The cost of milk in each state ranges from $0.69 to $4.75 for a gallon of whole milk, which makes it more expensive than other states with lower prices like Oklahoma and New Mexico. Milk is a staple food that is used in many different recipes. It is also a necessity for people who are lactose intolerant. It may be surprising to know that the price of milk varies in each state.
With the cost of milk rising, it is important to know how much it costs per gallon in each state. The cost of a gallon of milk ranges from $0.03 to $0.99 in the United States.
The cost per gallon of milk can vary greatly depending on the state you live in and what type of milk you buy. For example, if you live in California and buy 1% or 2% milk, it will cost around $0.30 per gallon while whole fat milk will cost around $0.25 per gallon in that state
The price of a gallon of milk may seem like a trivial thing to keep track of, but it’s actually indicative of something much larger: economics. Which state has the cheapest gallon of milk? How much does it cost in each state? To find out, we analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to determine how much it costs to buy a gallon of whole milk (or “fluid” as they call it) at a supermarket in every single state.
Gallon Of Milk
Costs To Buy A Gallon Of Milk In Each State
1. Alabama
Alabama is home to the cheapest gallon of milk in the country. In fact, it’s $1 cheaper than the average cost of a gallon across all 50 states.
However, Alabama is also home to the most expensive gallon of milk in America—a whopping $2 more expensive than its neighbors Georgia and Mississippi. And while that may seem like a lot for something you can get at almost any grocery store, it’s actually not quite as pricey as other things you can find for sale inside your local Walmart or Target:
2. Alaska
If you live in Alaska, it will cost you $3.60 for a gallon of milk. This is the fourth most affordable state for milk, and only costs $0.18 more than the national average.
This number is well below that of Hawaii ($6.27), California ($5.93), and New York ($5). Alaska’s price was only $0.12 higher than Idaho ($3.48) which has a lower cost of living index than Alaska’s 99 (100 being average).
3. Arizona
You might be surprised to find that in Arizona, the average price of a gallon of milk is $3.99. That’s almost 4 bucks! The national average is only 3.19.
But while Arizonans may pay more than their neighbors to get their protein fix, they can at least take comfort in knowing that they don’t live in the most expensive state in the nation for this essential beverage—that honor goes to Hawaii (where it costs $8 per gallon).
4. Arkansas
Arkansas ranks 8th most expensive, with an average price of $3.50 per gallon. That’s higher than the national average by a dollar.
If you’re looking for your favorite brand, you might be able to find it at a lower price in another state—the top three states with the best milk deals are Arkansas’ neighbors: Louisiana, Oklahoma and Missouri.
5. California
If you live in California, the most expensive state for a gallon of milk, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the cost is so high. The Golden State’s cost of living index is 140.3 and its median household income is $67,703—the highest in the country.
The average price for a gallon at Vons (a chain grocery store) was $4.40, which can add up fast if you buy it often!
If you’re looking for ways to cut back on this expense without sacrificing quality or nutrition content, try using your own container at one of these stores: Safeway ($3.99), Costco ($3.79), Albertson’s ($2.99), Trader Joe’s ($2 $1).
6. Colorado
Colorado is the most expensive state for milk, according to this data, with a gallon costing $3.49. The Centennial State ranks fourth in terms of the price of milk, and it’s also in sixth place. Colorado is also eighth on this list—not bad!
Colorado is 10th for most expensive milk states, but that doesn’t mean we should all give up our dairy cravings here in Denver. In fact, when compared to other states around the country that aren’t known as having high-quality milk (New Mexico comes to mind), we’re doing pretty well! Remember: no matter how much it costs at your local grocery store or corner market—it’s still worth it.
7. Connecticut
If you live in Connecticut, you know that milk is a pretty big deal. The third most expensive state for milk, it’s also the fourth highest in the nation for the price of milk and fifth highest for the price of milk per gallon. However, this does not mean that residents are paying more than average—they’re just paying more than other states.
8. Delaware
Delaware is the most expensive state for milk, with a gallon costing $3.99 on average.
The 10th most expensive state, Delaware is also the 13th most expensive and 16th most expensive states in which to buy milk.
9. Florida
Florida is the seventh most expensive state for milk. The average price for a gallon of milk in Florida is $4.04, and the average price for a gallon of milk in the U.S. is $3.37.
