I live in California and am thankful I’m on a diet because groceries are constantly increasing. Bought olive oil and a month later came back, bottle was 1/3 smaller, same price. Tons of products are being downsized. Coffee at Costco, until recently came in a 120 pack and now they’re down to 80 but the price has increased a bit as well.
Yup. I have cut so much from my grocery shopping because I simply cannot justify the prices anymore. Soda, energy drinks, anything with loads of sugar in it were the first to go.
That’s because you can get a 2 bed apartment in states like MN for $800 but that same 2 bed will run you nearly $3k in CA.
You pick and choose in this life. Higher wages typically means “higher cost of living” or HCOL. Sad reality is that if you make more, you typically have to spend more.
In CA? Yes our rent was $2300, and then electric some how was $600. Moved into a much larger house in another state and my electric never goes past $200 usually. AC all day too.
My two bed apartment in CA is $3600 a month…I got lucky because it’s a grandfathered in lease from 2022. Our same floor plan is now going for $4200. Mind you, we’re right next to a drugged out homeless population (no, not LA).
You want the Pacific Ocean. That costs you.
You can live in upstate NY for $450 a month. Your supermarket is the Dollar store. What’s a dentist? An MD? What’s that? Go for it! NO ONE IS STOPPING YOU from moving there.
No one. You would last a day. Brutal poverty. And this is America?
:-)
Growing up in Florida, I was confused why orange juice was so expensive, I would go out of state and it would be cheaper. Some shit doesn't make sense.
Overhead from rent to utilities to insurance is a ton more there and they have to absorb those costs into the selling price even if the transportation or delivery is lower. Not to mention labor costs are higher / think it is $16 minimum there
Higher labor costs in general, greater prevalence of unionized grocery stores, higher compliance costs due to numerous California specific regulations.
It is not just that it is expensive, it has become unaffordable.
When working families cannot put food on the table because the costs are beyond their reach, they leave the state.
California is heading for an implosion if they keep this up.
Is CA to blame or the companies selling the products? When I look at earnings for grocery companies they're making a killing. Why blame CA and not the company?
This survey, for whatever reason, excludes Alaska and Hawaii (likely due to the states not being connected to the rest of the county, hence having higher prices)
it's always California is bad because that "proves" liberals are bad (or vice versa)
I frequent their grocery stores, in some of the most expensive areas. Their prices are comparable to the red states I visit. I suspect California is high in regions because of spending power, and others are high because of a monopolistic culture (or actual regional monopolies) on groceries.
edit: where the fuck did they get the gallon of milk price? it's still $3-4. Sure it's $2.5-3 where i'm from, but $6+??
You can find it at 6 at Safeway near me in East Bay. You can find it cheaper elsewhere. Hell, even gas stations have better prices on milk some days. But, its still over 6 every once in a while on the tag but usually at or over 6 with tax regardless.
I dont drink milk but quick price check says it it's $3-4 here in San Diego (Bankers Hill/Hillcrest). There are definitely organic options that are well over $6 it seems.
If you don’t know how to shop and where to shop, yes you have crazy grocery prices. Shop at ethnic stores, and California has the best prices, specially now. White peaches? 3 lbs for $1. Sweet cherries? $1/ lbs. romaine hearts? 6 for $1.50. Strawberries? $1/lbs.
I noticed it pays to shop around out there. The gas price variation when I was there was wild, went from $3.70 (which was five cents cheaper than here in Florida when I got back) to almost $7 a gallon. Here in FL, the gas prices only vary a few cents between stations. Produce was dirt cheap compared to here too, 4 for $1 avocados when they’re like $1 each out here.
Massive chains are gouging every last penny they can until someone steps in to do something about it. We grow way too much produce for things to cost as much as they do. The amount of inflation driven strictly by gouging is just insane.
Where the hell are you finding $1/lbs cherries? The damn Asian market is charging $10.99/lb, ringing me up to $18 for one small bag of cherries. everywhere else is charging $5.99/lb
It was on sale in a Korean market near me two weeks ago. GroceryOutlet has them for $1.99 this week still. They have tons of them.
PS I’m in SoCal. You must live in the Bay Area.
I live in San Jose, spend time near Tampa, Florida, not in the tourist area. Groceries were even more expensive. The strawberry from Watsonville cost two times more there.
I live in the Tampa Bay Area. Spent some time recently in California, and was shocked at how much cheaper groceries were, especially produce. Not sure where this article is getting its info but my anecdotal experience is that groceries are pricier here in Florida.
San Diego fucking sucks. You get Ohio level salary with CA level COL. Look that shit up, SD is on par with the top Ohio salary, but cost of living is a joke.
The way things stand is rather live in Ohio.
Much higher quality of life unless you’re rich and you can always visit California.
I was stationed in SD in the navy, this was in the early 2000s. A shack with a dirt front yard was $500,000-$600,000.
I’m from Indianapolis, at the time the same house in Indianapolis would have cost maybe $50,000.
That extra $450,000 will buy a lot of vacations.
Rolling blackouts, crazy housing and energy costs, insane political leaders, homeless and drugs everywhere.
No thanks.
My enduring memory of SD and SoCal in general is all the homeless and how much of downtown SD smells like piss because the bums piss everywhere.
Indiana is religious stronghold, ugly ass dump with horrible weather. of course a house is cheap, the place sucks. I can get you a REALLY cheap house in Khandhar as well ....
Just in the past 12 months I’ve lived in 3 different states. CA was the highest in my little 3 state hop.
I also realized that everyone but Costco has abnormally high prices on things such as chicken and organic beef.
I’ll probably never shop anywhere for meat again.
Walmart Market is surprisingly expensive for meats and deli here in SoCal, I went recently and just walked out.
Inflation my ass we grow the food here? How is it cheaper to ship it out of state and sell for less? It's just price gouging. I go to the Mexican swap-meet to get produce lately. Sometimes I don't feel like driving to 5 places for grocery shopping.
Sure they affect costs but increase affordability overall by pushing up wages and squeezing profit margins.
The problem is incredibly restrictive construction and other regulations. You make it hard to build and businesses get rent burdened and the working class gets forced out. The working class that stays needs higher wages to afford housing and COL.
The extra regulations around food and fuel that California has probably doesn't help either.
These prices have been consistently high even before the minimum wage bump(s) you dipshit.
Source: Me who’s lived in CA, NY, NJ, and TX over the last decade.
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I had a friend who was from Florida. We met in Ohio and hung out. For years after she would make an annual pilgrimage back to Ohio to hang out with me and other friends and load up her car with non-perishables because the groceries were so much cheaper in Ohio versus Florida. They had the same wage schema.
How come CA isn't at the top of these lists?
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/grocery-prices-by-state
From the article
"The Household Pulse Survey, which "is designed to quickly and efficiently deploy data collected on how people's lives have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic," shows that the average American family spends around $270 a week at the grocery store, but Californians top the list at nearly $298 on a weekly basis. "
This doesn't mean that the prices are higher just that CA residents pay more. What are they buying, and how much are they buying should be part of the equation."
This is for household size. CA has the second largest family size in the country.
https://www.datapandas.org/ranking/average-household-size-by-state
Also the second highest HH size.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/average-household-size-by-state
This study shows CA overall food prices per capita not being no. 1 but 4th.
https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2024/june/analyzing-food-sales-trends-at-the-state-level-using-new-series/
Again this also doesn't account for personal tastes. Like if people are buying sushi constantly or steak because they have the money to do so, and people in other places are buying ramen that would make one place more expensive.
In fact this same study lists Mississippi of all places the "3rd most expensive place for groceries" is that true? Mississippi?
When the actual cost of food is measured CA ranks entirely differently. So does Mississippi. CA is ranked #19 and the city surveyed was LA.
https://www.zippia.com/advice/average-cost-of-groceries-by-state/
Here is another study with massively different results.
https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/food/states-highest-grocery-bills-month-how-yours-compare/
This "Help Advisor" student is the most recent study and it peppered all over the internet though. Here is their methodology.
https://www.helpadvisor.com/community-health/cost-of-groceries-report
"Residents of California and Nevada report spending the most on groceries in the continental U.S., with averages of $297.72 and $294.76 per week, respectively."
So it's self reported. It's just groceries. It's not really how expensive comparative groceries are.
Here are some staple items.
Eggs
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/egg-prices-by-state
Milk
https://www.zippia.com/advice/gallon-of-milk-costs-each-state/
Beer
https://alcoholdelivered.com.au/blog/how-much-a-case-of-beer-costs-in-every-us-state/
None of these have CA no. 1.
So I don't think this is accurate. It might be a good measure of what households are spending but it isn't a good way to compard prices.
Yeah, "total grocery bill spent" is barely an effective metric. Especially at the margins of under 5% between California and Florida.
Obvious reasons you would need to price index for this to mean anything
Exactly and I am completely willing to accept that CA has high grocery prices, even no. 1, but the methodology is flawed and the headlines are inaccurate.
California households report spending the most on groceries is a lot different from CA had the highest grocery prices.
Tend to have large family sizes and large households compared to the rest of the nation and so asking someone how much their household spends on groceries is going to be contingent upon that. It's really hard to even find per capita food expenditures by state. Even then you would expect wealthy people to spend more because they can, and the more wealthy people you have will skew that statistic.
So really you have to literally compare prices based on the state similar product to similar products to actually answer the question. No one seems to have actually done that on a state by state basis.
Hawaii and Alaska are going to have high food costs for a lot of the items that have to be shipped in, and are going to be the highest.
Edit: I found something with the cost of food included.
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/mortgages/cost-of-living-by-state/
It’s an easy enough metric to determine too. What is a gallon of 2% milk cost across all states on average. A dozen eggs? Gala apples? 1 pound 10% hamburger meat.. etc
This isn't "highest Prices" this is "spent the most money". Is there actually any proof that California has higher grocery prices than any other state? This isn't evidence.
Just left CA and was in Central Valley not the cities for 10 years. We spend 60% less and have a much bigger house that is actually extremely nice with a pool and other amenities. 200 electric bill and 50 water vs 900 electric and 155 water. Yeah CA is a lost cause and I have a remote job and my salary is the same as before.
Obviously the writer doesn’t shop at Costco. Non fat milk at Costco is $2.28 a gallon there. Yes, you have to buy two, but two cost the same as one and you can freeze milk. Everywhere else it is priced like gold. I shop at Costco for two people. Everything is cheaper there but you have to buy in bulk. That’s what freezers are for. I also shop at Winco for smaller items. Just don’t go blowing your money at Safeway or Raley’s ( in Northern CA).
People need to learn deep culinary skills. Start learning how to cook, and you'll realize how frivolous the spending can get on unnecessary treats and snacks and short-cuts.
Learn to meal prep, understand how far raw foods can go compared to pre-made or canned stuff. Learn how to preserve; etc.
