Trace One just released a new report about the U.S. states spending the most on groceries.
Overall, grocery prices are up nearly 25% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, though certain items have seen even more significant upticks. This upward trend in food costs is particularly concerning for families on tight budgets, as food expenses represent a non-negotiable necessity.
Groceries account for the largest share of individual spending in a number of states where income is relatively low, or where grocery prices are especially high. However, even in regions where grocery spending constitutes a smaller portion of income, consumers still find themselves grappling with significant weekly food bills. In 37 states, consumers report weekly household grocery expenditures exceeding $250 on average.
Researchers calculated the share of total consumer spending allocated to groceries for each state, then ranked states accordingly. The full report also includes a complete breakdown of price increases for nearly 40 popular grocery store items since March 2020.
Here are the key takeaways from the report for Ohio:
- The average Ohio household spends $254 on groceries each week.
- On average, grocery spending represents 8.6% of Ohio residents’ total consumer spending.
- Overall, residents of Ohio are spending more on groceries than the national average.
Grocery Store Items That Have Increased Most in Price
Grocery Items
| Rank | Item | Change in price since March 2020 | Two-year change in price | One-year change in price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eggs | +50.0% | +27.1% | -6.8% |
| 2 | Beef roasts | +40.0% | +6.5% | +11.2% |
| 3 | Flour | +36.0% | +17.3% | -0.2% |
| 4 | Sugar & substitutes | +34.9% | +19.1% | +5.6% |
| 5 | Beef steaks | +32.6% | +6.6% | +7.2% |
| 6 | Carbonated drinks | +32.1% | +16.4% | +4.2% |
| 7 | Fruits & vegetables (canned) | +31.6% | +13.1% | +2.7% |
| 8 | Salad dressing | +31.5% | +16.0% | -0.4% |
| 9 | Biscuits, rolls, & muffins | +31.4% | +13.3% | +2.6% |
| 10 | Butter & margarine | +29.4% | +14.8% | -2.1% |
| 11 | Chicken | +29.2% | +8.7% | +2.0% |
| 12 | Juices | +27.9% | +14.9% | +2.7% |
| 13 | Cakes, cupcakes, & cookies | +27.6% | +15.8% | +0.2% |
| 14 | Fruits & vegetables (frozen) | +27.4% | +14.0% | -0.9% |
| 15 | Lettuce | +27.3% | +7.2% | +5.8% |
| 16 | Bread | +26.5% | +15.4% | +0.2% |
| 17 | Prepared foods (frozen or dried) | +26.4% | +8.9% | -0.4% |
| 18 | Candy | +26.3% | +14.5% | +4.4% |
| 19 | Pork chops | +26.3% | +1.5% | +2.5% |
| 20 | Ground beef | +25.8% | +4.8% | +6.2% |
| 21 | Spices & condiments | +24.8% | +13.4% | +2.6% |
| 22 | Soups | +24.5% | +11.0% | -0.2% |
| 23 | Snacks | +23.6% | +9.7% | +0.1% |
| 24 | Breakfast cereal | +23.1% | +10.6% | -1.7% |
| 25 | Bacon, sausage, & related | +22.3% | -0.9% | -0.3% |
| 26 | Rice & pasta | +22.0% | +9.6% | -1.4% |
| 27 | Citrus fruits | +21.4% | -5.7% | -1.3% |
| 28 | Coffee | +20.8% | +7.9% | -2.2% |
| 29 | Milk | +19.2% | +3.9% | -1.6% |
| 30 | Ice cream & related | +18.5% | +13.2% | -1.9% |
| 31 | Fish & seafood (processed) | +17.1% | +1.2% | -2.0% |
| 32 | Fish & seafood (fresh) | +16.0% | -1.2% | -3.1% |
| 33 | Potatoes | +13.9% | +8.8% | -0.9% |
| 34 | Cheese | +11.0% | +4.8% | -3.1% |
| 35 | Ham | +10.3% | -0.2% | -4.2% |
| 36 | Apples | +8.7% | -5.4% | -10.1% |
| 37 | Bananas | +7.0% | +1.9% | +0.0% |
| 38 | Tomatoes | +1.6% | +5.0% | +4.5% |
| Mississippi | 9.8% | $291 | $190 | $216 | $275 | $366 | $373 |
| Hawaii | 9.7% | $334 | $199 | $262 | $317 | $403 | $408 |
| Kansas | 9.5% | $251 | $146 | $202 | $278 | $276 | $387 |
| West Virginia | 9.3% | $239 | $161 | $221 | $242 | $269 | $296 |
| Kentucky | 9.2% | $255 | $152 | $221 | $239 | $311 | $314 |
| Maine | 9.2% | $250 | $124 | $217 | $240 | $317 | $423 |
| Montana | 9.2% | $246 | $145 | $195 | $278 | $318 | $313 |
| Oregon | 9.2% | $249 | $145 | $222 | $231 | $313 | $323 |
| New Mexico | 9.1% | $286 | $167 | $251 | $273 | $339 | $407 |
| Wyoming | 9.1% | $254 | $150 | $221 | $252 | $325 | $372 |
| South Carolina | 9.1% | $254 | $164 | $228 | $260 | $275 | $323 |
| Georgia | 9.0% | $278 | $170 | $214 | $303 | $327 | $312 |
| Vermont | 8.9% | $249 | $131 | $220 | $290 | $292 | $313 |
| Alabama | 8.7% | $272 | $148 | $224 | $323 | $322 | $320 |
