How Much RI Pays For Groceries Might Surprise You

RHODE ISLAND — The average Rhode Island household spends $7,936 annually on groceries, according to a new LendingTree study.

That represents 7 percent of an Ocean State household's average income, just below the average American household, which spends 7.4 percent of its income on groceries.

Only New York, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Minnesota, Maryland, North Dakota, Virginia, and Pennsylvania spend a lower percentage of their income on groceries, LendingTree found.

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.

Related: These RI Industries Hit Hardest In Tit-For-Tat U.S.-China Trade War

‘Eggflation’: Why Are Eggs So Expensive In RI, When Will Cost Go Down?

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. Alaska, 9.7 percent
5. Montana, 9.7 percent
6. Maine, 9.6 percent
7. New Mexico 9.4 percent
8. Oregon, 9.2 percent
9. Arkansas, 9.1 percent
10. Wyoming, 9.0 percent

Check out the full list at LendingTree.

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