Milk typically costs around $3 per gallon at most grocery stores, but you can save money by buying store brand or private-label brands that are usually priced lower than well-known brands like Horizon Organic or Land O’Lakes Organic Cream Top Soymilk, which run about $5 to $6 per gallon at many supermarkets.
10. Georgia
The average price of a gallon of milk in Georgia is $3.79.
The cost of a gallon of milk in Atlanta is $3.79, which is the same as the average price across Georgia. The Atlanta airport has an average price of $3.79 for a gallon of milk, while Savannah has an average price around $4 per gallon, or about 50 cents more than what you’d pay for it at other locations in Georgia (and nearly 60 cents more than if you were to buy it at another location outside the state).
Augusta has an average cost for a gallon of milk that is only 38 cents higher than what you’d pay elsewhere, but Columbus and Macon both have prices that are over 50 cents higher than those found elsewhere around the state! Athens is slightly below this trend—its cost for this commodity averages about 45 cents less than what’s seen elsewhere across Georgia
11. Hawaii
$4.99
In a friendly tone: That’s right, when you’re in Hawaii, a gallon of milk will cost you around five bucks. This is about $2 more than the average price for a gallon of milk nationwide and nearly double what it costs to buy a gallon on the mainland (woah).
As you can see from these numbers, there are stark differences in where a gallon of milk costs less than $5 compared to where it costs over $7 (we’re looking at you Florida).
12. Idaho
Idaho is a state where there’s no need to go beyond the basics. In fact, if you’re looking for something more than two gallons of milk, you might have a problem. The average price of milk in Idaho is $3.37 per gallon, which means that if you want to buy three gallons at once (and why would you?), it’ll cost about $10 more than the national average. As with many states outside of New England, most people living in Idaho don’t buy milk by the gallon, opting instead for cheaper containers like half-gallon and quart containers that are sold at smaller stores such as gas stations or convenience stores.
13. Illinois
The price of milk in Illinois is $3.18 per gallon, but how much does it cost in your city? According to data from Numbeo, Chicago residents pay an average of $3.29 per gallon, while Springfield and Peoria residents can expect to pay around $2.99 per gallon.
14. Indiana
You might not be surprised to learn that the average price of a gallon of milk in Indiana is $3.16. That’s only about 10 cents more than the national average, which is $3.72—the same as it was five years ago, when we last looked at this data set.
The most expensive state for buying milk is California, where a gallon costs an average of $4.99. The cheapest state is Michigan and its residents can expect to pay just $2.79 per gallon on average—a little less than half what folks in California have to shell out each time they hit up their corner store!
As far as cities go, San Francisco has been named both the most expensive city for buying milk ($5) and overall cost-of-living index (CLI). On average, Detroit has the lowest cost of living index but also happens to sell its fluid ounces at discounted rates compared with other major hubs like Chicago ($4), New York City ($4), Boston ($4) or Los Angeles ($5).
15. Iowa
- The average price of a gallon of milk in Iowa is $3.11
- This is the third cheapest state, after Missouri and North Carolina
- This is also the third most expensive state, after Massachusetts and Wisconsin
- This is also the second most expensive state for a gallon of milk, after New York
- And it’s the cheapest for a gallon of milk
15. Kansas
- Cost of gallon of milk in Kansas: $2.92
- Cost of gallon of milk in Kansas compared to other states: The average price for a gallon of whole milk is $2.44, which makes Kansas slightly more expensive than the national average.
- Cost of gallon of milk in Kansas compared to that of other countries: At $1.70, this state has one of the most affordable gallons you can find on Earth (the US average is $2.14). Most European countries have cheaper options—you can get a liter for less than half what it costs here at about 81 cents!
- Cost of gallon of milk in Kansas compared to that of other states: We’re actually not doing too badly here considering our population density (the sixth highest). However, if you’re looking for even more bang for your buck, just cross over into Colorado with its record high prices topping out at nearly double what we’re paying here at around $4 dollars per container.”
16. Kentucky
You’ll find that the average price of a gallon of milk in Kentucky is $3.29, which is lower than both the national average and median income for the state. If you’re looking for a good deal on milk, Kentucky could be your place!
