Tampa Bay area sees largest grocery price increase in continental U.S., study finds
TAMPA, Fla. - Over the past year, the Tampa Bay area saw the largest increase in grocery prices of any metropolitan area in the continental U.S.
By the numbers:
A new study conducted by Smart Asset, a financial advising website, shows Tampa-St. Pete grocery prices went up 4.3% between March 2024 and March 2025. The data was collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Honolulu, Hawaii ranked at the top with the biggest spike in prices: 5.3%.
RELATED: Egg prices continue to increase, reach new record high
What they're saying:
Carl Gould, President of 7 Stage Advisors, said the two areas have more in common than you'd think.
"Hawaii is an island and it's isolated and everything has to be shipped in, but the Tampa market is also somewhat isolated as well," he said.
Gould said almost all food items are brought into our area through trucking.
FILE: Eggs on grocery store shelves.
"In the continental U.S., Florida is the hardest to get to," he added. "There's no rail, there's no other mass infrastructure other than trucking."
There's another big problem: a nationwide truck driver shortage.
"There's 250,000 truckers we need to hire tomorrow," he said.
READ: Sam’s Club phasing out checkouts, betting big on AI shopping
In turn, non-perishables like bread and other baked goods that are usually cheaper to truck in, have gone up 5.3% in our area.
"Once it reaches produce season, all of the sudden, truckers don't want to take the non-perishables because they get two to three times the amount to truck perishables all around the country," Gould said.
Fortunately, thanks to the local agriculture industry, the price of fruits and veggies only went up by .2%. But like everywhere else in the country, the price of eggs, meat, and poultry went up. In the Bay Area, that increase was 7.3%.
FILE: Beef and veal products at grocery store.
"With supply chain issues and everything, you also have a massive health problem with chickens," Gould explained. "You have more people wanting eggs and you have less chickens laying them."
What's next:
Gould said don't expect prices to go down for at least another six months, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the future of tariffs.
"People hedge the uncertainty by increasing prices or reducing production, or not hiring new people, or not buying new trucks," Gould said.
What you can do:
He recommends budgeting accordingly.
"When you are buying these products, be on the lookout for coupons and deals and if you're part of a loyalty club," he said.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter