Feel like you’re spending a lot of your income on groceries? Here’s where Idaho ranks
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but grocery bills may be more bearable across state lines, according to a new study.
Americans are feeling the strain of groceries on their wallets, with prices rising over 23% since 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Going back to just one year earlier, since 2019 the price of food has risen over 25%, according to the Consumer Price Index. The price of groceries was a key issue in the recent presidential election, with Donald Trump campaigning on the promise to lower costs.
The cost of groceries and price fluctuations can be attributed to many factors, including inflation, supply chain issues that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, disease outbreak or crop failures, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Factors can extend globally, like the Russia-Ukraine war, but impacts can vary between states.
In an APVoteCast survey of more than 120,000 voters, 7 in 10 people indicated that they were very concerned about the cost of gas and groceries.
But just how much of Idahoans’ income goes to groceries and food? And how do food prices in Idaho compare to neighboring states?
A recent study conducted by WalletHub ranked the 50 states based on where people are spending the greatest percentage of their income on groceries. In its analysis, WalletHub combined the prices of the 26 most common grocery items, then compared that cost to the median household income for that state. Here’s where Idaho ranked.
How much burden do groceries cause in Idaho?
While Idahoans don’t spend the least on groceries, they don’t spend the most, either. Idaho ranks near the middle in the 23rd spot, feeling moderate impacts of rising grocery bills. According to the study, Idaho shoppers spend 2.01% of the state’s median monthly household income of $74,636 at the grocery store. How well do Idaho’s neighbors fare when it comes to how much of their income they spend on food?
Montana at 11th (2.2%)
Nevada at 19th (2.04%)
Oregon at 25th (2%)
Wyoming at 26th (2%)
Washington at 39th (1.71%)
The state where people have the biggest grocery bills relative to income is Mississippi at 2.64%. Other top five states include West Virginia (2.57%), Arkansas (2.49%), Kentucky (2.41%) and Louisiana (2.39%).
The study notes that while some of the states at the top have some of the lowest grocery prices, Mississippi ranks ninth-cheapest in the nation. It also has the lowest median income in America, which pushes it to the top of the list.
The states spending the least in relation to income include New Jersey (1.5%), Maryland and Massachusetts (tied, 1.54%), New Hampshire (1.6%), Connecticut (1.62%) and Utah (1.63%).
How much have prices risen?
U.S. food-at-home prices increased 1.2% from 2023 to 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Here’s a look at price increases by category:
Which food prices have increased the most?
Eggs: 8.5%
Beef and veal: 5.4%
Sugar and sweets: 3%
Which food prices have declined?
Fish and seafood: 1.9%
Dairy: 0.2%
Grocery prices impacting food insecurity
The rising cost of groceries and stagnant wages means that more people are vulnerable to food insecurity.
In Idaho, an estimated 220,990 people — 67,590 of those being children — are facing hunger, according to a 2022 Feeding America report.
In some cases, the need is more dire the less each dollar stretches. The number of Idahoans who didn’t have enough to eat over a one-week period went from 69,075 to 136,046 — a 97% increase — from August 2021 to August 2023, according to U.S. Census Bureau Household data analyzed by Hunger Free America.
According to Feeding America, counties in Idaho with a higher food insecurity rate compared to the rest of the state include the following:
Boundary
Shoshone
Benewah
Clearwater
Lewis
Adams
Washington
Custer
Butte
Owyhee