To sort out the high-yield pepper varieties with low cadmium(Cd) accumulation suitable for planting in mildly Cd-contaminated soils, the 12 main varieties from major pepper-producing areas were evaluated using pot experiments in Cd-polluted soil. The study examined the differences in Cd accumulation among varieties, the impact of Cd on photosynthesis and yield, and then used principal component analysis and the membership function method to identify varieties with low Cd accumulation and high yield. The results showed that among the 12 pepper varieties, Changxing 8 and Longfu had higher yields per plant, with respective values of 402.35 g and 384.26 g, significantly higher than other varieties. Cd contents in the roots, stems, leaves and fruits of the 12 peppers varieties decreased sequentially. Among the four types, cowhorn peppers had the highest enrichment coefficients in their roots and stems, while thread peppers had the lowest enrichment coefficients in their roots and stems, and the enrichment coefficient of the leaves were lowest in cluster peppers. Varieties with the relatively low fruit Cd enrichment coefficients included Changxing 8(0.24), Xiangxin 28(0.22), and Longfu(0.24), with Longfu having the lowest Cd content in its fruits. The target hazard quotient(THQ) indicated that the relatively high health risks were associated with Xingxiu(1.373), Chengyan(1.125), and Xiangla 699(1.152), while the relatively low health risks were observed in Longfu(0.587), Xiangxin 28(0.722), and Changxing 8(0.732). The degree of inhibition of leaf CO2 assimilation efficiency by Cd was greater than that of photochemical efficiency. Pn and Fv/Fm jointly influenced the yield of pepper under Cd treatment, with path coefficients of 0.58 and 0.37, respectively. In conclusion, the Longfu peppers were recommended for cultivation in Cd-contaminated fields due to their optimal parameters on low Cd accumulation and high yield.