New York not the most expensive state for…
They’re grocery bill-ions.
While New York is thought for its extortionate grocery costs, it’s shockingly not the most expensive state in the U.S. That honor goes to the idyllic isle of Hawaii, where weekly grocery store payments tip the scales at a bankrupt-worthy $157 per week, according to a research by online tech and economic system publication the Visual Capitalist.
The Empire State grocery store scene, on the other hand, positioned eleventh with an average weekly grocery invoice costing an average of $121 per week — maybe no shock in a place where grocery costs have elevated by 6.1% every 12 months on average.
This quantity will doubtless only tick up — as New York City council members rammed through a pair of controversial grocery payments that will power supply firms to pay drivers more, which critics said may trigger grocery store prices to soar.
All told, New Yorkers doubtless felt the sting after stocking up on provides forward of last weekend’s snowpocalypse.
An aerial view of the New York City skyline with quite a few skyscrapers under a cloudy sky. MarcelloLand – stock.adobe.com
Visual Capitalist concocted the research to handle extortionate food prices across the nation, where groceries such as ground beef elevated 15% in price in 2025, while orange juice ticked up 21%.
Notably, the price of a carton of eggs hit a record-high of $8.15 in March amid bird-flu induced shortages, prompting enterprising grocers to promote “loosie”-style eggs — a few eggs in a plastic bag — for cash-strapped eggheads.
To compile the checklist, the purchasing cart-ographers calculated the average weekly grocery value for a median-income family in each state based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics price indexes for 2025.
Meanwhile, in Hawaii, residents spend $157 per week on groceries — 33% increased than the national average of $118.
Diamond Head crater on Oahu in Hawaii. Earth Pixel LLC. – stock.adobe.com
This also marked a 9.6% increase from the prior 12 months, that means islanders had to fill their pantries by emptying their bank accounts.
Alaska trailed close behind at $152, with costs rising 8.8% from last 12 months.
The metropolis Anchorage in Alaska which was the second most expensive state for groceries. Rocky Grimes – stock.adobe.com
On top of that, costs diverse dramatically between developed spots and rural areas not accessible by highway — a $6.79 bag of chips in Anchorage can value $10.49 in Unalakleet, for instance.
Following close behind was California, where the weekly grocery invoice set residents back $127 on average — a 3.4% increase from 2024.
Visual capitalist cited increased wages — coming off the Golden State’s minimal wage hike — rent, utilities, and distribution prices as contributors to the elevated price of stocking one’s larder.
Rounding out the top 5 spots had been Washington (average grocery invoice costing $126) and Vermont ($124).
Of course, not every state required its residents to fork over an arm and a leg to keep provided.
In normal, stocking up in Southern states was cheaper, with Arkansas’ dwellers spending the least, at around 6% decrease than the U.S. average.
The top ten most expensive states for groceries
Hawaii ($157)
Alaska ($152)
California ($127)
Washington ($126)
Vermont ($124)
Florida ($122)
Oregon ($122)
Maryland ($122)
Montana ($122)
Idaho ($122)
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