10 Cities With the Cheapest Groceries in the US
If you live in one of these 10 cities, you're paying less than the rest of the country to keep your fridge stocked.
Tired of watching your grocery bill climb higher each year? You might be tempted to move to a lower-cost-of-living area to help cut your monthly budget.
Whether that move really makes a difference depends on from where you're coming. Even the cheapest city on the list is only paying 9.7% less than the national average on groceries.
If you're moving from San Francisco or another city with the most expensive groceries, the price difference at the store will be more dramatic. But if your current town is close to the national average already, you might hardly notice a change in your monthly spending.
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With that in mind, I analyzed the latest grocery pricing data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to find the cities where people pay the least to feed their families.
I then compared those grocery budgets to median household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Data (2009-2023).
Take a look at which cities are spending the least to keep their fridges stocked.
Cheap groceries aren't always affordable groceries
It's important to note that cheap doesn't always mean affordable. With a wide variation in incomes from one town to the next, groceries are a much bigger strain on the budget in most of these towns, even if they're paying below the national average.
That's because prices alone can't tell you how affordable groceries would be if you moved to one of these cities.
Financial experts typically suggest you keep your grocery budget at 15% or less of your take-home pay. When you factor in median household income, not one of the 10 cities below met that recommendation, despite paying less than the national average to put food on the table.
1. Grand Forks, North Dakota
- 9.7% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $63,627
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,154
- Grocery spend to income: 21.76%
Residents of Grand Forks are enjoying the lowest grocery bills in the United States. With a median household income of $63,627, groceries still take up more than 15% of their household income, despite being the cheapest in the country. However, food is more affordable here than it is in most other cities on this list.
2. Minot, North Dakota
- 8.9% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $73,219
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,155
- Grocery spend to income: 18.94%
Minot might only rank second place when looking at the prices on store shelves, but the North Dakota city ranks first among the cities on this list for affordability.
With a median income of $73,219, the typical Minot household spends less than 19% of earnings on groceries. That's still higher than the 15% recommended cap — but it's a lot less strain on the wallet than many other cities on this list.
3. Jonesboro, Arkansas
- 8.9% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $51,672
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,164
- Grocery spend to income: 27.03%
Jonesboro, Arkansas is an excellent example of why cheap doesn't always mean affordable. At 8.9% below the national average, grocery prices here are exactly the same as what Minot residents are paying.
But the dramatic difference in median household income makes those prices far less affordable to Jonesboro residents, where groceries eat up over 27% of their budget.
4. Ponca City, Oklahoma
- 8.6% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $55,941
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,179
- Grocery spend to income: 25.29%
Groceries are 8.6% cheaper than the national average in Ponca City, OK. Residents here earn $55,941 per year and spend $14,148 of that on food. Once you account for housing and other fixed expenses, that makes the budget tight when it comes to long-term savings goals or any leisure activities that might be hoping to enjoy.
5. Joplin, Missouri
- 8.4% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $52,097
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,177
- Grocery spend to income: 27.11%
Coming in at 5th place, Joplin pays 8.4% below the national average at the grocery store. On average, a typical household here will spend $14,127 per year to keep food in the pantry, which represents more than 27% of that household's income.
One other point to note is that Missouri is one of the 10 states that still taxes groceries, with a 1.225% food sales tax — and cities and counties can also charge their own tax rates. Joplin has a sales tax rate of 3.125%, although some areas of the city have lower rates due to special taxing districts.
6. Meridian, Mississippi
- 8.3% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $36,562
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,187
- Grocery spend to income: 38.96%
While the prices seen on store shelves are low compared to the national average, groceries are the least affordable in Meridian, MS. With the typical household spending about $1,187 per month on food yet only earning a median household income of $36,562, keeping your family fed is expensive here.
The typical household will see nearly 39% of their income going toward food. After other household expenses, that doesn't leave much leftover for saving or leisure.
7. Springfield, Missouri
- 7.8% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $54,414
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,182
- Grocery spend to income: 26.07%
If you live in Springfield, MO, you're paying 7.8% less than other cities to put food on the table. With a median household income of $54,414, however, that's not exactly affordable. A typical household is putting over 26% of their income toward food right now.
8. Fayetteville, Arkansas
- 7.7% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $66,237
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,179
- Grocery spend to income: 21.36%
In Fayetteville, you can expect to spend 7.7% less than the national average on groceries. That translates to a monthly food bill of $1,179 for most households in the city. With one of the higher median household incomes among cities on this list, that grocery bill makes the family budget tight. But, it's not nearly as strained as budgets in some of the other cities on this list.
9. Pittsburg, Kansas
- 7.7% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $43,419
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,184
- Grocery spend to income: 32.72%
Residents of Pittsburg, KS are fairing only slightly better than those living in Meridian, MS. While they enjoy the ninth cheapest groceries in the nation, a low median household income means those cheap groceries are still eating up over 32% of their income.
10. Tupelo, Mississippi
- 7.7% cheaper than national average
- Median household income: $66,257
- Average monthly grocery spend: $1,180
- Grocery spend to income: 21.37%
Elvis Presley's hometown is also home to some of the cheapest groceries in the nation. With food prices coming in at 7.7% below the national average, residents of the fabled Mississippi town spend about $1,180 on food every month on average.
With a relatively high median household income compared to other cities on this list, that food budget accounts for just a little over 21% of a typical family's income. That's still higher than the 15% cap many financial experts recommend, but it's a lot less of a strain than it is in Meridian, MS where residents pay slightly less for groceries but take home about half the median income compared to Tupelo.
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