How Much Income NJ Spends On Groceries May Surprise You

NEW JERSEY — The average New Jersey household spends $7,549 annually on groceries, according to a new LendingTree study.

That represents 5.4 percent of a Garden State household's average income. Not only is that figure well below the average U.S. average of 7.4 percent, but it's also the second lowest percentage in the nation. Only the District of Columbia spends less, according to the study.

The analysis comes as consumers across the country are tracking the increasing costs of their grocery bills. Egg prices have dominated the headlines amid a bird flu outbreak, setting records in the lead up to Easter at an average price of $6.23 a dozen, The Associated Press reported.

The overall cost of groceries was 2.41 percent higher in March of this year compared to March 2024, the highest year-over-year grocery inflation rate since August 2023, CNN reported.

Matt Schulz, LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst, said that the states that spent the largest share of their income on groceries tend to be more sparsely populated Western states, while those on the other end of the spectrum are more populous states east of the Mississippi.

“In those big eastern states, housing costs are likely taking up a bigger percentage of income than what we see in the Western states,” he said. “Also, the states at the bottom of the list tend to be far more urban, so more dining-out options might lead to less dining at home."

Here are the states that spend the highest percentage of their income on groceries:

1. Idaho, 10.4 percent
2. Nevada 10.1 percent
3. Utah, 10.1 percent
4. Montana, 9.7 percent
5. Maine, 9.6 percent
6. New Mexico 9.4 percent
7. Oregon, 9.2 percent
8. Arkansas, 9.1 percent
9. Wyoming, 9.0 percent

Check out the full list at LendingTree.