Two-Thirds of Americans Now Say Groceries Are Unaffordable

Americans are souring fast on the cost of food. A new Washington Post-Ipsos poll finds 66% of adults now say groceries are unaffordable, a steep jump from 45% in February, before the war with Iran began. Just one-third now describe groceries as affordable, down from more than half earlier this year. Politics and paychecks shape the views. About half of Republicans say groceries are affordable, compared with roughly one in four Democrats and independents. Even higher earners are feeling squeezed: 56% of households making more than $100,000 say groceries are out of reach, rising to 70% for those earning $50,000 to $100,000 and 82% for those under $50,000.

As a result, Americans are pulling back on their purchases at the grocery store, notes CNBC, with individual grocery units falling 1.8% in June over June 2025. "Even that upper-income consumer, you're talking a big enough absolute dollar change that people start to feel a little bit of that sticker shock and start to shop around," said Kurt Grichel, head of Bain's retail. While government data doesn't show a fresh spike this year, grocery prices are up more than 18% since early 2022, and higher fuel and energy costs are straining budgets and feeding anxiety about the broader economy. The online survey of 2,648 adults, conducted July 8-13, has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.