Which Kansas, Missouri grocery prices have risen the most in 5 years? See the data
If trips to your Midwestern grocery store are becoming more costly, you’re not alone.
The price of food in urban parts of the United States rose 28% between December 2019 and December 2024, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.
A number of factors have influenced grocery store prices in the last five years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, bird flu and supply chain issues, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Generally, food costs less in the Midwest than the rest of the country. The BLS defines this region as including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
In 2023, Kansas City residents paid on average $358 less on groceries than the national average, according to BLS household surveys.
These prices are taken from Midwestern cities in December 2019 and December 2024, which is the most recent available month. To find the data, researchers visit a variety of stores to observe prices.
How much have grocery prices increased in the Midwest?
The cost increases range from more than 300% to only 4%, depending on the food item:
Eggs: The price of a dozen large eggs more than tripled in the last five years, from $1.26 in 2019 to $4.16 in 2024.
Soda: A 12-pack of soft drink cans increased 83%, from $3.88 in 2019 to $7.08 in 2024.
Bread: The price of a 1-pound loaf of white bread increased by more than 50% in the last five years, from $1.24 to $1.88.
Beef, ground: raw ground beef cost $4.06 a pound in 2019. Now it costs almost $2 more at $5.93 a pound in 2024.
Potato chips: a 1-pound bag of potato chips went from $4.14 in 2019 to $5.98 in 2024.
Chicken breast: Boneless chicken breasts increased from $3.05 a pound in 2019 to $4.39 in 2024.
Potatoes: Five pounds of potatoes went from $3.30 in 2019 to $4.25 in 2024.
Bacon: A pound of sliced bacon rose from $5.72 in 2019 to $6.83 in 2024
Cheese: Cheddar cheese went from $4.73 a pound in 2019 to $5.49 in 2024.
Bananas: Banana prices increased a modest 2 cents a pound in the last five years, from $0.54 to $0.56.
Have more questions about money in Kansas and Missouri? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
