New research suggests that the average American household spends more than $1,000 per month on groceries, and for Golden State residents, that number may likely be higher.
The average family in America spends roughly $270.21 at the grocery store per week, according to a study by HelpAdvisor that analyzed the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey.
That number increases when children are factored in; HelpAdvisor found that households with children spend an average of $331.94 a week at the store, or 41% higher than households without children.
Weekly grocery prices vary widely across the country, the study found, and California topped the list of most expensive places to buy food with a household average of $297.72 per week, or $27.51 more than the average for the 48 continental states.
The Golden State’s easterly neighbor, Nevada, is not far behind; residents of the Silver State fork over roughly $294.76 a week at the grocery store, enough to rank second in the nation.
Rounding out the top five most expensive are Mississippi ($290.64); Washington ($287.67) and Florida ($287.27).
| Rank | State | Avg. cost |
| 1. | California | $297.72 |
| 2. | Nevada | $294.76 |
| 3. | Mississippi | $290.64 |
| 4. | Washington | $287.67 |
| 5. | Florida | $287.27 |
| 6. | New Mexico | $286.39 |
| 7. | Texas | $286.19 |
| 8. | Louisiana | $282.95 |
| 9. | Colorado | $279.98 |
| 10. | Oklahoma | $279.16 |
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Wisconsinites spend $76 less at the grocery store per week than their California counterparts; their average weekly grocery bill is $221.46, the study found.
The cheapest states to purchase foodstuffs are all located in the Midwest, HelpAdvisor research suggests, with Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan and Indiana households all spending under $240 at the store on average per week.
When broken down by city, three California municipalities are unsurprisingly featured in the top 10 most expensive cities to go to the grocery store; Riverside, San Francisco and Los Angeles ($300.50, $298.44 and $295.33, respectively) rank as the third, fourth and fifth-most economically unfriendly places to buy food in the country.
The most expensive city in America to buy groceries in is Miami, HelpAdvisor found, with grocery bills there costing residents an average of $327.89, or about 14% higher than Florida’s statewide average.
| Rank | City | Avg. cost |
| 1. | Miami | $327.89 |
| 2. | Houston | $302.65 |
| 3. | Riverside | $300.50 |
| 4. | San Francisco | $298.44 |
| 5. | Los Angeles | $295.33 |
| 6. | Seattle | $289.23 |
| 7. | New York | $282.60 |
| 8. | Dallas | $282.21 |
| 9. | Chicago | $278.91 |
| 10. | Atlanta | $277.54 |
Data displayed “an apparently direct correlation” between average grocery spending and education level, according to the study’s findings.
“Those with less than a high school education report the highest average spending level with $320 per week, followed by those with a high school diploma or GED at $274.96 per week and then those with some college or an associate’s degree at $268.19,” researchers said. “Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher reported average weekly grocery spending of $258.42.”
Other factors that may influence grocery spending are race and ethnicity, as well as military service, government financial assistance and the presence of individuals that have disabilities, researchers said.
Even though U.S. inflation slowed in 2023, grocery store cash registers “continued running hot,” HelpAdvisor said, which could correlate with the consumer price index for food at home increasing 1.7% year-over-year in November.
More information on the HelpAdvisor study can be found here.