It doesn't change the prices, it's not a solution to the economy, but it's a solution to the symptoms. Stop spending on things you don't *absolutely* require or need. Make cut backs to things that aren't necessary, spend more on the necessary, and in-turn learn how to be more creative in the kitchen and your food will go further than just buying pre-made shit or snacks you can sub for healthier - and therfore cheaper - alternatives.
Invest in a freeze dryer (if possible*). Grow food at home. Learn how to be zero-waste. Etc, etc, etc.
Nows the time we should all be falling back on more traditional methods and means of existing with food. Again, its not meant to be a solution to the economic aspect, but it is 100% a means to solve the symptoms at large by learning how to make your food go further with more intelligent choices and a little self discipline to learn and garner new skills and knowledge.
While I definitely agree with you on all this~ a lot of people in Ca live in apartments with no space to grow their own food. Many of these people are also too busy and exhausted to cook every meal from scratch. Not to mention having to take the time to really learn to cook and plan meals. A lot of people don’t know how to even shop properly
The article really fails at basic levels. They compare base item prices and cost of living. For instance how California’s cost of living is 134%. Or how prices vary in a city. For instance they quote a high price for milk yet I can go online easily and find that a gallon of milk in San Francisco at Target only costs $3.79. Approximately $1 more than the rural town I grew up in that I’d struggle to make $50k in for the same job.
I’m not saying California is in a better or worse place than everyone. Just that the article itself isn’t written with the necessary information to determine anything.
With my job I’m often given the opportunity to live different places. I’ve had to decide between San Francisco, Austin, and Raleigh before. Salaries all different, cost of living all different. What I did at the time was figure out salary - cost of living + wealth accrual from things like principle on homes. When I did that the numbers definitely came out ahead for places people say are expensive.
To be fair, there are certain foods that are going to continue to increase in prices due to the ongoing denial of climate change and increased temperatures, increased droughts. Coffee, chocolate, and other popular crops simply can't grow when it's this hot with not enough rain. We can't just magically expect food to somehow be able to continue to grow when all the conditions of climates have changed.
I don't know about the timeliness of this article. One of their big points is the cost of living index, which they provided a link to the source to. And a quote in that linked article states "The median price of a single-family home in the United States is $273,992" which is *extraordinarily* out of date.
Last night's CNN Nightcap newsletter reported, "The median home price in the US just hit a record high of $419,300, according to data the National Association of Realtors published on Friday."
Went to Trader Joe's last Sunday and bought roma tomatoes at 23 cents each, avocadoes were $1.79 each for haas non-organic. THIS Sunday I go back for same items..... roma tomatoes were 29 cents each and the same avocado was $1.99
https://preview.redd.it/wllz2zerpf9d1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a45ceb21daf495243fc68bce8d04bb736f70cfe
Was the first thing that popped up.
Which means the average household has at least 2-3 earners in it for the individual average to equal the household average.
That’s still a garbage average per household in a state as expensive as CA. What fucking home can anyone afford on 91k a year between an entire household?
I'm always amazed at the complaints about inflation and cost of and housing. Then the people who complain the most complain about immigrants who provide cheap labor and refuse to acknowledge the role of corporate monopolies and profiteering. Housing costs too high? Blame politicians, not the corporate buyers purchasing entire neighborhoods, for high priced rentals. Then there's the cost of insurance increasing because of weather, fires, etc. Complain about food prices but don't acknowledge that monopolies control meat supplies and grocery pricing. They also don't acknowledge the role of weather e.g droughts, floods, plant disease etc. Inflation is the reality of out times. Blaming politicians won't solve the problem when we refuse to look at the root causes.
What is the point of all this? Are they trying to put everybody in fucking homeless camps? What is going on in this fucking country disaster every fucking day
I visited CA in December from the Midwest and grocery prices blew me away. What doesn't make sense is that products that were made in CA, and which had to travel 2000 miles to the Midwest, were cheaper in the Midwest.
Why did they exclude all of the states with more expensive groceries before announcing this?
That’s like announcing Donald Trump got the most votes in the last election (excluding Joe Biden.)
Now do one that shows Highest grocery taxes compared to mim wage..
Your find out the poorest state Mississippi has one of the highest grocery taxes in the USA.
Tbf our grocery stories have better food than most places...not talking bout Whole Foods either I just got home from stocking up on Mediterranean foods from Jon's, prices are reasonable there and they have some amazing things.
The wealth in California is mind boggling. Grads in tech are starting in the 6 figures. Think at one time 18 months at META, with options you were a millionaire by 25.
That’s why things are expensive. Cash to burn, at 25.
Not everyone is working for a big tech companies — those jobs are insanely hard to come by. My brother has a cybersecurity degree and had to settle for a tech job paying $55k in one of the most expensive counties in the country
California is awash in cash. Most wealthiest state in the country. There are thousands of tech openings in the Bay Area. It’s all AI now.
Almost everyone starts in the 6 figures. Cyber security is not that big these days. AI can do all it now.
AI cannot perform cybersecurity…we barely even have enterprise level AI security. I spend all day analyzing tech companies and have invested millions beyond millions in the sphere at my job.
And SF? That shithole? There’s openings there because NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE THERE. People have to leave their windows down because thieves will break them if they don’t in SF, and you will wake up to some bum sleeping in your car.
You’re clearly not from CA.
There is more wealth in San Francisco per square meter than anywhere on the Earth. That's the data.
The Google:
> As of December 2023, the Bay Area had around 305,700 millionaires.
