10 states where people spend the most and least on groceries
A new study found that the states where people spend the greatest percentage of their income on groceries weren't actually those with the highest prices
SimpleImages / Getty Images
It's probably not news to you that grocery prices are higher than ever. Since the pandemic, inflation has sent the cost of basic goods skyrocketing, and while some prices have come down since then, most Americans still can't believe their eyes when they see their receipt at the supermarket.
On average, American households are spending $270 a week or $1,080 a month on groceries, according to Census data. But where you live can have a big impact on how much you spend.
WalletHub set out to find the states that spend the most and least of their income at the supermarket. To do so, it first analyzed prices of more than two dozen grocery store items, like meat, dairy, vegetables, and even cleaning products, across the 50 states. It added those numbers up and compared them to the median wage in each state, finding the percentage of median monthly household income spent on groceries.
“While grocery prices have gone up tremendously in recent years, the states in which people spend the greatest percentage of their income on groceries actually aren’t those with the highest prices,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “Instead, the median incomes in these states are quite low, so even with reasonable grocery prices, residents end up shelling out a higher percentage of their earnings than people in states with more expensive products.”
Continue reading to see the five states where people spend the most and least on groceries.
1 / 10
5th least: Utah
Tony Anderson / Getty Images
Utah ranked 46th. Residents there spend 1.58% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub.
2 / 10
4th least: New Hampshire
Jon Steinman / Getty Images
New Hampshire ranked 47th. Residents there spend 1.56% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub.
3 / 10
3rd least: Maryland
Briana Ingram / Getty Images
Maryland ranked 49th. Residents there spend 1.55% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub.
4 / 10
Least: New Jersey (tie)
Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images
New Jersey tied for first place for the lowest monthly spend on groceries. Residents there spend 1.51% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub.
5 / 10
Least: Massachusetts (tie)
Boston Globe / Contributor / Getty Images
Massachusetts tied for first place for the lowest monthly spend on groceries. Residents there spend 1.51% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub.
6 / 10
5th most: Kentucky
Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images
Utah ranked fifth. Residents there spend 2.37% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub.
7 / 10
4th most: Louisiana
Barry Lewis / Contributor / Getty Images
Louisiana ranked fourth. Residents there spend 2.38% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub.
8 / 10
3rd most: Arkansas
neiu20001 / Getty Images
Arkansas ranked fourth. Residents there spend 2.44% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub.
9 / 10
2nd most: West Virginia
Kyle Little / Getty Images
West Virginia ranked second. Residents there spend 2.54% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub.
10 / 10
Most: Mississippi
Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images
Mississippi ranked first. Residents there spend 2.6% of their median monthly household income on groceries, according to WalletHub