Here is what the average New Jersey household spends on groceries

New Jersey households spend a reasonable amount of their household income on groceries. New Jersey households spend less of their income on groceries than the average American household. The numbers are quite significant.

What stands out in this study conducted by LearningTree is the significant growing gap between organic products and conventional products.

According to LendingTree, New Jersey households average $7,549 on groceries, which is on average 5.4% of the household income.

The average American household spends $8,167 on groceries or 7.4% of the household income.

Utah had the worst numbers nationwide by spending on average $11,884 on groceries, which represent 10.1% of the average household income, or 45% higher than the national average.

There is a big push to eat healthier and more organic.

That is understandable. You may want to reconsider your organic choices. According to LendingTree, on average, organic fruits and vegetables cost a whopping 52.6% more than conventional fruits and veggies. 52.6% more!

Here is some more staggering news, at the end of January 2026, it is projected that grocery shoppers will pay 179% more for iceberg lettuce, and over 120% for Granny Smith apples. This year saw increases in mini sweet peppers up 99%, navel oranges up 47% and more increases at your produce aisle.

New Jersey has the second-lowest grocery spending in the country at only 5.4% of the household income. If I were a betting man, it would seem logical to me that we here in the Garden State love our conventional produce.

While I used to buy select organic produce, you can bet that I will go back to the conventional fruits and vegetables that I once knew. Spending over 50 – 100% more for produce labeled organic is not going to cut it.