California Most Expensive State for Groceries Per Week, Study

How much do you spend on groceries per week?

If you have been to the grocery store lately, you’ve no doubt noticed that groceries are downright expensive. But did you know that California residents averaged the most amount spent on groceries per week, according to a new report from HelpAdvisor.com.

HelpAdvisor used survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau, released in Nov. of 2023, to determine the average weekly amount residents in each state spend on groceries.

After analyzing the data, found that California families spend an average of $297 on food each week, which is the highest average among all states.

The national weekly average of food spending was $270, according to the study.

Key findings of the study show that:

• U.S. households spend an average of $270.21 per week on groceries, or roughly $1,080 per month.
• Average weekly grocery spending is highest in California ($297.72), Nevada ($294.76), Mississippi ($290.64) Washington ($287.67) and Florida ($287.27).
• Households in Wisconsin ($221.46), Iowa ($227.32) and Nebraska ($235.12) spend the least on food, on average.
• Households with children spend an average of $331.94 per week at the grocery store, or 41% more than households without children.
• A four-person household spends an average of $315.22 per week on groceries.

The report also looked at weekly food spending for the top 14 cities in the U.S. In San Francisco, residents spent a weekly average of $298 on groceries (4th highest among cities) and in Los Angeles, that weekly average was $295 (5th highest).

While U.S. inflation slowed in 2023, grocery store cash registers continued running hot. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the consumer price index for food at home was up 1.7% year-over-year in November.

The overall average household spending on groceries is $1,080 per month, while an average four-person U.S. household is spending around $1,260 per month at the grocery store. That’s according to HelpAdvisor.com analysis of the most recent data from the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey that measured the average amount of money spent on food prepared and eaten at home for the period of Oct. 18 to Oct. 30, 2023.

Our analysis of the data revealed the states and major metro areas where people are spending the most on groceries, along with some demographic breakdowns of grocery store spending, which we detail below.

URL to full report: https://www.helpadvisor.com/community-health/cost-of-groceries-report

The data used for this report came from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey, specifically Week 63 (Nov 8, 2023), the most recent data available.