Where Data Tells the Story
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The map above shows grocery prices by state across America as of 2026.
The data comes from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC).
The MERIC score compares a state’s grocery costs to a national average baseline of 100. A score below 100 means groceries are cheaper than the national average. A score above 100 means groceries are more expensive than the national average.
In other words, every point away from 100 equals a 1% difference in price (e.g., a score of 95 means groceries cost 5% less).
Between April and June 2026, more states fell below the national grocery cost average of 100 than above it: 28 of 52.
On paper, that means most states experience cheaper-than-average groceries.
But the picture changes when you factor in population.
States above the national average, including California, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, and New Jersey, account for a disproportionately large share of the U.S. population.
Meanwhile, many of the states with the lowest grocery costs, including Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama, are among the least populated in the country.
So while the state rankings suggest that affordable groceries are more common, they do not reflect where most Americans actually live. By population, higher grocery costs affect far more people than the rankings alone might suggest.
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