States Where Groceries Take Biggest Bite Out of Budgets

New WalletHub survey finds lower-income states spend more of their earnings on food.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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A new WalletHub survey found that people living in some of the poorest states tend to spend the most on basic food necessities, with residents of Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas spending as much as 2.6% of their monthly income on groceries. By contrast, higher-income states like Massachusetts and New Jersey spend only about 1.5% of their income on groceries. The survey analyzed the costs of 26 common grocery items and compared them to each state's median household income.

Why it matters

With grocery prices up nearly 30% since 2019 and income growth lagging behind, families in lower-income states are feeling the greatest strain, making careful budgeting and smart shopping more important than ever. This highlights the economic disparities across the country and the challenges faced by those with lower incomes in maintaining adequate nutrition and food security.

The details

The WalletHub survey looked at the impact of grocery costs on American households across all 50 states, analyzing the costs of 26 common grocery items such as meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, frozen foods and cleaning products. They then compared those costs to each state's median household income to determine where people spend the most on groceries as a percentage of their income. States with relatively low grocery prices but also low median household incomes, like Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas, ended up having residents spend the largest share of their earnings on food.

  • The WalletHub survey was released on February 12, 2026.

The players

WalletHub

A personal finance website that conducted the survey on grocery costs across the United States.

Chip Lupo

A WalletHub writer and analyst who commented on the survey findings.

William Masters

A food economist and professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts who provided analysis on the factors driving higher supermarket prices.

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What they’re saying

“Grocery affordability isn't just about how much items on the shelf cost – it's also about how those prices compare to what people earn. States like Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas actually have relatively low grocery prices overall, but because they also have some of the lowest median household incomes in the country, residents end up spending the largest share of their earnings on food – as much as 2.6% of monthly income in Mississippi.”

— Chip Lupo, WalletHub writer and analyst (usatoday.com)

“The main driver of grocery prices is labor and materials costs for each product, and for the services involved in retailing. Over the past year, material costs have been driven up by tariffs, and labor costs have been driven up by the deportation of workers – especially for the low-wage work done by recent immigrants. Since wages for most Americans have not gone up as much as prices, purchasing power has declined.”

— William Masters, Food economist and professor at Tufts University (usatoday.com)

What’s next

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Food Pricing Index is expected to release its latest projections for food price increases in 2026, which could provide further insight into the economic pressures facing American households.

The takeaway

This survey highlights the significant economic disparities across the United States, with lower-income families in certain states having to dedicate a much larger share of their monthly budgets to basic grocery expenses. As food prices continue to rise, careful budgeting and smart shopping strategies will be crucial for these households to maintain adequate nutrition and food security.