The 10 States Where People Spend the Most on Groceries, According to New Data
New analysis shows families in some states are handing over a far bigger share of their paychecks for basic groceries than households in wealthier parts of the country.
Grocery prices have been quietly wrecking family budgets for years. Since 2019, the cost of food at home has jumped by nearly 30%, according to USDA estimates. Paychecks haven’t kept up, which means more of each dollar is going straight to the supermarket checkout.
A new analysis from WalletHub took a closer look at just how heavy that hit really is, breaking it down state by state. Researchers compared the cost of 26 common grocery items with each state’s median household income to see where residents are devoting the biggest chunk of their earnings to food. 2026 States That Spend the Most…
One big takeaway: the states where people spend the largest share of their income on groceries aren’t the places with the highest prices. They’re the places where incomes are the lowest — so even “normal” prices feel crushing.
Here’s a closer look at the 10 states where residents are giving up the biggest slice of their paychecks just to keep the fridge stocked.
1. Mississippi
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.60%
Mississippi tops the list, with households spending about 2.6% of their median income on groceries — the highest share in the country. What’s striking is that food prices here are actually on the cheaper side, ranking among the least expensive in the U.S. for items like chicken, sausage, frozen meals and basic pantry staples. The problem isn’t so much the cost of groceries as it is the paycheck they’re coming out of: Mississippi has the lowest median household income in America, at just $54,915 a year. When your income starts that low, even “affordable” groceries take a bigger bite. 2026 States That Spend the Most…
2. West Virginia
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.54%
West Virginia comes in second, with residents spending more than 2.5% of their income on groceries. Like Mississippi, the state is dealing with very modest earnings — West Virginia has the second-lowest median household income in the country, at $57,917. Some everyday items are pricier here than elsewhere, including eggs, potatoes and sugar, which doesn’t help. But overall grocery prices are not the worst in the nation; incomes are just too low to absorb even average costs comfortably. 2026 States That Spend the Most…
3. Arkansas
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.44%
Arkansas households devote about 2.4% of their income to groceries, putting the state in third place. Once again, it’s not that the stores are outrageously expensive — in fact, Arkansas has some of the cheapest groceries in the country and ranks among the 10 least-expensive states for a long list of items, from chicken and potato chips to cereal and frozen meals. The issue is that the typical household only earns about $58,773 per year, the third-lowest median income nationally. When your earnings are that tight, even budget groceries end up feeling like a luxury line item. 2026 States That Spend the Most…
4. Louisiana
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.38%
In Louisiana, families are spending roughly 2.38% of their monthly income on groceries. The state lands high on this list for the same core reason as others in the top 10: incomes simply aren’t stretching far enough. Even if shoppers are relying on store brands, sales and local deals, a big chunk of their pay is still going straight to necessities, leaving less room for savings or nonessential spending.
5. Kentucky
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.37%
Kentucky residents are devoting about 2.37% of their paychecks to food at home. That may not sound like much until you compare it to wealthier states, where the share drops closer to 1.5%. In a state where wages tend to be lower, that gap adds up quickly. It means a family earning Kentucky-level income will feel grocery price swings more sharply than a similar family in a high-income state, even if they’re buying the same cart of food.
6. Alabama
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.33%
Alabama households are spending about 2.33% of their income on groceries. Like its neighbors, the state combines relatively modest incomes with everyday costs that don’t feel modest at all once you add them up over a month. For many families, managing that grocery line item means trading down to cheaper brands, cutting extras or stretching meals further than they’d like.
7. New Mexico
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.30%
New Mexico is the first Western state on the list, with residents spending around 2.3% of their income on groceries. It’s another example of how affordability isn’t just about sticker prices; it’s about what those prices look like next to your paycheck. Incomes here are lower than in many coastal or Northeastern states, so even standard grocery bills claim a bigger share of the monthly budget.
8. Oklahoma
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.22%
In Oklahoma, households are setting aside roughly 2.22% of their income for groceries. That percentage may feel familiar across much of the South and parts of the Midwest, where wages haven’t kept pace with inflation and families are constantly recalibrating what they can afford to put into their carts. Even in areas with decent access to big-box stores and discount chains, the math can still be unforgiving.
9. South Carolina
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.21%
South Carolina families are spending about 2.21% of their income on groceries. As in other high-share states, residents are caught between rising food prices and paychecks that don’t stretch nearly as far as they did a few years ago. The result: more careful, sometimes stressful decision-making in the aisles — and fewer impulse buys, even on basic treats.
10. Tennessee
Grocery spending as a share of median monthly income: 2.19%
Rounding out the top 10 is Tennessee, where groceries take up about 2.19% of the median income. As a percentage, that may not sound dramatically different from some other states, but it still translates to a heavier relative load for families already juggling housing, transportation and other essentials. Small changes in food prices here can have an outsized impact on how much is left for everything else.
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