Summary
New data reveals that Western US states generally have higher grocery bills, while Southern states experience lower costs. Overall food prices in the US rose by 3.1% from December 2024 to December 2025, with meats and dairy products seeing significant increases. Hawaii has the highest grocery costs due to the need to import most of its food.
Key Facts
- Western states generally have higher average grocery costs, while Southern states have lower costs.
- Hawaii has the highest weekly grocery bill at $157 due to high import costs.
- From December 2024 to December 2025, overall food prices increased by 3.1%.
- Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs saw a 3.9% price increase.
- Southern states like Arkansas and Iowa have the lowest grocery bills, around $111 per week.
- Labor costs and the ability to grow food locally contribute to lower Southern grocery bills.
- South Dakota experienced a 12.6% increase in grocery costs from the previous year.
- The data was collected by Visual Capitalist using information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
