Grocery prices have plateaued overall, but the cost of these items is still rising in Wisconsin

Yahoo

26-03-2025

Nationwide grocery prices have skyrocketed since the COVID-19 pandemic and are expected to keep rising as diseases like bird flu wipe through parts of the industry.
Food prices across the country, including in the Midwest, continue to spike in a few categories, according to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, although some foods such as bakery products have seen a dip in prices in the past few months.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report last month predicting that egg prices will increase by 41.1% this year. Egg prices continue to face volatile changes due to an outbreak of bird flu that started in 2022. The report said more than 18 million commercial egg layers were infected with bird flu in January 2025, which was the "highest monthly total since the outbreak began in 2022."
As prices soar, Wisconsin residents are spending more on groceries compared to most other states, according a new study by Wallethub. Here's a look at which grocery items have increased the most in price since last year, plus how much Wisconsin consumers are spending on groceries.
Nationwide, the overall food at home index — the general cost of groceries — rose 1.9% over the last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Specifically, meats, poultry, fish and eggs saw the largest hike in price at nearly an 8% increase.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index did report that the cost of groceries was nearly flat between January and February 2025, as some price increases in certain foods were offset by a dip in others.
In the Midwest, the average price of specific products has skyrocketed compared to 2024. The average price of eggs jumped by nearly 97%, and the cost of ground coffee increased by nearly 20%.
Prices of some products did lower compared to the previous year, including bakery items, which decreased in price by about 11% from 2024.
Wisconsinites must spend 2% of their monthly household income to buy common grocery items, WalletHub reported.
As of 2023, the median household income Wisconsin was $75,670, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That means Wisconsinites would spend $1531.40 annually, or about $126 monthly, to buy common grocery items at least once a month.
In actuality, people likely grocery shop more than once a month, meaning this bill would be higher.
RELATED: Which restaurants are charging more for eggs in Wisconsin? Here's a list
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Grocery prices climb in Wisconsin, Midwest for meat, eggs, coffee