The average American household spends more than $1,000 a month on groceries (2024)

FAQs

The average American household spends more than $1,000 a month on groceries? ›

New census data shows the average American household is spending about $270 a week on groceries, or more than $1000 a month. And in Florida, it's even more expensive, with people here spending $290 a week or $331 with kids. In fact, Florida is the 5th most expensive state to buy groceries.

How much does the average household spend on groceries per month? The average American household spends an average of $475.25 a month on groceries, according to the most recently available dataset from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2022. That's a total of $5,703 spent on groceries in a year.

As of March 2024, the USDA recommends a family of four on a thrifty budget spend $976.60 monthly and $1,585.20 for a liberal budget. On average, across the four food plans, the monthly budget recommendation has risen 27% since the start of 2020.

The average cost of food at home for a family of four, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), ranges from $567 to $1,296 per month, which comes out to approximately $130 to $300 per week.

Average monthly grocery spending

For one person, the monthly grocery bill can range from $275.63 to $434.33. The cost adjusts based on the number of people and their ages in the household, with two-adult households spending anywhere from $476.92 to $868.66.

The 50/30/20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should be split between savings and debt repayment (20%) and everything else that you might want (30%).

Average food and cleaning supply costs for a family of six vary depending on geographical location and the age of children in the home. For reference, a family of six typically spends anywhere from $1126 to $1546 per month on food and approximately $1,200 per month on other necessities, such as cleaning supplies.

On average, groceries cost between $290 and $548 per month for one person. However, expenses can vary depending on location, dietary choices and personal spending habits. If you don't budget for groceries and instead just buy what you need — and want — at intervals throughout the month, you could be overspending.

Average Expenses for a Family of Four

According to the most recent data, U.S. households that consist of four people spent an average of $8,640 per month in 2022. In 2021, the average four-person household spent $7749 per month. This works out to average annual expenditures of $101,514 in 2022, up from $92,989 in 2021.

How much does a 2 person household spend on groceries a week? ›

According to the most recent data released from the Household Pulse Survey, American households spend an average of $270 on groceries a week. Broken down by household size: One person - $156.02. Two people - $220.82.

Weekly grocery prices vary widely across the country, the study found, and California topped the list of most expensive places to buy food with a household average of $297.72 per week, or $27.51 more than the average for the 48 continental states.

If you haven't already been shopping for yourself and don't know where to begin, try a weekly budget of $50. This is half of what many frugal families with children spend, so it should be high enough for a single person to eat nutritiously even if you don't make every single meal from scratch.

This includes purchasing items from your local grocery store or supermarket. On average, a family of four can expect to spend anywhere between $500 to $1,000 per month on groceries, depending on factors such as dietary choices, quality of ingredients, and location.

The average household grocery cost per month is $475—which totals to $5,703 a year. And that number is likely to increase as overall food prices continue to go up. In fact, Americans spent 1.3% more on food at home (aka groceries) in December 2023 than they did in December 2022.

If you can reduce your budget to $400/month, you're doing great. $100 per person, per month is great too. The point is, be mindful of what you spend — track it, and reduce it. If you're doing that, you're headed the right way.

Your Monthly Grocery Budget

If you can reduce your budget to $400/month, you're doing great. $100 per person, per month is great too.

Average grocery bill for 2 people

For a two-adult household, the figure above will double: $458 to $838. The average cost for groceries per month can go down a bit for adult-plus-child households. Numbers vary widely depending on a child's age and household budget.

The average grocery budget for a family of 3 can vary depending on factors like location and dietary preferences. A moderate-cost plan can range from $387 to $1,031 per month, while a thrifty plan can range from $287 to $764 per month.