Introduction: Unhealthy dietary behaviors have been identified by the CDC as one of the top risk factors associated with morbidity and mortality in the United States. This problem is especially prevalent in urban settings where large numbers of the population suffer from obesity related diseases. It has already been established that unhealthy dietary behaviors are evident in urban children of high school age but limited research has been conducted on middle school children. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to examine dietary differences between urban and suburban youth in a large metropolitan area. Variables examined included eating habits, perceptions about the role of food in health, knowledge about healthy eating and self-efficacy regarding healthy eating. Methods: The study was approved by the Internal Review Board of the University where it was conducted. The participants for this study were middle school students in one urban school district (n = 596) and one suburban school district (n = 165). A valid and reliable survey instrument was used to determine if differences existed in the dietary variables examined. Subscale scores were created for knowledge and self-efficacy items and independent samples t-tests were calculated to examine differences. Chi Square tests were calculated for those variables that were non-parametric (specific eating habits, and perception items). Significance was set at p = 0.05. Results: There were significant differences in several factors. Compared to their suburban counterparts, urban middle school students scored significantly lower in the knowledge and perception categories; were more likely to eat junk food and less likely to eat fruits, vegetables and dairy products. They were also more likely to report being unhappy with their weight, less willing to try new foods and more likely to respond positively to the statement: “I like what I eat and have no plans to change it”. Conclusion: Given the prevalence of obesity related diseases in urban populations and this research which indicates that eating behaviors known to contribute to obesity are already well ingrained by the sixth grade, urban schools need to be targeted for interventions related to dietary behaviors. The results of this investigation may be used to design interventions specific to the urban middle school student and to reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality associated with poor dietary behaviors.Keyword(s): health education K-12, middle school issues, nutrition