SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It might not come as a surprise Californians have the highest grocery bills in the country, averaging nearly $300 a week.
A new report from the U.S. Census shows race and education level might factor into how much you spend on food.
“There’s definitely different cultural elements that come into play,” said UC Davis Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension & Community Economic Development Keith Taylor.
The survey shows Americans of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity report the highest average weekly spending on groceries at around $325. People with less than a high school education also report a spending level of around $320.
Both figures are higher than the national average of just under $300 a week.
"I imagine that households that buy more groceries, they might be lower income — they're not eating out as often, so what you're seeing reflected in those bills is a reflection of folks not going out to eat,” said Taylor.
Here’s another way to think about it – eating at home gives you more bang for your buck.
"When it comes to cost savings, groceries by far are going to be cheaper than eating out,” said Taylor.
The contents of your grocery list matter too.
“When you shop for groceries, you can control what goes into your pans, your pots, whatnot, and so you can eat healthier. You can eat more nutritiously. If you're going to a restaurant and you're trying to eat nutritiously, it's going to cost a little bit more. So, there are tradeoffs in this, for sure. Just because people are spending more on groceries, it doesn't mean it's a negative thing per se,” said Taylor.
Still, many shoppers said stubbornly high grocery prices are a drain on their budget.
According to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, prices remain about 20% higher since 2020. In fact, the Federal Reserve said at the start of the month inflation is still so high it doesn’t plan to cut interest rates yet.
“One of the excuses we're hearing from the grocery chains is they're having to increase their costs in order to offset the challenges of the supply chain, but there's what some economists are calling ‘greed-flation’ coming into play here,” said Taylor.
Shoppers are fighting back as a result. Research shows people are focusing their spending on basics instead of luxury or non-essential items and shifting from name brands to store brands.
“Really, it's going to be about budgeting. It's going to be about clever ways to do food storage and food preparation in order to make your dollar go further,” said Taylor.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Making the most of your money at the grocery store
