(The Center Square) – Nevadans are among the highest spenders in the country on groceries, racking up an average annual bill over $10,000 at supermarkets.
Nevada ranks in the top five states for most expensive grocery bills for both total cost and compared to household income.
Nevada placed fourth in a recent LendingTree study of annual grocery bills between U.S. states and Washington, D.C. With an average bill of $10,390, or about 27% above the national average of $8,167, Nevada was only behind Utah – the most expensive state, Alaska and Hawaii. On the opposite end, Illinois shoppers spent an average of just $6,101.
“In those big eastern states, housing costs are likely taking up a bigger percentage of income than what we see in the western states,” said LendingTree Chief Consumer Finance Analyst Matt Schulz in the report. “Also, the states at the bottom of the list tend to be far more urban, so more dining-out options might lead to less dining at home.”
Another reason for Nevada’s high grocery bill is its small agriculture industry. The Silver State ranks near last – 47th – for U.S. state agricultural exports: $170 million according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2022 data. By comparison, that’s less than what the state imported just in fruits and vegetables in 2011.
“We do not actually support or have a large agricultural system that sustains having those groceries locally made here,” said RAN Director of Public and Government Affairs Bryan Wachter to 8 News Now after a similarly high-priced grocery report last year. “Nevada is importing most of those things unless you are looking for alfalfa and a very small amount of beef.”
Neighboring state Arizona ranks down at 14 for total grocery costs and 13 for grocery costs as a share of household income at $9,109 – over $1,000 less annually than Nevada.
As a share of household income, Nevada ranks up at second, only behind Idaho (10.4%), with 10.1% of the average household’s income going toward their groceries.
Schulz offered some tips to consumers on how to reduce costs: leveraging credit card points, buying in bulk and comparing prices with further away grocery stores. “Of course, you shouldn’t drive across town to save three cents on organic bananas, but it may be worth going a bit out of the way if the savings are good enough.”
