How much is a large pizza in Pennsylvania? $16.49 at the median
A 16-inch cheese pizza costs $16.49 at the median independent pizzeria in Pennsylvania, based on the online menus of 240 shops in 84 towns that we read on November 6, 2026. Half of the 128 shops that list a 16-inch pie charge between about $15 and $18; the cheapest was $11 and the most expensive $22.68. A plain slice costs $3.25 at the median. The Philadelphia area is the most expensive region at $17.49 for a 16-inch pie, and central Pennsylvania the cheapest at $15.87.
What each size costs
| Cheese pizza | Median price | Shops |
|---|---|---|
| 12-inch (usually "small") | $12.99 | 51 |
| 14-inch (usually "medium") | $14.99 | 79 |
| 16-inch (usually "large") | $16.49 | 128 |
| 18-inch (usually "extra large") | $18.51 | 36 |
| One plain slice | $3.25 | 221 |
Each step up costs about $2: the median shop charges $2.00 more for a 16-inch than a 14-inch, and $2.06 more for an 18-inch than a 16-inch.
Prices by region
Median price of a 16-inch cheese pizza:
The spread inside each region is bigger than the gap between regions. In the Philadelphia area the same 16-inch pie ran from $11 to $21.20. Slices follow a different order: the Pittsburgh area has the priciest slice at a $3.90 median, and the Poconos and Harrisburg area the cheapest at about $3.
Is your pizza priced high or low?
Own a pizzeria? Put in what you charge for a 16-inch cheese pizza to see where it sits against Pennsylvania shops, and what you keep from it depending on how the order comes in.
The 30% figure is the top commission tier on the big delivery apps. The direct figure assumes a typical 2.9% + 30¢ card fee and no commission. If you'd rather not cut prices to compete, some shops lock in regulars with a monthly plan instead: here's how a pizza shop membership program works and what it makes.
The large is always the better deal
A pizza's size is its diameter, but what you eat is its area, and area grows with the square of the diameter. A 16-inch pie has 201 square inches of pizza; a 12-inch has 113. So the 16-inch is 78% more pizza.
At the 40 shops that sell both, the 12-inch cost $13 and the 16-inch $16.49 at the median: 78% more pizza for 27% more money. Across all 67 shops that list a small (10 to 12 inches) and a 16-inch, the 16-inch was cheaper per square inch at every single one, and the small cost 44% more per bite at the median.
Slices work the other way. One eighth of a median 16-inch pie works out to about $2.06, while a single slice at the counter is $3.25. Slices are often cut from a bigger pie, but you're still paying for the convenience.
One 18-inch pizza or two 12s?
One 18-inch pizza is more pizza than two 12-inch pizzas: 254 square inches against 226. We found 13 shops that sell both sizes, and at every one of them the 18 cost less than two 12s. At the median shop two 12s came to $24.00 and the 18 to $19.75. The smallest gap was 90 cents and the biggest about $11.
The 18 also gives you more of the good part. With about an inch of crust around the edge, two 12s have roughly 157 square inches of toppings and the 18 about 201. Crust fans should go the other way: two 12s have about 75 inches of crust edge, the 18 about 57.
It doesn't work at every size. Two 12s (226 square inches) are more pizza than one 16 (201), so "always get the large" only holds once the large is 18 inches. Two pies still win for picky eaters, since a half-and-half 18 means everyone shares one box.
A "large" isn't the same size everywhere
Outside the Pittsburgh area, 93 of the 104 shops that put a size on their "large" make it 16 inches. Around Pittsburgh it's looser: 4 of 17 shops call a 14-inch pie a large and sell the 16-inch as an extra large. If you're comparing prices, compare inches, not names.
How much should a pizzeria charge for a large?
If you own a shop, these numbers are a benchmark, not a rule. Your price should come from your own costs first: dough, cheese, sauce and box, then labor and rent. A few things the data shows:
- More than half of Pennsylvania shops price a 16-inch cheese pie between $15 and $18. Under $15 puts you in the cheapest fifth; $20 or more puts you in the top 7%.
- The common ladder is $2 between sizes. Because a bigger pie gives so much more pizza for that $2, most customers trade up, which is good for the shop as long as the large is priced off its real food cost.
- Where the order comes in changes what you keep. On a $16.49 pie, DoorDash's 15% to 30% commission takes $2.47 to $4.95 (DoorDash fees); Slice takes $2 or $3 an order plus a monthly fee (Slice fees).
To work out a price from your own food cost, use the menu price calculator.
How we got these numbers
On November 6, 2026 we read the public menus of independent pizzerias listed on Slice, the pizza ordering app, searching 70 Pennsylvania cities and towns (Slice). Slice lists each pizza with its sizes and prices. For every shop we took its plain cheese pizza (named "cheese", "plain", "regular", "traditional", "Neapolitan" or "build your own"), skipped specialty pies, coupons and combo deals, removed duplicate listings and left out chains (Vocelli, Pizza Boli's, Fox's and Original Italian Pizza). That left 240 independent shops in 84 towns. Only sizes with an inch measurement were compared by size. Slice prices are what a customer pays to order online through Slice; some shops charge a little less at the counter.
For a national comparison, NetCredit's 2026 index of chain pizzerias priced a medium chain pizza between $13.95 and $19.70 by state (NetCredit). Our numbers cover independent shops only.
FAQ
What is the average price of a large pizza in Pennsylvania? $16.49 at the median for a 16-inch cheese pizza at an independent pizzeria (mean $16.66), November 2026.
How much is a slice of pizza in Pennsylvania? $3.25 at the median for a plain slice, from about $2 to $7.
Is one large pizza a better deal than two smalls? On price per bite, yes. Two 12-inch pies have 226 square inches and cost about $26 at the median, against $16.49 for a 16-inch with 201. An 18-inch beats two 12s on both size and price: at all 13 shops selling both, it was cheaper.
What about cheesesteaks? We ran the same study on cheesesteaks: $12.27 at the median across 340 Pennsylvania shops.
Can I use this data? Yes. Please link to this page as the source.
The short version
A large cheese pizza from an independent Pennsylvania pizzeria costs about $16.50 in late 2026, a slice about $3.25, and the large is the best deal on the menu at every shop we checked.
Sources
- Slice: pizza delivery in Pennsylvania (menus read Nov 6, 2026)
- NetCredit: The U.S. Pizza Index 2026 (chains, medium pizza)
Prices and fees were checked on November 7, 2026. They change, so check the source before you decide.