How much are Louisiana residents paying for groceries? Study shows spending average

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Bayou State is known for its flavorful cuisine and bold flavors, so how much are residents paying at the grocery store? Data from a new study reveals the average American household’s spending on groceries and which items cost the most.

According to a LendingTree study, in 2023, an average of $8,167, or 7.4% of the average U.S. household income of $110,491, was spent on groceries.

Idaho, Nevada, and Utah were identified as the top three states spending the biggest share of household income on food. States with households spending the most were Utah, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Louisiana ranked No. 11 with households spending an average of $7,536, or 8.8% of income, on groceries. The average household income for the state is $85,745. For states spending the most/least on groceries, Louisiana ranked No. 29.

Organic vs. conventional fruits and vegetables

Findings from the study comparing prices for organic versus conventional produce show that the cost for both rose at the same rate, but certain items varied greatly. Organic fruits and vegetables were found to be pricier, costing an average of 52.6% more.

“We’ve come to expect organic fruits and veggies to cost more, but paying a 50.0% premium can be pretty hard to swallow,” says Matt Schulz, LendingTree Chief Consumer Finance Analyst and author of “Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How to Take Control of Your Financial Life.” “When stubborn inflation is making everything else more costly and shrinking people’s financial wiggle room, paying extra for fruits and vegetables may prove a bridge too far.”

The study found the biggest discrepancy for iceberg lettuce. While conventional iceberg lettuce is $1.21, shoppers are paying 179.3% more for the organic version at $3.38. Other produce items with the biggest organic price premiums include Brussels sprouts, Granny Smith apples, Romaine lettuce and blackberries.

Top 10 conventional fruits and vegetables with the biggest price increases:

1. Large Hass avocados
2. Collards
3. Extra-large Hass avocados
4. Mixed salad
5. Bananas
6. Honeycrisp apples
7. Navel oranges
8. Long seedless cucumbers
9. Cauliflower
10. Pink Lady/Cripps Pink apples

Schulz advises people to leverage credit card rewards, participate in comparison shopping, and buy in bulk to save money.

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