Grocery costs in 2026: Which states are spending the most on food?
FILE - Shoppers are seen in a Kroger supermarket on Oct. 14, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)
The price of groceries has surged by nearly 30% since 2019, according to the USDA.
Despite this, income growth has not kept up with inflation and Americans are finding they have to spend a larger share of their income on food.
Here’s which states spend the most on groceries, according to data collected by WalletHub.
By the numbers:
Residents in Mississippi spent the most on groceries, according to WalletHub.
On average, people spent 2.6% of their income on food. Despite food prices being relatively low compared to the rest of the United States, Mississippi’s median income is also the lowest in the country at just $54,915.
West Virginia came in second for spending the most on groceries at 2.5% and Arkansas came in third at 2.4%.
Food prices increased
Big picture view:
Consumer prices rose 0.3% in December from the prior month, the Labor Department said, the same as in November.
Grocery prices jumped 0.7% in December from the previous month, a sign food costs remain elevated. Compared with a year ago, food prices have risen 2.4%, a bigger increase than in 2024 or 2023.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from a WalletHub study created from data collected as of Jan. 15, 2026, from the Council for Community and Economic Research and the U.S. Census Bureau. Previous reporting by The Associated Press also contributed. This story as reported from San Jose.