Study: Washington ranks among top 10 states for most grocery spending
Apr 20, 2025, 5:00 AM
A customer browses in the fruit and vegetable section at Safeway. (Photo: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)
(Photo: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)
A recent study by LendingTree compared the financial grocery habits of each state.
Washington ranked No. 6 on the list of states where households spend the most on groceries. Coming in at No. 1 was Utah, No. 2 Alaska, and No. 3 Hawaii. Illinois came in last at No. 51. Utah households spent an average of $11,884 on groceries in 2023.
According to data from LendingTree, the average Washington household spends $10,202 on groceries—a 24.9% difference from the national average. LendingTree found Americans spend an average of $8,167 on groceries.
However, when looking at the list of states that spend the largest share of household income on groceries, Washington ranks No. 23, with Washington households spending 7.9% of their income on groceries.
LendingTree looks at grocery spending, organic prices
LendingTree’s study also reviewed the price of buying organic. It found organic fruits and vegetables cost an average of 52.6% more than non-organic. Organic iceberg lettuce was the worst culprit, coming in at 179% more ($2.17 more) than the non-organic version.
“We’ve come to expect organic fruits and veggies to cost more, but paying a 50.0% premium can be pretty hard to swallow,” LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz stated in LendingTree’s study. “When stubborn inflation is making everything else more costly and shrinking people’s financial wiggle room, paying extra for fruits and vegetables may prove a bridge too far.”
LendingTree also found that the price of organic fruits and vegetables rose 2.4% from January 2024 to January 2025. The price of non-organic fruits and vegetables also rose, but slightly higher at 2.5%.
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