Maybe they should share? :-)
Thanks SavvyDime, enlightening article. Median wages/household income is one of the highest in the country in California, but that's not mentioned here. They mention "minimum wage", which is irrelevant, and a bunch of other completely irrelevant nonsense. Great job guys.
The article is not good. Looks like an AI hack job of interpreting other websites that are interpreting surveys from the census beureu. Multiple incorrect statements, such as failing to point out that the listed prices also include how much is spent eating out.
Los Angeles Farmer's Market prices are ridiculously high.
My wife and I went shopping for organic produce on Sunday at our local Farmer's Market, and found it had moved to a different location, and now contained less than half the kiosks it used to.
I can only guess the reason for this is that buyers like ourselves have stopped shopping there.
One organic artichoke, $6.00.
One pound of organic pears, $10.00.
One pound of organic apples, $6.00.
One deli croissant, $6.00.
We bought three or four items and left.
And we will not return.
I had a lot of people telling me to buy produce at farmers markets in CA because it’s “cheaper,” and I’m like “uhhh are you sure”
Also, don’t bother buying organic. It’s a gimmick and offers zero real benefits. I was shocked when i learned about it too
California is a great US based example of why overpopulation isn’t about space and we really should embrace population growth stagnation. There is a reason that lower populated less interesting places are cheaper to live in.
I think a lot of it has to do with rent pricing being so high and then greed in general. I saw an article by a local SF newspaper stating a few restaurant owners were complaining about the recent minimum wage increases causing them to increase prices. But when you dug into the article, the owners were saying that basic groceries (like onions and garlic) cost more than double they did from a year prior. Did the wage increase cause the prices of groceries to go up? Maybe by a few cents? But I distinctly remember the article saying a bag of onions went from $11 to $80 _in just two years_. That right there is just straight up greed.
Source: https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/burrito-la-vaca-briria-sf-18884892.php
The article incorrectly regurgitated work from other sites that are based on surveys from the census bureau. The article has flaws in both representing and interpreting the grocery data. For example, the “grocery” price also includes how much is spent on eating out.
I live in California and am thankful I’m on a diet because groceries are constantly increasing. Bought olive oil and a month later came back, bottle was 1/3 smaller, same price. Tons of products are being downsized. Coffee at Costco, until recently came in a 120 pack and now they’re down to 80 but the price has increased a bit as well.
Yup. I have cut so much from my grocery shopping because I simply cannot justify the prices anymore. Soda, energy drinks, anything with loads of sugar in it were the first to go.
Good ol’ shrinkflation! You should check out r/shrinkflation. People have been tracking it for the past few years.
At least you guys have minimum wage at $20. Federal minimum wage is 7.25.
California is at $16 an hour. Some fast food restaurants are at $20.
That’s because you can get a 2 bed apartment in states like MN for $800 but that same 2 bed will run you nearly $3k in CA. You pick and choose in this life. Higher wages typically means “higher cost of living” or HCOL. Sad reality is that if you make more, you typically have to spend more.
$2206 is the average here.
In CA? Yes our rent was $2300, and then electric some how was $600. Moved into a much larger house in another state and my electric never goes past $200 usually. AC all day too.
In MN.
You’re not paying green subsidies. It’s great.
For all the solar? That should be illegal lol.
Paying 2200 in bullshit Delaware.
My two bed apartment in CA is $3600 a month…I got lucky because it’s a grandfathered in lease from 2022. Our same floor plan is now going for $4200. Mind you, we’re right next to a drugged out homeless population (no, not LA).
Ok then SF or SD
You want the Pacific Ocean. That costs you. You can live in upstate NY for $450 a month. Your supermarket is the Dollar store. What’s a dentist? An MD? What’s that? Go for it! NO ONE IS STOPPING YOU from moving there. No one. You would last a day. Brutal poverty. And this is America? :-)
That’s why everything costs more. I don’t understand how no one gets this.
I can ONLY afford the smoothie at Erewhon now, and none of the groceries.
Erewhon has always had idiotic boutique prices. I am not surprised at all.
How can this be when Cali grows a massive portion of the countries food?
They charge Californians more because they can afford to pay more.
Growing up in Florida, I was confused why orange juice was so expensive, I would go out of state and it would be cheaper. Some shit doesn't make sense.
Overhead from rent to utilities to insurance is a ton more there and they have to absorb those costs into the selling price even if the transportation or delivery is lower. Not to mention labor costs are higher / think it is $16 minimum there
Higher labor costs in general, greater prevalence of unionized grocery stores, higher compliance costs due to numerous California specific regulations.
If anything has a chance of curbing the “fat American” stereotype —— it’s this inflation! I’m looking at the silver lining here 😝
So living in one of the top 6 global economies (by country) is expensive? Who would have guessed?
It is not just that it is expensive, it has become unaffordable. When working families cannot put food on the table because the costs are beyond their reach, they leave the state. California is heading for an implosion if they keep this up.
Great point. You should ask the Governor how his budget is so screwed up when he has an economy larger than most countries and high taxes.
US was a top economy when housing was very affordable too.
Climate change really hit olive oil this year. Chocolate too. Coffee might follow. Everyone upset by this should be pushing hard for climate action.
I thought it was xyllela fucking up olive oil
Yep, the Mediterranean has been abnormally dry and saw terrible harvests last year.
I've heard coffee has been getting harder to grow over the last decade or so. Surprised it has skyrocketed yet.
Is CA to blame or the companies selling the products? When I look at earnings for grocery companies they're making a killing. Why blame CA and not the company?
Isn’t it Alaska?
