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Here Is How Much Baby Boomers Pay for Groceries in Every State

February 14, 2025

10 min Read

Written by Nicole Spector

Edited by Molly Sullivan

Grandparents in shopping at supermarket.

dusanpetkovic / Getty Images

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To date, no American generation (that we know of) has been entirely spared financial stressors. Still, boomers often come under attack by younger generations, who may hold them accountable for causing damage to the economy that they — the younger generations — are forced to clean up.

Regardless of whether boomers did anything to hurt the economy for millennials and Gen Z, they have troubles, too. For example, many retirees didn’t save enough money for retirement and are now barely getting by on Social Security. Like so many younger people, they’re struggling with the rising cost of living — including the ever-soaring price tags on grocery items.

Though grocery prices are skyrocketing across the U.S., the monthly amount consumers spend on groceries varies state by state, and, intriguingly, by generation. In a new study, GOBankingRates analyzed each U.S. state to find the average monthly grocery costs and other necessary monthly expenditures for boomers. The states below are ranked to show the most expensive to cheapest in terms of the monthly cost of groceries for boomers.

50. Hawaii

Household median income: $94,814
Total cost of living annually: $133,817
Total cost of groceries annually: $7,301

49. Alaska

Household median income: $86,370
Total cost of living annually: $74,474
Total cost of groceries annually: $7,256

48. California

Household median income: $91,905
Total cost of living annually: $104,774
Total cost of groceries annually: $6,196

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47. Maryland

Household median income: $98,461
Total cost of living annually: $69,476
Total cost of groceries annually: $6,024

46. Vermont

Household median income: $74,014
Total cost of living annually: $67,809
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,946

45. Oregon

Household median income: $76,632
Total cost of living annually: $73,191
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,941

44. Idaho

Household median income: $70,214
Total cost of living annually: $65,426
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,880

43. Washington

Household median income: $90,325
Total cost of living annually: $80,989
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,874

42. Massachusetts

Household median income: $96,505
Total cost of living annually: $94,483
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,863

41. New Jersey

Household median income: $97,126
Total cost of living annually: $77,353
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,857

40. New York

Household median income: $81,386
Total cost of living annually: $72,965
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,807

39. Florida

Household median income: $67,917
Total cost of living annually: $65,172
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,796

38. Montana

Household median income: $66,341
Total cost of living annually: $65,902
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,724

37. Delaware

Household median income: $79,325
Total cost of living annually: $62,446
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,713

36. Maine

Household median income: $68,251
Total cost of living annually: $68,094
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,707

35. Nevada

Household median income: $71,646
Total cost of living annually: $68,854
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,702

34. Connecticut

Household median income: $90,213
Total cost of living annually: $71,945
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,685

33. Minnesota

Household median income: $84,313
Total cost of living annually: $58,237
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,652

32. Rhode Island

Household median income: $81,370
Total cost of living annually: $73,561
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,630

31. Colorado

Household median income: $87,598
Total cost of living annually: $72,930
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,619

30. Arizona

Household median income: $72,581
Total cost of living annually: $68,844
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,591

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29. Kentucky

Household median income: $60,183
Total cost of living annually: $47,215
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,558

28. New Hampshire

Household median income: $90,845
Total cost of living annually: $73,276
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,552

27. Virginia

Household median income: $87,249
Total cost of living annually: $63,628
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,552

26. Nebraska

Household median income: $71,722
Total cost of living annually: $51,512
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,535

25. Pennsylvania

Household median income: $73,170
Total cost of living annually: $53,672
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,535

24. Ohio

Household median income: $66,990
Total cost of living annually: $50,865
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,502

23. West Virginia

Household median income: $55,217
Total cost of living annually: $44,754
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,491

22. Wyoming

Household median income: $72,495
Total cost of living annually: $57,467
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,485

21. South Carolina

Household median income: $63,623
Total cost of living annually: $54,995
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,480

20. North Carolina

Household median income: $66,186
Total cost of living annually: $57,966
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,474

19. Illinois

Household median income: $78,433
Total cost of living annually: $54,043
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,458

18. Michigan

Household median income: $68,505
Total cost of living annually: $50,628
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,458

17. Utah

Household median income: $86,833
Total cost of living annually: $72,035
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,413

16. Indiana

Household median income: $67,173
Total cost of living annually: $49,727
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,408

15. Georgia

Household median income: $71,355
Total cost of living annually: $56,749
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,363

14. Tennessee

Household median income: $64,035
Total cost of living annually: $54,340
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,363

13. Wisconsin

Household median income: $72,458
Total cost of living annually: $55,037
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,363

12. Alabama

Household median income: $59,609
Total cost of living annually: $48,272
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,358

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11. New Mexico

Household median income: $58,722
Total cost of living annually: $53,711
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,335

10. Iowa

Household median income: $70,571
Total cost of living annually: $48,472
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,330

9. Texas

Household median income: $73,035
Total cost of living annually: $55,161
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,330

8. South Dakota

Household median income: $69,457
Total cost of living annually: $54,005
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,319

7. Missouri

Household median income: $65,920
Total cost of living annually: $50,655
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,302

6. Louisiana

Household median income: $57,852
Total cost of living annually: $45,835
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,297

5. Mississippi

Household median income: $52,985
Total cost of living annually: $44,716
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,297

4. Kansas

Household median income: $69,747
Total cost of living annually: $49,300
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,269

3. North Dakota

Household median income: $73,959
Total cost of living annually: $51,014
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,258

2. Arkansas

Household median income: $56,335
Total cost of living annually: $46,418
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,252

1. Oklahoma

Household median income: $61,364
Total cost of living annually: $46,580
Total cost of groceries annually: $5,252

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed each U.S. state to find the average monthly expenses and the highest expenditure cost for different generations. First, GOBankingRates found information on each state including; total population, population ages 65 and over, total households, household median income all sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The cost of living indexes for each state as sourced from Missouri Economic Research Information Center. For each cost of living index the average expenditure cost can be calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey 2602 for different generations. The generations are defined as; Gen Z born between 1997 or later, millennials born between 1981-1997, Gen X born between 1965-1980, and boomers born between 1946-1964. This calculation gives the average expenditure cost of living for each generation in each state. Using the average home value as sourced from Zillow Home Value Index for August 2024, assuming a 10% down payment, and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage cost can be calculated. Using the average mortgage and expenditure costs the total cost of living can be calculated for each state and for each generation. The highest expenditure index and average monthly cost were also shown to find the highest expenditure cost for each state. The states were sorted to show the cheapest to most expensive total cost of living. The data was collected on and is up to date as of Aug. 24, 2024.

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