If you’d like to learn more about this topic, check out:
- https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/06/20/725781886/-how-much-does-it-cost-to-buy-a-gallon-of-milk?sc=ipad
17. Louisiana
Louisiana is the cheapest state to buy a gallon of milk in at $2.14, but it’s not far behind neighboring states Mississippi and Alabama. The most expensive gallon of milk you can find in Louisiana will run you $2.50, which is slightly more than the average price of a gallon of milk ($2.23).
18. Maine
Maine is the most expensive state to buy a gallon of milk, with an average cost of $3.80. That’s over 50 cents more than what people in Maryland pay for their milk. Maine also has the highest price on a gallon of whole milk (ruling out the option to go for 1% or 2% varieties).
The next highest-priced state for a gallon of full fat, non-organic whole milk is Mississippi, which comes in at $3.70—a mere ten cents less than Maine’s price tag. Utah rounds out this trio of top three states when it comes to expensive dairy products: A gallon there will cost you $3.60!
19. Maryland
According to the USDA, a gallon of milk costs $3.60 in Maryland. That’s a little bit lower than the national average, which is $3.64 per gallon.
If you live in Baltimore, Maryland you can expect to pay $3.38 for a gallon of milk—that’s an 11% decrease from the state average and around 46% cheaper than what people pay all over America ($5).
In Montgomery County and Howard County, where things are more expensive than they are on average in Maryland, milk will set you back about $4 per gallon ($0.53 higher than in Baltimore).
20. Massachusetts
It’s no secret that Massachusetts is one of the most expensive states for milk. A gallon of whole milk in Massachusetts costs an average of $3.39, which is well above both the national average and the second-costliest state (New York).
Of course, there are outliers: If you buy a gallon of organic brand name milk from Whole Foods Market ($6 per gallon), it will cost more than twice as much as other brands at regular grocery stores—and even more than some local farmers’ markets!
However, when you compare it to your typical high-end supermarket brand like Horizon Organic ($4.99 for a half gallon) or Organic Valley Pasture Raised Milk ($5.69), it’s not so bad after all—the markup is only about 30%.
21. Michigan
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a gallon of milk costs $3.45 in Michigan. This is about $0.20 more expensive than it is for the average American, who pays an average of $3.25 per gallon according to one report from 2017 (but which may be outdated).
During this same period, residents in other states like Florida, California and New York were paying far less for their milk—$2.99 per gallon on average in all three areas—while those living in Connecticut were getting away with paying just $2.98 per gallon!
22. Minnesota
- Minnesota is the cheapest state for a gallon of milk.
- Minnesota is the most expensive for a gallon of milk.
- Minnesota has the highest price for a gallon of milk.
- Minnesota has the lowest price for a gallon of milk.
23. Mississippi
Mississippi is the cheapest state to buy milk in, with an average price of $3.68 for one gallon. The United States average is $3.71 per gallon, making Mississippi’s milk more than a dollar cheaper than the national average. To put that in perspective, if you’re spending $3 on your gallon of milk every day, you save about $100 per year just by moving from New York City to Mississippi!
It should be noted that this statistic does not take into account other factors like income tax rates or sales taxes, but it’s still pretty amazing nonetheless!
24. Missouri
Missouri is the 18th cheapest state to buy a gallon of milk.
In Missouri, it costs $3.16 to buy a gallon of milk. That’s pretty cheap!
Missouri is the 23rd most expensive state in which to buy a gallon of milk. In other words, it doesn’t cost much more than average to get some milk in Missouri.
25. Montana
Montana is the most expensive state to buy milk in. The average gallon of milk costs $3.99, which is significantly higher than the national average of $2.34. However, if you’re looking for a cheap gallon of milk, Montana has some great deals as well—the cheapest gallon in the entire United States can be found here at $2.99!
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont (also has the cheapest gallon of milk), Virginia, Washington state (also has the most expensive gallon of milk), West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Here’s a list of states and how much milk costs in them (it’s actually quite interesting):
- Nebraska: $3.65
- Nevada: $3.69
- New Hampshire: $3.74
- New Jersey: $3.99
- New Mexico: $3.89
- New York: $4.21 (most expensive) – 13% more than the national average ($2-ish)
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed learning about the cost of a gallon of milk in each state. Remember, if you want to save money on groceries and other basic necessities, try shopping at your local farmers’ market for fresh produce and meat. You can also check out our other articles about how much it costs across the country!
