The Most (and Least) Expensive States for Groceries, Mapped

That sneaking suspicion that ordering takeout might be cheaper than buying groceries is more than food for thought if you live in the non-contiguous United States. In Hawaii, where shipping provisions across the sea drives grocery bills 36% above the national average, it's practically a daily reality.How much you drop at the checkout line depends on where you buy your eggs—and we're not just talking Trader Joe's vs. Whole Foods. From transportation costs to regional retail competition, many factors shape shelf prices across state lines. To see how much grocery budgets can vary, Visual Capitalist analyzed data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) to map out everyday food expenses across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.So, where does your local supermarket stack up? With a score of 100 representing the national benchmark, here are the states with the priciest and cheapest grocery carts in the country.Map: Grocery Costs by State | Visual CapitalistThe Price of ParadiseYou might dream about fresh poke from Hawaii and king crab from Alaska, but what if Americans living there are simply dreaming about getting a gallon of milk for under $10? Since both states sit outside the lower 48, most food has to travel thousands of miles by ocean or air freight before landing in locals' baskets. Unsurprisingly, Hawaii takes the top spot as the most expensive state for groceries, scoring 136.3 on the index. Alaska comes in second at 126.6, or 26.6% above average. California takes third place with a grocery cost index of 110.5—10.5% above average—making it the most expensive state for groceries in the contiguous U.S. Higher commercial real estate costs and retail operating expenses push prices up in the Golden State, even though it grows a massive portion of the nation's produce.The 10 states with the highest average costs include:1. Hawaii2. Alaska3. California4. Maryland5. District of Columbia6. New Jersey7. Massachusetts8. Washington9. Connecticut10. FloridaSouthern Supermarket StealsSteve Christo - Corbis/GettyImagesIf you’re looking to cut costs without having sleep for dinner, heading toward the South or the Plains states is your best bet.Mississippi holds the record for the cheapest groceries in the country with an index score of 93.2, meaning shoppers there pay 6.8% less than the national average. Arkansas and Oklahoma follow right behind, at 93.4 and 93.5. It all comes down to lower commercial rents and a little healthy competition among discount grocery stores, which helps keep prices down across the region.Annual commercial rent in Arkansas averages around $12 per square foot, versus $22 in the second-most expensive state, Alaska. In the language of food, that contrast becomes clear in Mississippi’s $1.46 loaf versus Hawaii’s $3.35 loaf of bread.The 10 states that are the most affordable for groceries include:1. Mississippi2. Arkansas3. Oklahoma4. North Dakota5. Missouri6. Alabama7. Kansas8. Louisiana9. Tennessee10. TexasMore State-By-State Data: