Everyday Essential Costs More in Massachusetts Than 40 Other States

Massachusetts families know all too well about food insecurities. Add to that the cost of food in Massachusetts has had an enormous spike over the past couple of years. It's no wonder I continue to hear about families having to make the tough decision of what the priority is for any given week. What is the priority this week? Having to choose between food, heat, diapers, rent, and so on is a nightmare but unfortunately is a reality for many families in Massachusetts. I've heard about these struggles firsthand from a few organizations including Sheffield Kiwanis, People's Pantry of Great Barrington, folks from the Watson Fund, and Construct Inc. in Great Barrington.

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Grocery Prices in Massachusetts are Some of the Worst in the Country

To add insult to injury for the families who are struggling it was recently reported by Patch that inflation is causing food prices to spike faster in Massachusetts than in most other U.S. states. Massachusetts is the sixth state with the highest spike in groceries (6.6 percent). The other states that are worse include the following:

• Pennsylvania: 8.2 percent
• Vermont: 7 percent
• Maryland: 7 percent
• West Virginia: 6.9 percent
• New Jersey: 6.8 percent

What's Causing Massachusetts to be One of the Worst States for Grocery Prices in America?

While Patch didn't offer a specific answer for Massachusetts, the website noted that some factors that could cause prices to vary by state, according to experts who spoke with Consumer Affairs, include supply and demand as well as overhead expenses like local labor, utilities, tax, and real estate costs. When you add the war in Ukraine to the mix any food that has wheat in it is going to be expensive at the grocery store because there have been reduced shipments of wheat.