How Much Food Costs In Tennessee Compared To The Nation

Image Credit: David Shankbone / CC

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square –

Inflation is surging in the United States – in large part because of rising food prices. In cities across the country, food today is 8% more expensive on average than it was a year ago, and American families are feeling the pinch.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank, a family of four – two adults and two children – can expect to pay an estimated $9,835 on food in 2022. This amount varies across the country, however.

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In Tennessee, a family of four can expect to spend an average of $9,595 on food in 2022, the 24th lowest amount among states, according to the EPI’s Family Budget Calculator. This amount assumes a nutritionally adequate diet for two adults and two children where almost all food is bought at a grocery store and prepared at home.

Food costs are partially driven by what residents can afford, and states with higher food costs also often have higher than average family incomes, and vice-versa. Tennessee is no exception. Just as food costs are lower than average in Tennessee, so, too, are incomes. The typical family in the state earns $68,793 a year, compared to the national average of $80,069.

Tennessee residents are more likely to rely on government assistance to afford groceries than the typical American. An estimated 13.1% of the state population rely on SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, compared to the 12.1% national SNAP recipiency rate.

Food cost figures in this story are 2022 estimates from the EPI and family income and SNAP recipiency figures are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey.

Rank	State	Est. avg. annual food costs, family of 4 ($)	Median family income ($)	SNAP recipiency rate (%)
1	Hawaii	$14,042	$97,813	11.80%
2	Massachusetts	$11,674	$106,526	12.50%
3	Maine	$11,480	$76,192	13.50%
4	Vermont	$11,430	$83,023	11.50%
5	New York	$11,180	$87,270	15.20%
6	Connecticut	$10,910	$102,061	12.40%
7	Rhode Island	$10,834	$89,330	15.90%
8	New Hampshire	$10,832	$97,001	7.40%
9	New Jersey	$10,750	$104,804	9.10%
10	California	$10,543	$89,798	10.20%
11	Washington	$10,525	$92,422	12.00%
12	Florida	$10,385	$69,670	13.90%
13	Colorado	$10,384	$92,752	8.00%
14	Maryland	$10,293	$105,790	10.80%
15	Oregon	$10,175	$80,630	16.00%
16	Delaware	$10,169	$84,825	11.50%
17	Virginia	$10,064	$93,284	8.50%
18	Nevada	$9,990	$74,077	12.70%
19	Minnesota	$9,936	$92,692	8.40%
20	Wyoming	$9,917	$81,290	5.90%
21	Pennsylvania	$9,903	$80,996	13.90%
22	North Dakota	$9,824	$86,798	7.30%
23	Idaho	$9,786	$70,885	10.00%
24	Montana	$9,782	$72,773	10.10%
25	Louisiana	$9,748	$65,427	15.80%
26	Alabama	$9,631	$66,772	13.70%
27	Tennessee	$9,595	$68,793	13.10%
28	South Dakota	$9,546	$77,042	9.50%
29	Georgia	$9,507	$74,127	12.80%
30	Alaska	$9,419	$92,648	12.90%
31	Mississippi	$9,350	$58,923	15.20%
32	Kansas	$9,341	$77,620	7.80%
33	Arizona	$9,338	$73,456	11.20%
34	New Mexico	$9,297	$62,611	17.70%
35	Illinois	$9,274	$86,251	13.10%
36	North Carolina	$9,267	$70,978	12.50%
37	Utah	$9,239	$84,590	6.90%
38	Oklahoma	$9,223	$67,511	13.40%
39	Missouri	$9,104	$72,834	11.10%
40	South Carolina	$9,086	$68,813	11.70%
41	Nebraska	$9,081	$80,125	8.70%
42	Wisconsin	$9,058	$80,844	10.90%
42	Michigan	$9,058	$75,470	13.50%
44	Ohio	$8,904	$74,391	13.30%
45	Iowa	$8,885	$79,186	10.60%
46	Arkansas	$8,838	$62,067	12.20%
47	Texas	$8,660	$76,073	12.10%
48	West Virginia	$8,634	$61,707	17.10%
49	Indiana	$8,544	$73,265	9.80%
50	Kentucky	$8,527	$65,893	13.60%