Mainers spent an average of $444.75 per month on groceries in 2024, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The figure, representing $5,337 annually per person, reflects spending on “food and beverages purchased for off-premises consumption,” encompassing grocery and convenience store purchases but excluding restaurant meals, and takeout.
The $444.75 monthly average represents a 1.8% increase from 2023 and a 57% rise since 2014, the BEA data shows. While the data tracks individual spending, it does not directly measure grocery price inflation.
Nationally, grocery spending varied significantly by location. The District of Columbia recorded the highest per-capita monthly grocery bill at $625.33, while Oklahoma had the lowest at $273.17.
The BEA’s latest data on state-level economic activity, released in January 2025, indicated real gross domestic product increased across all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the third quarter of 2025. Kansas experienced the largest percentage increase at 6.5%, while North Dakota saw the smallest at 0.4%. Personal income as well rose in all states during the same period, with Kansas again leading at 6.3% and Louisiana trailing at 0.1%.
A separate report from the BEA, released in March 2025, detailed that current-dollar GDP increased in all states and the District of Columbia in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The Maine Office of the State Economist utilizes a methodology similar to the BEA’s in its own GDP estimates, revising them with updated monthly source data. As of February 28, 2025, the Maine economist’s nowcast estimate projected a 1.5% decrease in U.S. Real GDP for the first quarter of 2025.
The BEA is scheduled to release its next report on Gross Domestic Product by State and Personal Income by State on April 9, 2026.
