The Average Cost of Food in the US

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Joe Roberts
By Joe Roberts
Sep 03, 2024
Icon Time To Read2 min read

The data in this map is based on 2023 numbers. 

The average cost of groceries in America in 2024 is $418.44 a month per person1 . However, this number can vary greatly depending on factors like age and personal eating habits. Location is another important—though potentially surprising—factor in determining food costs. Groceries cost more in some US cities and states than others.

To find out where people pay the most for food every month, we looked at grocery costs in each state’s most populous city. We found that Honolulu, Hawaii residents pay the most for food every month ($589.63), while people living in Virginia Beach, Virginia, pay the least ($335.11).

Keep reading to learn more about food costs across the country and to see where your state ranks.

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Key findings

  • The average Honolulu resident pays $63 for groceries every month. That’s over $150 more than the national average of $418.44.
  • An area’s population size doesn’t seem to greatly influence food costs. Densely populated cities and smaller metros both show up evenly throughout our rankings.
  • Alabama is the first southern state to crack the top ten in recent years
  • Delaware experienced the smallest change in price from 2023 to 2024 ($51 lower).
  • West Virginia experienced the largest change in price from 2023 to 2024 ($98 higher).
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States with the highest and lowest food costs

10 states with the highest food costs

  1. Hawaii (Honolulu): $589.63
  2. Massachusetts (Boston): $545.82
  3. New York (New York City): $544.85
  4. Alaska (Anchorage): $524.15
  5. Maine (Portland): $504.66
  6. North Dakota (Fargo): $496.90
  7. North Carolina (Charlotte): $494.64
  8. Alabama (Huntsville): $489.90
  9. Illinois (Chicago): $483.49
  10. Oregon (Portland): $480.39

10 states with the lowest food costs

  1. Virginia (Virginia Beach): $335.11
  2. Wyoming (Cheyenne): $340.21
  3. Arkansas (Little Rock): $346.24
  4. Idaho (Boise): $349.43
  5. Mississippi (Jackson): $351.70
  6. Iowa (Des Moines): $355.00
  7. Indiana (Indianapolis): $376.14
  8. Montana (Billings): $367.67
  9. Texas (Houston): $367.33
  10. Nevada (Las Vegas): $377.03

The data is based on 2023 numbers. 

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What about other monthly costs?

Grocery bills are some of the biggest monthly bills most people accrue, but they’re far from the only monthly cost you need to plan for. Get a handle on budgeting your monthly bills by reading our average utility costs guide.

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internationalvanlinesInternational Van Lines
$9,000*
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4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8
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americanvanlinesAmerican Van Lines
$6,214*
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northamericanNorth American Van Lines
$4,500*
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$848
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$1,170
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Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Pricing data collected by requesting estimates from top moving container companies for four home sizes across six distances.

*Based on a 3-bedroom across-country move.

Food costs across the US

Rank
State
City
Population
Food Price
Price Change
1HawaiiHonolulu343,421$638.57 $81.81
2New YorkNew York City8,335,897$555.11 $72.24
3DelawareWilmington71,569$527.51 $147.12
4WashingtonSeattle749,256$512.11 $110.03
5MassachusettsBoston650,706$506.63 $100.42
6ConnecticutBridgeport148,377$497.70 $154.40
7District of ColumbiaWashington DC671,803$486.63 $81.55
8MainePortland68,424$486.53 $114.32
9AlaskaAnchorage287,145$480.11 ($3.13)
10Rhode IslandProvidence189,563$479.81 $89.62
11GeorgiaAtlanta499,127$477.96 $79.99
12North CarolinaCharlotte897,720$475.19 $134.09
13North DakotaFargo131,444$474.01 $147.35
14IllinoisChicago2,665,039$470.65 $143.34
15TennesseeNashville683,622$469.01 $122.64
16OregonPortland635,067$467.77 $92.36
17South DakotaSioux Falls202,078$462.65 $176.42
18CaliforniaLos Angeles3,822,238$458.71 $87.75
19ColoradoDenver713,252$452.45 $125.53
20PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia1,567,258$444.29 $43.27
21LouisianaNew Orleans369,749$443.34 $118.15
22New MexicoAlbuquerque561,008$440.66 $132.87
23NebraskaOmaha485,153$438.79 $101.89
24FloridaJacksonville971,319$434.98 $70.73
25VermontBurlington44,595$434.48 ($62.93)
26MarylandBaltimore569,931$429.38 $85.71
27South CarolinaCharleston153,672$427.57 $16.28
28TexasHouston2,302,878$424.71 $138.07
29AlabamaHuntsville221,933$420.97 $23.58
30MinnesotaMinneapolis425,096$416.66 $21.27
31MontanaBillings119,960$411.70 $87.79
32KentuckyLouisville624,444$406.95 $91.75
33OklahomaOklahoma City694,800$401.48 $54.82
34OhioColumbus907,971$392.59 $51.11
35MichiganDetroit620,376$392.16 $65.04
36New JerseyNewark305,344$390.89 $47.12
37WisconsinMilwaukee563,305$383.80 ($2.17)
38IndianaIndianapolis880,621$382.62 $64.59
39NevadaLas Vegas656,274$382.16 $88.73
40MissouriKansas City509,297$377.06 $64.43
41KansasWichita396,192$372.42 $111.07
42IdahoBoise236,634$371.54 $90.42
43MississippiJackson145,995$367.52 ($55.81)
44ArizonaPhoenix1,644,409$367.15 $64.35
45VirginiaVirginia Beach455,618$362.00 $63.99
46UtahSalt Lake City204,657$359.65 $77.42
47New HampshireManchester115,141$357.33 $174.33
48IowaDes Moines211,034$351.80 $4.75
49West VirginiaCharleston47,129$347.40 ($79.79)
50ArkansasLittle Rock202,864$343.15 $60.69
51WyomingCheyenne64,610$335.97 ($9.65)

The data is based on 2023 food prices and 2022 census population numbers. 

*Price change shows the difference in food prices in 2023 compared to 2022.

Methodology

For our rankings, we looked at Numbeo’s estimated monthly food costs1 in each state’s most populous city for 2023.2  These prices only include the costs for basic groceries. Additional food costs like restaurant bills were not included in these prices.

Sources

  1. Numbeo, “Food Prices in United States.” Accessed June 10, 2024.
  2. Census, "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in the United States: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023" Accessed June 10, 2024.
Joe Roberts
Written by
Joe Roberts
Joe Roberts is a professional writer with a degree in writing studies and over four years of copywriting experience. He previously worked at Overstock.com, where he wrote about furniture, home decor, and moving. Joe has moved all over Utah, so he knows his way around a moving truck—and he spends his time (and money) expanding his personal library so it will be even heavier next time he moves.