Grocery spending up across Utah and United States

SALT LAKE CITY — Grocery spending in Utah households averages $278 per week, according to a new report by Trace One. The report found that grocery prices in the United States “are up nearly 25% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

And some product prices have risen much more than the average. 

Eggs, for example. Egg prices grew 50% since March 2020. Beef products have also seen significant price hikes, with roasts about 40% higher than 2020 and 11.2% higher than last year. 

Overall, the report states that “food prices have surged at their fastest rate since the 1970s,” between now and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The period between August 2021 and August 2022 saw a rise of 13.5% on its own. A spike in costs that Trace One calls “astonishing.” 

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The report found that, on average, spending on groceries takes up 8% of American household expenditures. Utah sits just below that at 7.8%, but that still means an average grocery bill of more than $1,000 every month. 

“This upward trend in food costs is particularly concerning for families on tight budgets,” the report stated, “as food expenses represent a non-negotiable necessity.”

Elsewhere in the United States, grocery spending continues to drain wallets. Households in Mississippi and Hawaii are the hardest hit, with groceries representing nearly 10% of total expenditures.

In total, 37 states experience average household grocery spending above $250.