Variation in retail costs for fresh vegetables and salty snacks across communities in the United States

Households living in different communities pay different amounts of money for food. Food costs depend on whether a household lives in an urban community or in a locality with a high incidence of poverty, among other factors. This study focuses on spatial variation across the United States in the retail costs for fresh vegetables and salty snacks. Findings reveal that the major economic and demographic characteristics of a household’s community affect its costs for these two types of foods differently. However, households are likely to pay more money for salty snacks in communities where fresh vegetables also cost more.