11 Cities With the Cheapest Groceries in the US

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 8.3% 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.

From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance

Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just ~~$107.88~~ $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues

CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/y99mlvgqmn1763972420.png

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.

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

Six of the 11 cities with the cheapest grocery prices are in Texas, meaning you'll spend less at the store just about anywhere you go in the Lonestar state. But cheap doesn't always mean affordable. With a wide variation in incomes from one Texas town to the next, groceries are a much bigger strain on the budget in some parts of the state than others.

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 11 cities below met that recommendation, despite paying less than the national average to put food on the table.

1. Grand Forks, North Dakota

A view of downtown Grand Forks North Dakota

8.3% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $72,369
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,143
Grocery spend to income: 18.95%

Residents of Grand Forks are enjoying the lowest grocery bills in the United States. With a median household income of $72,369, 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. Waco, Texas

A view of the Waco Suspension Bridge in Waco Texas

7.2% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $56,548
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,156
Grocery spend to income: 24.53%

In Waco, people pay 7.2% less than the national average to eat. But with a dramatically lower median household income compared with Grand Forks, groceries still strain the budget here. The typical household spends 24.53% of its income on food.

3. Minot, North Dakota

Water stream in the Scandinavian Heritage Association Park in Minot, ND

7% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $77,431
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,160
Grocery spend to income: 17.98%

Minot might only rank third 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 $77,431, the typical Minot household spends less than 18% 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.

4. Harlingen, Texas

The Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum in Harlingen Texas.

7% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $41,756
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,159
Grocery spend to income: 33.31%

With a median household income of $41,756, Harlingen has the dubious distinction of being the least affordable place to buy groceries, despite having the fourth-lowest prices in the nation. A typical household here will spend more than 33% of their income just to put food on the table.

5. Lawton, Oklahoma

6.9% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $55,506
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,161
Grocery spend to income: 25.09%

A typical household in Lawton earns $55,506 per year and spends a little more than 25% of that on groceries. Even with prices averaging about 6.9% below the national average, the lower median income still makes those prices unaffordable compared with areas with higher incomes.

Oklahoma had a 4.5% statewide grocery tax, but eliminated it in 2024, which state lawmakers said could save each family hundreds. However, shoppers can still face sales tax, including local taxes.

6. McAllen, Texas

6.9% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $60,907
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,160
Grocery spend to income: 22.85%

McAllen residents pay slightly more than their Harlingen neighbors to the east but are also earning about $19,000 more per year. While they're still technically spending more of their income on groceries than experts recommend, they're not straining their budgets nearly as much as Harlingen residents.

7. San Marcos, Texas

6.7% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $48,091
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,163
Grocery spend to income: 29.01%

McAllen's neighbors to the north are in a similar boat as Harlingen. Residents here pay 6.7% below average at the store. But with a median income of $48,091, those low prices still take up more than 29% of the typical household's income.

8. Temple, Texas

6.6% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $71,931
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,164
Grocery spend to income: 19.42%

In Temple, residents enjoy grocery prices that are 6.6% cheaper than the rest of the country. With a median household income of $71,931, they also don't have to stretch their budgets thin to keep their families fed.

Of the six Texas cities on this list, Temple ranks first on affordability, with groceries taking up just 19.42% of income.

9. Ardmore, Oklahoma

6.5% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $52,954
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,166
Grocery spend to income: 26.43%

Groceries in Ardmore are priced 6.5% below the national average, but the typical household still struggles to afford those lower prices. With a median income of $52,954 and an average monthly spend of $1,166, residents put more than 26% of their earnings toward food.

10. Corpus Christi, Texas

A view from the bay of Corpus Christi skyline.

6.2% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $66,967
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,169
Grocery spend to income: 20.95%

This coastal city pays 6.2% less than the rest of the United States to put food on table. With a median income of $66,967, groceries aren't exactly cheap, but the typical household here is still faring better than some other towns in Texas.

11. Joplin, Missouri

The Joplin, Missouri welcome sign seen as you drive into the city.

6.1% cheaper than national average
Median household income: $51,154
Average monthly grocery spend: $1,171
Grocery spend to income: 27.47%

Coming in at 11th place, Joplin pays 6.1% below the national average at the grocery store. On average, a typical household here will spend $14,052 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.

Rachael Green is a personal finance eCommerce writer specializing in insurance, travel, and credit cards. Before joining Kiplinger in 2025, she wrote blogs and whitepapers for financial advisors and reported on everything from the latest business news and investing trends to the best shopping deals. Her bylines have appeared in Benzinga, CBS News, Travel + Leisure, Bustle, and numerous other publications. A former digital nomad, Rachael lived in Lund, Vienna, and New York before settling down in Atlanta. She’s eager to share her tips for finding the best travel deals and navigating the logistics of managing money while living abroad. When she’s not researching the latest insurance trends or sharing the best credit card reward hacks, Rachael can be found traveling or working in her garden.