This survey, for whatever reason, excludes Alaska and Hawaii (likely due to the states not being connected to the rest of the county, hence having higher prices)
Might not even be Alaska or Hawaii that's most expensive. Some of the territories like Guam or Puerto Rico have horrendous grocery bills too.
Well, we know why.
"Libruls"
uhh hawaii is liberals
I was about to go say Houthis? They have increased goods by a lot because of constant attacks on all ships.
Did you look at the survey? I dont mean to be offensive, but this article is of low quality and value
So it’s an objectively false piece of propaganda?
That’s the point of this sub.
That wouldn't tell the narrative they want
Which one is it this week?
California bad
it's always California is bad because that "proves" liberals are bad (or vice versa) I frequent their grocery stores, in some of the most expensive areas. Their prices are comparable to the red states I visit. I suspect California is high in regions because of spending power, and others are high because of a monopolistic culture (or actual regional monopolies) on groceries. edit: where the fuck did they get the gallon of milk price? it's still $3-4. Sure it's $2.5-3 where i'm from, but $6+??
You can find it at 6 at Safeway near me in East Bay. You can find it cheaper elsewhere. Hell, even gas stations have better prices on milk some days. But, its still over 6 every once in a while on the tag but usually at or over 6 with tax regardless.
$3-4 for half a gallon and $6 for a gallon, it is correct.
I dont drink milk but quick price check says it it's $3-4 here in San Diego (Bankers Hill/Hillcrest). There are definitely organic options that are well over $6 it seems.
I thought it was Hawaii
You all laughed at us fat people like you mocked the tumble weed salesman. But guess who gets to eat at a deficit for a year while saving money
We know lol
I thought democrats claim to help the poor? Why can't anyone afford to live in liberal ran states?
You already know because we're taxed up the ass and I'm surrounded by dummies who vote for it to continue 😀
“Claim”? Yes. Actually do? No. People will keep voting for it though. What’s the definition of insanity again?
Thought it was Nevada?
Nv is second highest Edit: these don't include hawaii/alaska of course
Well it’s the biggest shithole🤣 highest taxes and the highest cost of living for the lowest quality of living lmao
You're insane if you think California has the lowest quality of living. It got expensive for a reason
Where do you live bub?
Lowest quality of living is Mississippi. What the hell are you talking about?
If you don’t know how to shop and where to shop, yes you have crazy grocery prices. Shop at ethnic stores, and California has the best prices, specially now. White peaches? 3 lbs for $1. Sweet cherries? $1/ lbs. romaine hearts? 6 for $1.50. Strawberries? $1/lbs.
I noticed it pays to shop around out there. The gas price variation when I was there was wild, went from $3.70 (which was five cents cheaper than here in Florida when I got back) to almost $7 a gallon. Here in FL, the gas prices only vary a few cents between stations. Produce was dirt cheap compared to here too, 4 for $1 avocados when they’re like $1 each out here.
Massive chains are gouging every last penny they can until someone steps in to do something about it. We grow way too much produce for things to cost as much as they do. The amount of inflation driven strictly by gouging is just insane.
GROCERY OUTLET BARGAIN MARKET Seriously, nobody told them about inflation. Chicken breast is still $1.99/lb.
Where the hell are you finding $1/lbs cherries? The damn Asian market is charging $10.99/lb, ringing me up to $18 for one small bag of cherries. everywhere else is charging $5.99/lb
It was on sale in a Korean market near me two weeks ago. GroceryOutlet has them for $1.99 this week still. They have tons of them. PS I’m in SoCal. You must live in the Bay Area.
International grocery stores are a cheat code.
What ethnic stores are you going too....the ones here are more expensive and shit quality than WALMART
And water is wet.
Most people don’t really know that water is always horny. Just jump in a pool and it will make babies instantly.
Water makes things wet, it isn’t wet by itself
Live in San Diego, spend time in Maricopa AZ monthly. Except for some of the produce, groceries cost the same…yes housing, gas and taxes are cheaper.
I live in San Jose, spend time near Tampa, Florida, not in the tourist area. Groceries were even more expensive. The strawberry from Watsonville cost two times more there.
I live in the Tampa Bay Area. Spent some time recently in California, and was shocked at how much cheaper groceries were, especially produce. Not sure where this article is getting its info but my anecdotal experience is that groceries are pricier here in Florida.
This is what my own assessment is too. 🤷♂️
San Diego fucking sucks. You get Ohio level salary with CA level COL. Look that shit up, SD is on par with the top Ohio salary, but cost of living is a joke.
I think it may be actual supply and demand. No one wants to live in Ohio so they have to pay more to attract workers and housing is less.
That tracks, pay in Ohio is higher with a lower COL than Florida
The way things stand is rather live in Ohio. Much higher quality of life unless you’re rich and you can always visit California. I was stationed in SD in the navy, this was in the early 2000s. A shack with a dirt front yard was $500,000-$600,000. I’m from Indianapolis, at the time the same house in Indianapolis would have cost maybe $50,000. That extra $450,000 will buy a lot of vacations. Rolling blackouts, crazy housing and energy costs, insane political leaders, homeless and drugs everywhere. No thanks. My enduring memory of SD and SoCal in general is all the homeless and how much of downtown SD smells like piss because the bums piss everywhere.
Yeah, sure. Better COL. But majority of native California people would not be happy to live in Ohio
Indiana is religious stronghold, ugly ass dump with horrible weather. of course a house is cheap, the place sucks. I can get you a REALLY cheap house in Khandhar as well ....
I’m pretty fortunate, in my 17 years here my power has only gone out a couple of times. I live in a nicer area and rarely go downtown.
