Background: It is estimated that the number of migrant adolescents in Chinese cities may have reached 25 mil- lion. However, little research has been conducted on their dietary habits. The objective of this study was to com- pare dietary habits between migrant and local adolescents in Shenzhen, China. Methods: A school based cross- sectional study was conducted in 3368 adolescents (aged 11-18 years; 52.5% boys). A self-administered ques- tionnaire completed by adolescents was designed to gather information on socio-demographic characteristics, meal location, food pattern and intake. Results: Of the 3368 adolescents, 58.2% were migrants. Compared with locals, migrant adolescents showed significantly higher percentage of having three meals away-from home. Nearly half of the subjects (45.6 %) skipped breakfast, with a higher proportion among migrant students (48.5 vs 41.5%). Migrant students consumed street food more frequently (12.2 vs 8.5%), while the difference was oppo- site in Western fast food intake (27.3 vs 32.5%). No significant difference was found in snacks intake between these two groups. Migrant students exhibited lower percentage of vegetables (57.3 vs 63.7%), fruits (27.7 vs 38.3%), meats (37.0 vs 44.3%), soybean (11.6 vs 17.5%) and dairy products (28.4 vs 42.5%) intake daily. After adjusted for socio-demographic confounders, the difference mentioned above still remained except Western fast food. Conclusion: Dietary habits among adolescents showed pronounced household variation. Migrant adoles- cents are more likely to exhibit unhealthy dietary behavior. Schools and families should collaborate to improve the dietary environment for adolescents, especially those from migrant families.