Study says Idaho spends most on groceries of any state, according to one measure

Idahoans spend more on groceries than residents of any other state, according to one measure.

A new study conducted by loan marketplace LendingTree ranked each state by how much the average household spends on groceries in a year, measured both by total amount and as a percentage of the average household income. The results showed Idaho near the top of the list in both categories.

How much do Idahoans spend on groceries?

Idahoans spend an average of $10,246 a year on groceries, according to the study. That number is 25.5% above the national average, and the fifth highest in the country, behind just Utah, Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada.

However, when measured as a percentage of the state’s average household income, Idaho residents spent more on groceries than people in any other state in the country.

According to the study, Idaho households spend 10.4% of the state’s average household income on groceries, the highest rate in the country. Nevada and Utah were just behind at 10.1%. For context, the median rate among all 50 states was 7.8%.

Those weren’t the only states in the region near the top of the list, either. Montana tied for No. 4 in the country with a rate of 9.7%, while Oregon came in at No. 8 at 9.2%. Washington ranked No. 6 in total grocery spending but No. 23 when measured against the state’s average household income.

Most expensive groceries

The study also looked at the items contributing most to rising grocery prices. Using USDA data, LendingTree found that Hass avocados had the highest price increase of any non-organic produce item between January 2024 and January 2025, followed by collard greens and salad mix.

Among organic produce, mini sweet peppers saw the highest price jump, along with gala apples and navel oranges.

As for the items with the highest mark-up for organic produce, iceberg lettuce took the top spot, followed by Brussels sprouts and Granny Smith apples.

How the study was conducted

LendingTree used USDA and U.S. Census Bureau data to conduct the study. Prices of individual items were determined using USDA price reports, while household spending and income figures were determined using five-year rolling averages from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Are grocery prices rising?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, grocery prices rose by 1.1% across the U.S. in 2024. That figure is relatively low on its own, but it comes after the U.S. saw an 11.4% grocery price increase in 2022 and a 5% increase the following year.