Here’s How Much Of Your Income Goes Toward Groceries In The Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Grocery costs keep climbing nationwide, but in Minnesota’s largest cities, residents are spending a smaller share of their income on food than many of their Midwest neighbors, according to a new WalletHub study.

The financial website analyzed grocery prices for 26 common food items, such as milk, bread, and eggs, and compared total costs to each city’s median household income to find where people spend the most on groceries.

Minnesota Cities Ranked

• St. Paul: Ranked 44th overall, with groceries accounting for 2.09 percent of the median monthly household income.
• Minneapolis: Ranked 67th, at 1.86 percent

That puts both cities in the more affordable half of the 100 largest U.S. cities analyzed.

Nearby Midwest Comparisons

Minnesota cities fare better than many others across the region:

• Madison, WI ranked 59th, at 1.91%.
• Chicago, IL came in 48th, with 2.03% of income going to groceries.
• Indianapolis, IN ranked 23rd, at 2.33%.
• Milwaukee, WI ranked 9th, with residents spending 2.89% of their income on groceries.
• Cleveland, OH ranked 2nd, at 3.77%.
• Detroit, MI ranked 1st, the highest in the nation, at 3.78%.

In general, the study found that Midwestern cities with higher grocery spending tend to have lower household incomes, not necessarily higher prices. Detroit and Cleveland top the list largely because their residents earn less on average, meaning each dollar spent on groceries takes up a bigger share of income.

“In the cities where people spend the most money on groceries, residents often have low incomes on top of seeing high sticker prices on common grocery items,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “Shoppers should take advantage of sales and coupons, buy generic items, and buy in bulk if possible in order to save money.”

WalletHub’s data shows the opposite is true in wealthier metro areas like Minneapolis, where incomes are higher and grocery costs take up a smaller portion of the household budget.

The study analyzed 26 grocery staples and compared prices across 100 U.S. cities to determine grocery spending as a share of median household income.

Check out the full study here.