Where to save on back-to-school shopping in the Sacramento area

Sacramento Bee Reporter Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado visited three popular supermarkets and stores in the Sacramento area and priced 14 key supplies from William Land Elementary School supply list to determine which stores offer the best options.

Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado

valvarado@sacbee.com

Are you ready for the school year?

As teachers prepare their classrooms for the new school year, Sacramento-area parents are searching for the most affordable places for pencils, markers and backpacks.

The cost of school supplies has increased significantly across the nation, according to two think tanks. A new analysis from Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation finds that the 2026-27 school year will cost families about 11 percent more than the previous year. The analysis states that typical school supplies cost 7.7 percent more and typical lunch items are up 10.9 percent from the previous year.

Parents are expected to pay an average of $173.45 per student for their school supply haul this year so every saved penny counts.

After helping shoppers find the best deals for Thanksgiving dinner in November, The Sacramento Bee is back to help you get the most for your money.

We visited three popular supermarkets and stores in the Sacramento area and priced 14 key supplies from William Land Elementary School supply list to determine which stores offer the best options.

Here’s what we discovered:

Which Sacramento store has the best prices?

For its latest price check, The Bee focused on major supply store chains in the Sacramento area, visiting a total of three locations on Friday, July 31.

Here’s where we went:

Target, 2505 Riverside Blvd.Office Max, 3120 Arden Way.Walmart, 6051 Florin Road Sacramento Bee Reporter Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado visited three popular supermarkets and stores in the Sacramento area and priced 14 key supplies from William Land Elementary School supply list to determine which stores offer the best options. Screengrab via Google Street View Where can I find best supply deals in Sacramento

The Bee searched each store for 14 key supplies, focusing on the options with the lowest available prices:

BackpacksRulersGlueColored pencilsSpiral notebooks3-ring bindersFoldersNo. 2 pencilsWhite board markersPencil sharpenersPen packs (red, blue, black)Loose-leaf paper (college ruled)

Each store sold a different variety of pens with Target only selling colored packs of 10 pens, Office Max sold a dual pack of 36 black and blue pens and Walmart sold a red, blue and black pack of 60 pens.

All prices were calculated before sales tax, and did not include members-only deals.

Which Sacramento store sells the cheapest backpacks?

Out of all the stores surveyed, Walmart had the cheapest backpacks. The chain beat out Target by 3 cents.

Office Max sold the most expensive backpacks with the lowest price being 14.99. However, Office Max sold only name brand backpacks with the thriftiest being JanSport, Target and Walmart sold generic label backpacks.

Here’s how backpack prices broke down for each store:

Target: $5.00Office Max: $14.99Walmart: $4.97 Sacramento Bee Reporter Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado visited three popular supermarkets and stores in the Sacramento area and priced 14 key supplies from William Land Elementary School supply list to determine which stores offer the best options. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado valvarado@sacbee.com Which stores have the best No. 2 pencils and pencil sharpener prices?

Though we live in the age of the keyboard, penmanship is still particularly important for developmental skills. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck when it comes to pencils, then Office Max has the other stores beat. The supply chain sells No. 2 pencils for $1.59 though the store did not have the lowest prices for pencil sharpeners.

Walmart stood out in that category, selling pencil sharpeners for 84 cents.

Target had the priciest pencils and pencil sharpeners selling each for $1.99.

Here’s how No. 2 pencil prices broke down for each store:

Target: $1.99Office Max: $1.59Walmart: $1.88 Sacramento Bee Reporter Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado visited three popular supermarkets and stores in the Sacramento area and priced 14 key supplies from William Land Elementary School supply list to determine which stores offer the best options. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado valvarado@sacbee.com

Here’s how much pencil sharpeners cost:

Target: $1.99Office Max: $1.59Walmart: $.84Where can I find the cheapest 3-ring binders and loose-leaf paper?

Looking for savings? You can pick up a 3-ring binder for $3.22 and loose-leaf college rule paper for 84 cents at Walmart for the most savings.

On the other end, Office Max sold the priciest binders for $6.99 and paper for $1.

Here’s what all the stores charged for 3-ring binders:

Target: $4.29Office Max: $6.99Walmart: $3.22

Here’s what was charged for loose-leaf college ruled paper:

Target: 99 centsOffice Max: $1Walmart: 84 centsWhat store sells the cheapest rulers and glue?

Walmart gives the most savings on rulers for 82 cents. However, the international chain sold the most expensive glue at $1.97.

Office Max sold the priciest ruler at $1.49 each and Target sold the cheapest glue at 79 cents.

Here’s what stores charged for rulers:

Target: 89 centsOffice Max: $1.49Walmart: 82 cents

Here’s what stores charged for glue:

Target: 79 centsOffice Max: 99 centsWalmart: $1.97Which store has the best prices for spiral notebooks and folders?

Walmart sold spiral notebooks for 35 cents each and Office Max tied with Walmart both selling folders for 25 cents.

Here’s what all stores charged for spiral notebooks:

Target: 99 centsOffice Max: $2.09Walmart: 35 cents Sacramento Bee Reporter Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado visited three popular supermarkets and stores in the Sacramento area and priced 14 key supplies from William Land Elementary School supply list to determine which stores offer the best options. Veronica Fernnadez-Alvarado valvarado@sacbee.com

Here’s what each store charged for folders:

Target: 50 centsOffice Max: 25 centsWalmart: 25 centsWhich stores have the lowest prices for colored pencils and pen packs?

Walmart sold the cheapest and only blue, red and black pen pack for $7 and colored pencils for 97 cents.

Target did not sell a multicolored pen pack but did sell a pack of sole colored black pens for $1.59 and Office Max only sold black and blue packs of pens for $9.99.

Here’s what each store sold colored pencils for:

Target: $1.25Office Max: $1.50Walmart: 97 cents Sacramento Bee Reporter Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado visited three popular supermarkets and stores in the Sacramento area and priced 14 key supplies from William Land Elementary School supply list to determine which stores offer the best options. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado valvarado@sacbee.com

Here’s what each store sold pen packs for:

Target: $1.59Office Max: $9.99Walmart: $7Which store sells the cheapest white board markers?

Target beat out all other stores with the most savings on white board markers pricing the item at $4.69.

Walmart sold the most expensive white board markers at $5.92.

Here’s what each store sold white board markers for:

Target: $4.69Office Max: $4.99Walmart: $5.92Which stores have the best deals for back-to-school shoppers?

If you’re looking for the most budget-friendly store in Sacramento then Walmart stands out against the rest.

Walmart was the most affordable store to complete any school supply list, charging $29.03 for 14 essential school items. The chain also was the only one of the three to have all school supplies available for shoppers.

Target came in second, though the store was missing essential supplies including a multicolor pen pack. Shoppers can expect to spend $24.96 for school supplies.

Office Max came in last though the store carried more name brand items such as backpacks. Shoppers can expect to pay $47.46 for school supplies.

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