Michigan Near the Middle of the Pack When it Comes to Grocery Spending

Photo by Karola G

Article courtesy of Vesper Tool 

• Mississippi tops the nation for grocery spending as a percentage of total consumption at 8.46% 

• Southern states dominate the list with 7 out of the top 10 states spending the most on groceries 

•  Minnesota residents allocate just 5.37% of their consumption on food at home

A new study by commodity intelligence platform Vesper Tool has identified which states spend the highest percentage of their total consumption on groceries, with Mississippi residents allocating the largest portion of their spending on food at home.

The analysis examined personal consumption expenditure data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to determine how much each state’s residents spend on groceries compared to their total consumption across all categories.

Michigan ranks 20th with $524.0 billion in total expenditures. $35.8 billion is spent on groceries, representing 6.83% of total spending.

Mississippi residents spend 8.46% of their total consumption on groceries, the highest percentage in the nation. With total consumption reaching $123.9 billion in 2023, Mississippians spent $10.5 billion on groceries throughout the year, according to the findings.

Hawaii ranks second, with residents spending 8.04% of their total consumption on groceries. Despite having a much smaller population than Mississippi, Hawaii’s total grocery consumption reached $6.7 billion in 2023, representing a significant portion of the state’s $83.4 billion in total spending.

West Virginia ties in second place, also spending 8.04% of total consumption on groceries. The state’s 1.77 million residents spent $6.8 billion on groceries from their total consumption of $84.2 billion in 2023.

Kansas ranks third with grocery spending at 8.01% of total consumption. Kansans spent $11.6 billion on groceries from their $145.1 billion in total consumption last year.

Kentucky lands in fourth place with residents spending 7.77% of their total consumption on groceries. The state’s 4.5 million residents spent $16.6 billion on groceries from their total consumption of $214 billion.

Montana rounds out the top five, with grocery spending accounting for 7.58% of total consumption. Residents spent $4.7 billion on groceries from a total consumption of $62.6 billion in 2023.

Georgia takes sixth place with residents allocating 7.49% of their spending to groceries. With a much larger population of over 11 million, Georgians spent $41.5 billion on groceries from a total consumption of $554.6 billion.

Maine also records a grocery spending rate of 7.49%, joining Georgia at sixth place in the rankings. Maine residents spent $6.3 billion on groceries from their total consumption of $84.1 billion.

South Carolina ranks seventh with residents spending 7.48% of their total consumption on groceries. South Carolinians allocated $19.8 billion to groceries from a total of $264.7 billion in consumption.

Alabama ranks eighth with residents spending 7.38% of their total consumption on groceries. Alabamians spent $16.8 billion on groceries from their total consumption of $227.5 billion in 2023.

Rounding out the top ten states are Oregon, spending 7.37% on groceries, and Vermont, with groceries costing 7.32% of their total consumption. 

Top 10 States Spending the Most on Groceries