This state Has the Most Pricey Groceries and It’s Not Washington

While we in Washington have been paying a huge price at the grocery store checkout line, we are not the state with the most expensive groceries in America. If you’ve ever visited Hawaii and grocery shopped there, you probably did what I did and gasped at the receipt. Living in paradise has a huge price. The typical Hawaiian pays an average supermarket bill of  $157, according to economy publication Visual Capitalist.

Washington was unfortunately among the 5 most expensive states, ranking 4th, with a weekly grocery bill averaging $126. If you’ve been keeping track, you’ll have noticed that grocery prices have increased by a horrid 8.8% every year on average. Experts cite the higher minimum wage and high leasing rates as contributing to Washington's high costs for grocery distribution.

Note: Do you know which grocery store is the most inexpensive in Washington? Find out which 5 places are the most affordable using this link.

After Hawaii, the other expensiive states for groceries include runner up, Alaska, who like Washington has seen the price of groceries shoot up and avaerage of 8.8% annually. California has the 3rd-highest grocery costs. Big contributors to the high price of food in the Golden State are higher wages, rent, utilities, and distribution costs. Rounding out the top five was Vermont, with an average weekly grocery cost of $124.

The five most expensive states in America for Groceries in 2025

1 - Hawaii ($157 for groceries per week)

2 - Alaska ($152 for groceries per week)

3 - California ($127 for groceries per week)

4 - Washington ($126 for groceries per week)

5 - Vermont ($124 for groceries per week)

The five most affordable states for weekly grocery bills are 

46 - Mississippi ($112 for groceries per week)

47 - Texas ($112 for groceries per week)

48 - Oklahoma ($111 for groceries per week)

49 - Iowa ($111 for groceries per week)

50 - Arkansas ($111 for groceries per week)

For a full listing of average grocery prices for all 50 states (including how much the price changed in the past year), click to read the study from the Visual Capitalist.