States Where Residents Are Spending the Most on Groceries

Top 5: Hawaii, Mississippi, Kentucky, Maine, Kansas 

(Note: High income Hawaii is more costly--as a proportion of income--than the other four low income states.)

from Filterbuy, March, 2022

The current run of inflation in the U.S. economy is putting pressure on household finances nationwide. The second half of 2021 saw several consecutive months of higher than usual price increases, reaching an overall 6.8% rate of inflation from November 2020 to November 2021. Wages have also grown in recent months but not at a rate fast enough to keep up with inflation, which is squeezing families’ budgets in key spending categories like housing, energy, transportation, and food.

Groceries are among the areas where inflation has challenged household spending this year. According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, food at home cost 6.4% more in 2021 than 2020, the highest year-over-year increase since the Great Recession. Prices for meat, poultry, fish, and eggs alone increased by 12.8% over that span.

Continued supply chain challenges are a primary driver of the recent price increases. Many suppliers and distributors have struggled with labor shortages and increased transportation costs, which has made it more challenging to get food products on grocery store shelves. Inconsistent supply has meant greater costs for stores and ultimately for consumers, and as current conditions persist into 2022, a scarcity of certain products could continue to push prices higher….

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Hawaii

• Grocery spending as a share of total: 10.1%
• Per capita annual grocery spending: $4,556
• Per capita annual total spending: $45,080
• Percentage change in grocery spending (2019–2020): +10.9%