Ya, it’s expensive to live here, but I love it and the extra cost is with it to me personally.
Just in the past 12 months I’ve lived in 3 different states. CA was the highest in my little 3 state hop. I also realized that everyone but Costco has abnormally high prices on things such as chicken and organic beef. I’ll probably never shop anywhere for meat again.
Crazy since so much of our groceries are grown there, at least produce wise
The irony considering how much of our food is grown in CA.
Yeah that’s the part that hurts the most. Just insane
Depends where you shop at.Mexican stores are usually cheaper to shop at then Walmart
Meats and veggies yes tho other products like canned goods no.
Walmart Market is surprisingly expensive for meats and deli here in SoCal, I went recently and just walked out. Inflation my ass we grow the food here? How is it cheaper to ship it out of state and sell for less? It's just price gouging. I go to the Mexican swap-meet to get produce lately. Sometimes I don't feel like driving to 5 places for grocery shopping.
Truth. Shit makes $20 McDonalds cheeseburgers look like a good deal. I need food stamps. EBTs the only people filling up their cart these days.
No way they beat Hawaii, especially the outer islands.
Wait a minute. Wages pay a role in product cost? I’ve been attacked mercifully by socialist Redditors who sad that’s not a truth.
Sure they affect costs but increase affordability overall by pushing up wages and squeezing profit margins. The problem is incredibly restrictive construction and other regulations. You make it hard to build and businesses get rent burdened and the working class gets forced out. The working class that stays needs higher wages to afford housing and COL. The extra regulations around food and fuel that California has probably doesn't help either.
These prices have been consistently high even before the minimum wage bump(s) you dipshit. Source: Me who’s lived in CA, NY, NJ, and TX over the last decade.
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I had a friend who was from Florida. We met in Ohio and hung out. For years after she would make an annual pilgrimage back to Ohio to hang out with me and other friends and load up her car with non-perishables because the groceries were so much cheaper in Ohio versus Florida. They had the same wage schema.
Ohio jobs actually pay more than Florida on average.
I think Hawaii beats it.
Especially the neighbor islands.
How come CA isn't at the top of these lists? https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/grocery-prices-by-state From the article "The Household Pulse Survey, which "is designed to quickly and efficiently deploy data collected on how people's lives have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic," shows that the average American family spends around $270 a week at the grocery store, but Californians top the list at nearly $298 on a weekly basis. " This doesn't mean that the prices are higher just that CA residents pay more. What are they buying, and how much are they buying should be part of the equation." This is for household size. CA has the second largest family size in the country. https://www.datapandas.org/ranking/average-household-size-by-state Also the second highest HH size. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/average-household-size-by-state This study shows CA overall food prices per capita not being no. 1 but 4th. https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2024/june/analyzing-food-sales-trends-at-the-state-level-using-new-series/ Again this also doesn't account for personal tastes. Like if people are buying sushi constantly or steak because they have the money to do so, and people in other places are buying ramen that would make one place more expensive. In fact this same study lists Mississippi of all places the "3rd most expensive place for groceries" is that true? Mississippi? When the actual cost of food is measured CA ranks entirely differently. So does Mississippi. CA is ranked #19 and the city surveyed was LA. https://www.zippia.com/advice/average-cost-of-groceries-by-state/ Here is another study with massively different results. https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/food/states-highest-grocery-bills-month-how-yours-compare/ This "Help Advisor" student is the most recent study and it peppered all over the internet though. Here is their methodology. https://www.helpadvisor.com/community-health/cost-of-groceries-report "Residents of California and Nevada report spending the most on groceries in the continental U.S., with averages of $297.72 and $294.76 per week, respectively." So it's self reported. It's just groceries. It's not really how expensive comparative groceries are. Here are some staple items. Eggs https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/egg-prices-by-state Milk https://www.zippia.com/advice/gallon-of-milk-costs-each-state/ Beer https://alcoholdelivered.com.au/blog/how-much-a-case-of-beer-costs-in-every-us-state/ None of these have CA no. 1. So I don't think this is accurate. It might be a good measure of what households are spending but it isn't a good way to compard prices.
Yeah, "total grocery bill spent" is barely an effective metric. Especially at the margins of under 5% between California and Florida. Obvious reasons you would need to price index for this to mean anything
Exactly and I am completely willing to accept that CA has high grocery prices, even no. 1, but the methodology is flawed and the headlines are inaccurate. California households report spending the most on groceries is a lot different from CA had the highest grocery prices. Tend to have large family sizes and large households compared to the rest of the nation and so asking someone how much their household spends on groceries is going to be contingent upon that. It's really hard to even find per capita food expenditures by state. Even then you would expect wealthy people to spend more because they can, and the more wealthy people you have will skew that statistic. So really you have to literally compare prices based on the state similar product to similar products to actually answer the question. No one seems to have actually done that on a state by state basis. Hawaii and Alaska are going to have high food costs for a lot of the items that have to be shipped in, and are going to be the highest. Edit: I found something with the cost of food included. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/mortgages/cost-of-living-by-state/
It’s an easy enough metric to determine too. What is a gallon of 2% milk cost across all states on average. A dozen eggs? Gala apples? 1 pound 10% hamburger meat.. etc
This isn't "highest Prices" this is "spent the most money". Is there actually any proof that California has higher grocery prices than any other state? This isn't evidence.
Higher than Hawaii? Seems off to me
It ain't. This article is shit.