| Nevada | 8.7% | $295 | $156 | $247 | $269 | $348 | $400 |
| North Carolina | 8.7% | $266 | $170 | $212 | $255 | $309 | $422 |
| Iowa | 8.7% | $227 | $135 | $181 | $232 | $309 | $265 |
| Idaho | 8.6% | $258 | $150 | $215 | $246 | $277 | $358 |
| Ohio | 8.6% | $254 | $141 | $217 | $254 | $309 | $305 |
| Louisiana | 8.6% | $283 | $165 | $255 | $313 | $300 | $299 |
| New Hampshire | 8.5% | $239 | $125 | $222 | $231 | $282 | $312 |
| Indiana | 8.4% | $239 | $137 | $209 | $249 | $241 | $294 |
| Michigan | 8.2% | $236 | $130 | $202 | $232 | $309 | $287 |
| Florida | 8.2% | $287 | $163 | $239 | $312 | $337 | $358 |
| Rhode Island | 8.2% | $256 | $138 | $216 | $272 | $318 | $341 |
| Arkansas | 8.2% | $261 | $141 | $217 | $272 | $294 | $325 |
| Virginia | 8.2% | $260 | $150 | $229 | $247 | $309 | $327 |
| Texas | 8.2% | $286 | $158 | $242 | $283 | $300 | $363 |
| Colorado | 8.1% | $280 | $149 | $224 | $284 | $341 | $383 |
| Wisconsin | 8.0% | $221 | $123 | $208 | $244 | $256 | $294 |
| Missouri | 7.9% | $244 | $130 | $201 | $258 | $290 | $311 |
| Washington | 7.9% | $288 | $160 | $245 | $283 | $349 | $339 |
| Alaska | 7.8% | $329 | $206 | $244 | $347 | $437 | $382 |
| Utah | 7.8% | $278 | $133 | $211 | $252 | $326 | $317 |
| Nebraska | 7.8% | $235 | $137 | $197 | $233 | $281 | $264 |
| Arizona | 7.7% | $272 | $162 | $221 | $269 | $352 | $361 |
| Delaware | 7.7% | $246 | $143 | $201 | $292 | $294 | $331 |
| Oklahoma | 7.6% | $279 | $152 | $226 | $303 | $324 | $395 |
| Pennsylvania | 7.6% | $249 | $149 | $202 | $248 | $323 | $321 |
| California | 7.5% | $298 | $177 | $223 | $294 | $325 | $333 |
| Massachusetts | 7.5% | $272 | $163 | $218 | $266 | $314 | $344 |
| Tennessee | 7.4% | $270 | $140 | $227 | $275 | $326 | $355 |
| Illinois | 7.4% | $269 | $157 | $221 | $256 | $286 | $371 |
| South Dakota | 7.3% | $256 | $134 | $231 | $282 | $282 | $305 |
| Connecticut | 7.2% | $266 | $170 | $204 | $293 | $311 | $402 |
| New Jersey | 7.1% | $275 | $192 | $220 | $273 | $290 | $378 |
| Maryland | 7.1% | $266 | $150 | $224 | $254 | $319 | $374 |
| New York | 7.0% | $266 | $176 | $206 | $266 | $341 | $418 |
| North Dakota | 7.0% | $265 | $152 | $242 | $295 | $288 | $360 |
| Minnesota | 6.9% | $251 | $116 | $197 | $265 | $325 | $292 |
Methodology
Data sources include the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) March 2024 Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) 2022 Personal Consumption Expenditures by State (released October 2023), and U.S. Census Bureau 2023 Household Pulse Survey.
To determine the grocery store items that increased the most in price, researchers calculated the percentage change in CPI between March 2020 and March 2024 across the most common grocery (food at home) items. Researchers also calculated the two-year change in CPI between March 2022 and March 2024, as well as the one-year change in CPI between March 2023 and March 2024.
State-level data on grocery spending was sourced from the BEA and Census Bureau. The share of total consumer spending allocated to groceries for each state was calculated by dividing the per-capita spending on food and beverages purchased for off-premises consumption by the total per-capita personal consumption expenditures. Total weekly grocery spending by state and household size simply represents self-reported data collected and provided by the Household Pulse Survey.
2 Responses
Hang on Greg. We will look back five years from now as these being the Good Ole Days. It’s not that prices are too high; it’s that the dollar has been so devaluated through quantitative easing that there is no buying power remaining. It’s why gold is so high – besides all the wars and other uncertainty.
It’s true that you can’t dig yourself out of a hole, a bootstrap analogy; however, you can do you best to look down the horizon to avoid the hole in the first place. The predators are everywhere – pay day lenders, telemarketers, etc. waiting to take advantage.
In the end, you have to be smarter than the hole in order not to fall into it.
When you report stories like this it takes me back to when the Republicans say don’t live beyond your means and pull yourself up by the bootstraps now it’s a crime that prices are too high, I guess we have been spoiled too long.