California has the country's worst tippers, according to Toast
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
California is home to America's worst tippers at restaurants using the Toast platform, with diners leaving 17.2% on average.
The big picture: Nationwide, tips at full-service restaurants using the platform averaged 19.2% in Q4 2025, the same as the previous quarter, per Toast's latest restaurant trends report.
- "After a pullback in full-service restaurant tips in Q2 2025, the average has leveled out," Toast's Brian Koerber wrote in the report.
- Tips at fast food joints also held steady at 15.8%.
The other side: The best tippers on Toast live in Delaware, where tips were 21.8% on average.
Others at the bottom of the list are Washington, D.C., Washington state and Florida, where averages run at or below 18%.
The fine print: The report is based on data only from restaurants using the Toast platform.
- Cash tips aren't included.
The bottom line: Tipping culture may be under scrutiny, but diners' habits are holding steady.