All Americans are experiencing rising grocery prices at the checkout counter. Everyday staples like beef, coffee and fresh produce have cost families more due to issues beyond their control like inflation, tariffs and the weather.
But some people’s budgets may be under more strain than others depending on where they live.
A new WalletHub survey, released Feb. 12, found that people living in some of the poorest states tend to spend the most on basic food necessities. The survey, which looked at the impact of grocery costs on American households across all 50 states, analyzed 26 common grocery items, such as meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, frozen foods and cleaning products. Their costs were combined and compared to the state's median household income to see where people spend the most.
States where groceries take the biggest share of the median household income each month:
"Grocery affordability isn’t just about how much items on the shelf cost – it’s also about how those prices compare to what people earn," said Chip Lupo, Wallethub writer and analyst. "States like Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas actually have relatively low grocery prices overall, but because they also have some of the lowest median household incomes in the country, residents end up spending the largest share of their earnings on food – as much as 2.6% of monthly income in Mississippi."
