PENNSYLVANIA — Grocery prices are forcing Americans to change what they buy, where they shop and even how much they eat, according to new national polling. The findings underscore the growing pressure on Pennsylvania families, who are already facing some of the highest food-cost increases in the country. According to the research, 78% of Americans say food prices are having the greatest impact on their monthly expenses. More than 80% percent say grocery prices are increasing, with nearly half saying they are going up “a lot.”

The pressure is especially significant in Pennsylvania, where grocery prices have risen 8.2%, compared with 5% nationally. At the same time, 1 in 7 Pennsylvanians faces food insecurity, and nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians, including roughly 650,000 children, rely on SNAP to help put food on the table. At the same time, Pennsylvania families are losing some of the assistance that helps them afford food. Since enactment of the 2025 federal tax law, at least 235,750 Pennsylvanians, including 67,800 children, have stopped participating in SNAP.

“Beef has gotten so expensive that I just don’t buy it anymore. Every once in a while, we used to be able to get takeout from my elderly mother’s favorite place. It was a little treat we could share together, but with the cuts to SNAP and prices going up, there’s no room in my budget for takeout, either,” said Lynn from Allentown. “I’ve always been careful about every dollar I spend on food, but now I’m having to think about every single thing I put in my cart. There’s not much left to cut, and it’s hard when even the little things that make life a little easier or more enjoyable start to feel out of reach.”

“There are things I buy only occasionally now, or don’t buy at all, in ways we never did before. I’m lucky to have friends with chickens, so I don’t have to buy eggs. We’ve even made excuses not to go to potluck events because we couldn’t think of something we could afford to make that would feed anyone beyond ourselves,” said Pam, from Harrisburg. “I’m making more of my own bread, we try not to waste anything, and we just buy less. Some of these frugal habits are probably things I should have always done, but you have to have the time. I never used to think about having a grocery budget the way I do now.”

Their experiences mirror the national polling. More than four in five Americans report changing their behavior because of higher grocery costs. Nearly half have switched to cheaper brands, while 38% say they are buying less meat, fresh produce or other higher-cost items. Nearly one in four report skipping meals or reducing portion sizes. Among adults ages 18 to 44, that number rises to 31%.

For Pennsylvania families, this issue is not abstract. When the cost of a grocery trip goes up, families have to find somewhere else in the budget to make up the difference, but there’s hardly any wiggle room left.

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Affordable Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania organization focused on holding elected leaders accountable for the decisions they make and their impact on working families. We make sure Pennsylvanians have the facts about how federal policies and votes affect the cost of everyday life, including groceries, health care, child care, utilities and transportation.