Ever feel like your paycheck disappears as soon as you buy groceries? You’re not imagining it. Depending on where you live, it can feel like you’re working forever just to fill the basics in your fridge.
Grocery prices are rising, but wages aren’t always keeping up. For people earning minimum wage, a simple shopping trip can eat up most of their week’s earnings. Even on a median income, the hours add up fast depending on where you live.
To find out where groceries take the biggest bite out of your paycheck, the research team at Utility Rates looked at median household income and state minimum wage data. Using this, they calculated how many hours someone would need to work to afford weekly groceries, both on a typical income and at minimum wage.
Mississippi ranks first in the number of hours a median-income household needs to work each week to afford groceries. At $54,203, the state has the lowest median household income in the country. That translates to 11.15 hours of work a week just for groceries, nearly double the time needed in higher-income states. The low income level outweighs the state’s relatively cheaper grocery costs, which means residents still spend a large chunk of their earnings on food.
In Louisiana, people earning the median household income of $58,229 need to work 10.11 hours a week to cover groceries. That puts it second-highest in the country for time spent on food based on income. The state hasn’t raised its minimum wage above the federal level either, so people at the lower end of the pay scale are hit even harder.
New Mexico, despite sitting third, shows how a higher minimum wage can ease the burden. Its median income is $62,268 and grocery costs take up 9.57 hours of work weekly. That’s still high, but the state’s $12 minimum wage lowers the time needed at the lower end to 23.87 hours, which is better than neighboring states with similar incomes and lower wages.
Oklahoma is fourth, with a median income of $62,138. Weekly grocery bills here cost 9.34 hours of work for the typical household. Like Louisiana and Mississippi, Oklahoma sticks with the federal $7.25 minimum wage, so affordability problems are worse for people earning less than the median.
Arkansas takes fifth place. With a median income of $58,700, groceries eat up 9.25 hours a week. The state’s $11 minimum wage helps a bit compared to others in the top ten, but the overall low earnings mean families still feel the pressure of rising food prices.
Alabama comes in sixth. A household earning the median income of $62,212 spends about 9.08 hours a week working to afford groceries. Again, the federal minimum wage applies here, and the lower pay across the board keeps food less affordable than it should be.
West Virginia ranks seventh. Its median household income is $55,948, and that means 8.89 hours a week go toward groceries. While the state has a slightly higher minimum wage of $8.75, it still doesn’t bridge the gap enough to make food affordable for many working families.
Kentucky places eighth. The median income is $61,118, which results in 8.66 hours of grocery work per week. With no increase in minimum wage from the federal level, people earning below the median spend far more of their time and income just to feed their households.
Tennessee is ninth. The median income here is $67,631 and families spend about 8.32 hours a week’s worth of income on groceries. That’s better than some others on the list, but Tennessee’s continued use of the federal minimum wage puts added pressure on the lowest earners.
Florida rounds out the top ten. A median income of $73,311 means groceries cost 8.15 hours of work each week. The difference here is the state’s higher minimum wage of $13, which helps people further down the income scale afford groceries with less work time. It stands out from the rest of the top ten in that way.
Full list of states by hours needed to work to afford groceries:
| Rank | State | Median Household Income | Hours Needed To Afford Weekly Groceries Based on Median Income | Minimum Wage | Hours Needed To Afford Weekly Groceries Based on Minimum Wage |
| 1 | Mississippi | $54,203 | 11.15 | $7.25 | 40.09 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $58,229 | 10.11 | $7.25 | 39.03 |
| 3 | New Mexico | $62,268 | 9.57 | $12.00 | 23.87 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $62,138 | 9.34 | $7.25 | 38.50 |
| 5 | Arkansas | $58,700 | 9.25 | $11.00 | 23.72 |
| 6 | Alabama | $62,212 | 9.08 | $7.25 | 37.47 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $55,948 | 8.89 | $8.75 | 27.34 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $61,118 | 8.66 | $7.25 | 35.11 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $67,631 | 8.32 | $7.25 | 37.30 |
| 10 | Florida | $73,311 | 8.15 | $13.00 | 22.10 |
| 11 | Nevada | $76,364 | 8.03 | $12.00 | 24.56 |
| 12 | Alaska | $86,631 | 7.89 | $11.91 | 27.60 |
| 13 | Texas | $75,780 | 7.86 | $7.25 | 39.47 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $70,804 | 7.82 | $7.25 | 36.72 |
| 15 | South Carolina | $67,804 | 7.80 | $7.25 | 35.08 |
| 16 | Ohio | $67,769 | 7.79 | $10.70 | 23.71 |
| 17 | Georgia | $74,632 | 7.76 | $7.25 | 38.39 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $71,810 | 7.43 | $11.50 | 22.30 |
| 19 | Kansas | $70,333 | 7.42 | $7.25 | 34.60 |
| 20 | Missouri | $68,545 | 7.42 | $13.75 | 17.78 |
| 21 | Arizona | $77,315 | 7.31 | $14.70 | 18.49 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $72,415 | 7.30 | $7.25 | 35.07 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $95,322 | 7.29 | $14.00 | 23.85 |
| 24 | Montana | $70,804 | 7.24 | $10.55 | 23.36 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $76,525 | 7.21 | $7.25 | 36.57 |
| 26 | Indiana | $69,477 | 7.16 | $7.25 | 32.98 |
| 27 | Idaho | $74,942 | 7.15 | $7.25 | 35.52 |
| 28 | Michigan | $69,183 | 7.11 | $10.56 | 22.38 |
| 29 | Maine | $73,733 | 7.05 | $14.65 | 17.06 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $73,824 | 7.02 | $7.25 | 34.36 |
| 31 | Illinois | $80,306 | 6.98 | $15.00 | 17.96 |
| 32 | New York | $82,095 | 6.75 | $16.00 | 16.65 |
| 33 | Iowa | $71,433 | 6.62 | $7.25 | 31.35 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $74,590 | 6.56 | $13.50 | 17.42 |
| 35 | California | $95,521 | 6.48 | $16.50 | 18.04 |
| 36 | Oregon | $80,160 | 6.47 | $14.70 | 16.96 |
| 37 | Vermont | $81,211 | 6.39 | $14.01 | 17.80 |
| 38 | Washington | $94,605 | 6.32 | $16.66 | 17.27 |
| 39 | Delaware | $81,361 | 6.29 | $15.00 | 16.41 |
| 40 | Colorado | $92,911 | 6.27 | $14.81 | 18.90 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | $84,972 | 6.26 | $15.00 | 17.06 |
| 42 | Utah | $93,421 | 6.20 | $7.25 | 38.40 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $74,631 | 6.17 | $7.25 | 30.55 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $85,086 | 6.13 | $11.13 | 22.51 |
| 45 | Connecticut | $91,665 | 6.03 | $16.35 | 16.26 |
| 46 | Virginia | $89,931 | 6.01 | $12.41 | 20.93 |
| 47 | New Jersey | $99,781 | 5.73 | $15.49 | 17.73 |
| 48 | Massachusetts | $99,858 | 5.67 | $15.00 | 18.13 |
| 49 | Maryland | $98,678 | 5.61 | $15.00 | 17.74 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $96,838 | 5.14 | $7.25 | 33.01 |
Methodology
This study compares how many hours a person needs to work to afford weekly groceries in each state. It uses median household income and minimum wage data. The hours needed are calculated by dividing the weekly grocery cost by the hourly wage based on median income and minimum wage.
Sources
National Conference of State Legislatures
Missouri Economic Research and Information Center
Council for Community and Economic Research