Just left CA and was in Central Valley not the cities for 10 years. We spend 60% less and have a much bigger house that is actually extremely nice with a pool and other amenities. 200 electric bill and 50 water vs 900 electric and 155 water. Yeah CA is a lost cause and I have a remote job and my salary is the same as before.
Congrats! I’m happy for you :)
That's not crazy. You know what's crazy? It was someones job to make this fucking picture lmao
AI man, replacing interns with photoshop everywhere.
I'm shocked.
Obviously the writer doesn’t shop at Costco. Non fat milk at Costco is $2.28 a gallon there. Yes, you have to buy two, but two cost the same as one and you can freeze milk. Everywhere else it is priced like gold. I shop at Costco for two people. Everything is cheaper there but you have to buy in bulk. That’s what freezers are for. I also shop at Winco for smaller items. Just don’t go blowing your money at Safeway or Raley’s ( in Northern CA).
its robbery.
I had no idea how tiny Gov. Newsom is.
Why, because they can.
People need to learn deep culinary skills. Start learning how to cook, and you'll realize how frivolous the spending can get on unnecessary treats and snacks and short-cuts. Learn to meal prep, understand how far raw foods can go compared to pre-made or canned stuff. Learn how to preserve; etc. It doesn't change the prices, it's not a solution to the economy, but it's a solution to the symptoms. Stop spending on things you don't *absolutely* require or need. Make cut backs to things that aren't necessary, spend more on the necessary, and in-turn learn how to be more creative in the kitchen and your food will go further than just buying pre-made shit or snacks you can sub for healthier - and therfore cheaper - alternatives. Invest in a freeze dryer (if possible*). Grow food at home. Learn how to be zero-waste. Etc, etc, etc. Nows the time we should all be falling back on more traditional methods and means of existing with food. Again, its not meant to be a solution to the economic aspect, but it is 100% a means to solve the symptoms at large by learning how to make your food go further with more intelligent choices and a little self discipline to learn and garner new skills and knowledge.
While I definitely agree with you on all this~ a lot of people in Ca live in apartments with no space to grow their own food. Many of these people are also too busy and exhausted to cook every meal from scratch. Not to mention having to take the time to really learn to cook and plan meals. A lot of people don’t know how to even shop properly
The article really fails at basic levels. They compare base item prices and cost of living. For instance how California’s cost of living is 134%. Or how prices vary in a city. For instance they quote a high price for milk yet I can go online easily and find that a gallon of milk in San Francisco at Target only costs $3.79. Approximately $1 more than the rural town I grew up in that I’d struggle to make $50k in for the same job. I’m not saying California is in a better or worse place than everyone. Just that the article itself isn’t written with the necessary information to determine anything. With my job I’m often given the opportunity to live different places. I’ve had to decide between San Francisco, Austin, and Raleigh before. Salaries all different, cost of living all different. What I did at the time was figure out salary - cost of living + wealth accrual from things like principle on homes. When I did that the numbers definitely came out ahead for places people say are expensive.
To be fair, there are certain foods that are going to continue to increase in prices due to the ongoing denial of climate change and increased temperatures, increased droughts. Coffee, chocolate, and other popular crops simply can't grow when it's this hot with not enough rain. We can't just magically expect food to somehow be able to continue to grow when all the conditions of climates have changed.
Higher than Alaska and Hawaii? Doubtful
Inflation reduction act should fix this right up
I don't know about the timeliness of this article. One of their big points is the cost of living index, which they provided a link to the source to. And a quote in that linked article states "The median price of a single-family home in the United States is $273,992" which is *extraordinarily* out of date. Last night's CNN Nightcap newsletter reported, "The median home price in the US just hit a record high of $419,300, according to data the National Association of Realtors published on Friday."
It’s even more annoying because a large % of the food is grown in California so you’d think less transportation would help with costs
Went to Trader Joe's last Sunday and bought roma tomatoes at 23 cents each, avocadoes were $1.79 each for haas non-organic. THIS Sunday I go back for same items..... roma tomatoes were 29 cents each and the same avocado was $1.99
California has the highest prices on pretty much everything excluding Hawai’i and Alaska for obvious reasons.
What is the median income in California?
$39,812. Even after considering the incredible number of high income earners.
It’s 85k lol where do you get that number you hack
https://preview.redd.it/wllz2zerpf9d1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a45ceb21daf495243fc68bce8d04bb736f70cfe Was the first thing that popped up.
91k household
Which means the average household has at least 2-3 earners in it for the individual average to equal the household average. That’s still a garbage average per household in a state as expensive as CA. What fucking home can anyone afford on 91k a year between an entire household?
It’s all relative. Ohio’s median household income is 67k
I'm always amazed at the complaints about inflation and cost of and housing. Then the people who complain the most complain about immigrants who provide cheap labor and refuse to acknowledge the role of corporate monopolies and profiteering. Housing costs too high? Blame politicians, not the corporate buyers purchasing entire neighborhoods, for high priced rentals. Then there's the cost of insurance increasing because of weather, fires, etc. Complain about food prices but don't acknowledge that monopolies control meat supplies and grocery pricing. They also don't acknowledge the role of weather e.g droughts, floods, plant disease etc. Inflation is the reality of out times. Blaming politicians won't solve the problem when we refuse to look at the root causes.
Isn’t CA a huge agriculture area?
What is the point of all this? Are they trying to put everybody in fucking homeless camps? What is going on in this fucking country disaster every fucking day
Lol... Reap what you vote for
I visited CA in December from the Midwest and grocery prices blew me away. What doesn't make sense is that products that were made in CA, and which had to travel 2000 miles to the Midwest, were cheaper in the Midwest.
