turn, the new study indicated.

The Source: FOX News contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from Toast, Inc.’s Q3 2025 Restaurant Trends Report, which analyzes aggregated transaction data from selected cohorts of restaurants across the United States using the Toast platform. This story was reported from Los Angeles. 

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