FILE - Cereal and chips for sale at a Haggen grocery store in Bellingham, Washington, on May 15, 2024. Photographer: Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Many Americans have noticed that they’re paying more than before for the same amount of groceries. Inflation is slightly easing, but grocery prices still remain high – and the issue appears to hit some states harder than others.
Datasembly, a grocery and retail pricing intelligence firm, tracks weekly changes in pricing for grocery products using data from more than 150,000 different stores across the U.S.
The specific categories tracked under the "All Grocery" umbrella are snacks, bakery, beverages, baby food, baby formula, cereal, cookies, crackers, meal solutions, grains/beans/pasta, baking, seasonings, sauces, candy/gum, fruits/vegetables, condiments, spreads/dressings, and pet food.
Things like cheese, eggs, meat, and dairy are tracked under separate categories in the Grocery Price Index tool.
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Looking at data tracked since October 2019 for "All Grocery," Vermont’s prices have increased the most with a 37.4% jump, according to data from Datasembly’s Grocery Price Index.
This is followed by Montana with a 36.7% price increase since 2019, Louisiana with a 36.5% price increase, Washington state at 36%, and Alabama at 35.9%.
RELATED: Inflation eases in July, but these cities are dealing with the worst of it: Study
How grocery prices have changed in the past year
Top state increases in "All Grocery" over the past year, according to Datasembly:
- Vermont 2.9%
- Hawaii 2.2%
- Maine 1.8%
- New Hampshire 1.8%
- Illinois 1.7%
Top states with price decreases for all grocery items in the past year:
- New Jersey -0.8%
- Connecticut -0.6%
- Pennsylvania -0.5%
- Maryland -0.4%
- Delaware -0.1%
Where grocery prices have risen the most over the past 2 years
The top state increases in "All Grocery" over the past two years, according Datasembly:
- Vermont 13.5%
- West Virginia 10.8%
- Maine 10.8%
- New Hampshire 10.4%
- Hawaii 10.4%
There were no states with average decreases in pricing for the "All Grocery" category over the past two years, according to Datasembly’s Grocery Price Index.
Top states with most price increases on eggs
Over the past two years, egg prices have fluctuated quite a bit.
In January 2023, the average price of a dozen eggs in the U.S. hit a record high of $4.82. In fact, egg prices were most searched in the "Why is/are… so expensive" category in the U.S., according to data from Google’s "Year in Search" for 2023.
Datasembly's Grocery Price Index tracks egg prices in its own category. In the past 12 months, here are the top states with the most increases in egg prices:
- Minnesota 68.7%
- Iowa 67%
- Alabama 65.5%
- Missouri 65.1%
- Oklahoma 63.9%