Walmart is comfortably America's largest grocery store chain. However, for the unversed, it's not a standardized store in terms of pricing in every region. Some stores are cheaper, some are more affordable, and some are expensive.
Brothers Sam and James Walton founded Walmart in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. It has grown into the biggest grocery chain in the US, with over 4,600 stores across the country (as per Food & Wine). For reference, Kroger's is second on the list with 2,750 stores. It also generated over $648 billion in revenue in 2024 itself!
However, all of their stores aren't the same in terms of pricing across the country. They vary as per region due to availability, spending power, and other factors.
Research details variance across Walmart stores in the US
CashNetUSA, an online lender site, recently researched different Walmart stores across the country. They established the cheapest and the most expensive stores based on different factors.
To keep things simple and even, they made a list of 12 grocery items that are generally a staple for most houses, including eggs, bread, milk, etc. They also made a vegan version of this list. They then took the prices of each of these items from the Walmart store in the biggest city of each state.
The website then compared the total from each store to the national average to determine the cheapest and most expensive store. They also calculated affordability based on the local average wage, etc.
5 Least expensive Walmart stores in the US
After factoring all the points above, CashNetUSA found that Texas has the least expensive Walmart grocery stores. Items here cost around 4.77% less than the national average.
Maryland is the second on the list, with the prices being 4.41% less than the national average. Wisconsin, New Mexico, and New York complete the Top 5, with prices being 4.00%, 3.93%, and 3.75% less than the national average, respectively.
Most affordable Walmart stores in the US
While Texas has the least expensive store, it isn't the most affordable with respect to the average wage in the state. CashNetUSA calculated how long an individual will have to work to buy the 12-item list in each state's Walmart stores. Based on that, Massachusetts is the most affordable, with 59 minutes of work needed.
New York is second with 60 minutes, while Washington is third with 61 minutes. Maryland is fourth with 64 minutes, while Connecticut and California both need 65 minutes of work.
CashNetUSA's content strategy manager, Matt Pelkey, explained to Food & Wine:
"In terms of affordability, our analysis found that California, New York, and New Jersey were among the most affordable states for both types of groceries in 2024, even though they have a higher cost of living.
"This might suggest that higher wages offset grocery expenses, making food more affordable relative to income. On the other hand, Southern and rural states dominate the least affordable lists, highlighting how lower average wages can make grocery costs more challenging."
Mississippi, Hawaii, Alabama, Arkansas, and West Virginia are the five least affordable states, as per the website.
Most expensive Walmart stores and effect of grocery tax
These lists from CashNetUSA are also affected by the fact that some states have a grocery tax. These include the likes of Hawaii, Arkansas, and more, as Pelkey explained:
"Grocery taxes do contribute to higher prices in some states. Among the 11 states that paid the most for typical Walmart groceries in 2024, we can see that four — Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, and Tennessee — impose a grocery tax, adding to shoppers' expenses.
"In Hawaii and Alaska, where shoppers pay the most for both vegan and non-vegan goods, groceries have to be shipped across long distances, which raises the prices."
The Top 5 most expensive Walmart stores in the US are Hawaii, Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, and Louisiana, respectively. In Hawaii, the prices are a whopping 33.98% higher than the national average.
If you live in one of the expensive states, Pelkey suggested:
"By understanding how prices vary by state, shoppers can plan ahead and budget effectively, especially if they are relocating or traveling for an extended period. In areas where groceries are more expensive, people might adjust their shopping habits by choosing more affordable store-brand alternatives or using coupons to help balance out high grocery costs."
People living in and around state borders can also check if shipping from the stores of a neighboring state might be less expensive.
