Pa. residents among those spending the most on groceries, study says

The prices of many kitchen staples have gone up in recent months.

And people in Pennsylvania are getting hit particularly hard by it.

According to a new report conducted and published by WalletHub, Pennsylvania ranks among the states spending the most on groceries in 23rd overall. Residents were found to spend about 1.98 percent of their average monthly household income on groceries.

WalletHub researchers created this study after determining 26 key groceries — from meat to dairy to fruit — plus cleaning products, and then analyzing the price of each. The median monthly incomes found in each state was also applied for final results.

The top three states spending the most on groceries in ascending order were Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi.

“People in Mississippi the most on groceries, which have an average cost of 2.6 percent of the median household income, the highest percentage in the country,” the report reads. “For comparison, New Jersey and Massachusetts residents only spend around 1.5 percent of their income on groceries, the lowest percentage.

“Interestingly, grocery prices in Mississippi are actually relatively low — the six-cheapest in the nation. For example, in 13 of the product categories measured in our study, including sausage, margarine, peas, dishwashing detergent, and chicken, Mississippi is among the 10 least expensive states.”

The report continues: “The main problem lies in the fact that Mississippi has the lowest median annual household income in America, at just $54,915. So even with relatively low grocery prices overall, Mississippians are spending a higher percentage of their income on groceries than people in any other state.”

“While grocery prices have gone up tremendously in recent years, the states in which people spend the greatest percentage of their income on groceries actually aren’t those with the highest prices,” reiterated WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo.

“Instead, the median incomes in these states are quite low, so even with reasonable grocery prices, residents end up shelling out a higher percentage of their earnings than people in states with more expensive products.