Income Left After Bills — by State, plus Grocery Price Index

U.S. Discretionary Spend · Income After Expenses + Grocery Costs

Income Left After Bills · by State + Grocery Price Index

Two views of U.S. discretionary spending. Iowa keeps 35% of income after housing, utilities, groceries, insurance, gas and childcare — the most in the country. Hawaii keeps just 9%. On grocery costs, Hawaii is 131.4 against a U.S. baseline of 100 while Arkansas is 94.3. Together they map real spending capacity by state.

American Family Income After Expenses by state — Iowa 35% (most), Hawaii 9% (least). Median family-of-four keeps this share after housing, utilities, groceries, insurance, gas and childcare. — What Americans keep after expenses and taxes, by state. Expenses cover housing, utilities, groceries, car/health insurance, gas and childcare for a median family of four.

U.S. Grocery Price Index by State, 2025 annual average — Hawaii 131.4 highest, Arkansas 94.3 lowest. U.S. baseline = 100. — 2025 U.S. Grocery Price Index by state. Values reflect metro-area averages benchmarked to a U.S. baseline of 100. Texas 95.3 sits among the cheapest despite being the second-largest state.

Why this matters for B2B

Two maps together map the real wholesale opportunity by state. Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky keep >30% of income AND have below-baseline grocery costs — that is where discretionary category budgets exist. Hawaii, California, New York, Oregon keep <20% and face high grocery indices — thinner discretionary. Texas (24% left, 95.3 grocery index) sits in a comfortable middle — Cube-Age's Houston hub is well positioned. Pair with housing cost by state (c85) and household income (c9).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), state GDP by industry, 2025 series. Visualization: Voronoi / Visual Capitalist ("Manufacturing's Share of U.S. GDP by State"). Original image reproduced above with source attribution intact.