SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Louisiana is the state most burdened by the constant rise in grocery costs, according to a report from Consumer Affairs.
The report found that states with the highest grocery cost-burden are also states with low household incomes. The top-five states feeling the pinch of grocery costs on their budgets are Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, coming in at number one. Louisiana is not at the top of the list because it pays the highest cost; Idaho and Utah residents are spending more than $10K on average. Louisiana tops the list because it has the lowest median income.
Only Mississippi has a lower median income than Louisiana, but its average grocery spend is nearly $1,000 lower.
Louisianans as a whole spend more than $600 per month on groceries, which is about two-thirds of the average cost of rent in Louisiana. The median household income is $60,986, making the cost of groceries about 13.6 percent of the household income.
U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that about 18 percent of Louisiana residents participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2024, about one in five people in the state.
Arkansas ranks second in the amount of money spent on groceries, with a cost burden about 39 percent higher than in most other states. Arkansans may get a reprieve in 2026 after Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a grocery tax exemption into law, repealing the state’s 0.125 percent tax on groceries.
Aside from halting grocery taxes, as the Arkansas Legislature has done, consumers can get a handle on what they spend on food and other grocery essentials by taking proactive steps each month.
- Make a shopping list and stick to it – avoid impulse buys that can get expensive as you shop without a plan. Set a grocery budget and stick to it.
- Shop for deals – check grocery store mail advertisements and store apps for sales
- Buy generic and store brands – by some estimates, avoiding brand names can save up to 40 percent, which could significantly cut the amount you spend over time.
- Sustainability: many people look to “ugly produce” boxes, direct purchases from local farmers, or farm shares, and community gardens or food co-ops.
- Don’t shop when you’re hungry – going to the grocery store on an empty stomach is a pathway to impulse buying. A light snack before grocery shopping will help you stick to the list.
- Seek help – don’t be ashamed to seek assistance; many food distribution programs assist communities with free or reduced-cost food.