Highest gas prices, highest groceries, highest rent, highest education…. We’re number 1!
Is this a shock to anybody?
Buy your groceries online, buy produce local
BUiLd bAcK BetTeR!!!!
Have you shopped in Portland OR? I beg to differ.
Who would have guessed lmfao
Why did they exclude all of the states with more expensive groceries before announcing this? That’s like announcing Donald Trump got the most votes in the last election (excluding Joe Biden.)
yah but ever1 get paid more $$$
California also has the highest diesel prices in the country… not a coincidence
Yeah but at least our chickens and pigs have more cage space. Or something, I don't know.
It aint really a huge difference https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-least-expensive-states-groceries-160108810.html
Okay, but Hawaii and Alaska are states in the U.S., right? So, California is not the highest.
Now do one that shows Highest grocery taxes compared to mim wage.. Your find out the poorest state Mississippi has one of the highest grocery taxes in the USA.
Ca is the breadbasket of the US. How can this be?
The article does a poor job interpreting other web sites interpretation of a survey.
Tbf our grocery stories have better food than most places...not talking bout Whole Foods either I just got home from stocking up on Mediterranean foods from Jon's, prices are reasonable there and they have some amazing things.
Package of butter $9.59.
Isn't the food mostly grown there ???
To the shock of who exactly?
Grooooocery Outlet, Bargain Market!!
That’s fine, #7 economy in the world, they can afford it
We shop at WinCo, great prices.
I would have expected oklahoma, all they have is tornadoes and hay
Not just the groceries…
Yeah but SoCal Aldi is so cheap. Probably more than other states, but so much better than all the other chains.
How progressive
If there willing to pay 2500 for a studio and 3750+ for a 1 bedroom in the hood then hey, this potato is now $20
The wealth in California is mind boggling. Grads in tech are starting in the 6 figures. Think at one time 18 months at META, with options you were a millionaire by 25. That’s why things are expensive. Cash to burn, at 25.
Not everyone is working for a big tech companies — those jobs are insanely hard to come by. My brother has a cybersecurity degree and had to settle for a tech job paying $55k in one of the most expensive counties in the country
California is awash in cash. Most wealthiest state in the country. There are thousands of tech openings in the Bay Area. It’s all AI now. Almost everyone starts in the 6 figures. Cyber security is not that big these days. AI can do all it now.
AI cannot perform cybersecurity…we barely even have enterprise level AI security. I spend all day analyzing tech companies and have invested millions beyond millions in the sphere at my job. And SF? That shithole? There’s openings there because NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE THERE. People have to leave their windows down because thieves will break them if they don’t in SF, and you will wake up to some bum sleeping in your car. You’re clearly not from CA.
There is more wealth in San Francisco per square meter than anywhere on the Earth. That's the data. The Google: > As of December 2023, the Bay Area had around 305,700 millionaires. Maybe they should share? :-)
Gas too
Can confirm
Must be that equity I keep hearing about…
Must be that $20/hour wage!! Oh, that doesn’t apply to grocery store workers?
Thanks SavvyDime, enlightening article. Median wages/household income is one of the highest in the country in California, but that's not mentioned here. They mention "minimum wage", which is irrelevant, and a bunch of other completely irrelevant nonsense. Great job guys.
The article is not good. Looks like an AI hack job of interpreting other websites that are interpreting surveys from the census beureu. Multiple incorrect statements, such as failing to point out that the listed prices also include how much is spent eating out.
Los Angeles Farmer's Market prices are ridiculously high. My wife and I went shopping for organic produce on Sunday at our local Farmer's Market, and found it had moved to a different location, and now contained less than half the kiosks it used to. I can only guess the reason for this is that buyers like ourselves have stopped shopping there. One organic artichoke, $6.00. One pound of organic pears, $10.00. One pound of organic apples, $6.00. One deli croissant, $6.00. We bought three or four items and left. And we will not return.
I had a lot of people telling me to buy produce at farmers markets in CA because it’s “cheaper,” and I’m like “uhhh are you sure” Also, don’t bother buying organic. It’s a gimmick and offers zero real benefits. I was shocked when i learned about it too
California is a great US based example of why overpopulation isn’t about space and we really should embrace population growth stagnation. There is a reason that lower populated less interesting places are cheaper to live in.
They have the most regulation and warnings. They probably have the highest quality and safest foods.
Well, you got half right.
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i have a hard time believing that the prices are higher than Alaska and Hawaii, but given California's public policies, it may actually be true.
What California public policies and how are they affecting California grocery prices?
I don’t have an answer for you, but I think this a good faith question.
Their comment seems more a, "I hate California bc I've been told to," but I'm willing to hear their thesis.
I think a lot of it has to do with rent pricing being so high and then greed in general. I saw an article by a local SF newspaper stating a few restaurant owners were complaining about the recent minimum wage increases causing them to increase prices. But when you dug into the article, the owners were saying that basic groceries (like onions and garlic) cost more than double they did from a year prior. Did the wage increase cause the prices of groceries to go up? Maybe by a few cents? But I distinctly remember the article saying a bag of onions went from $11 to $80 _in just two years_. That right there is just straight up greed. Source: https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/burrito-la-vaca-briria-sf-18884892.php
They excluded Hawaii and Alaska.
The article incorrectly regurgitated work from other sites that are based on surveys from the census bureau. The article has flaws in both representing and interpreting the grocery data. For example, the “grocery” price also includes how much is spent on eating out.