ZIP codes are matched to a state, so local city or county rates are shown as a typical and a maximum range.
Enter a 5-digit ZIP code or choose a state.
Quick answer: Enter a 5-digit ZIP code (or pick a state) and this tool shows how groceries are treated where you shop: exempt from sales tax, taxed at a reduced state rate, or taxed at the full rate, plus the typical state-plus-local rate on food, the highest local total, and what that costs you per month and per year on your own grocery spend. Most states exempt groceries entirely, but a shrinking group still taxes food, and in a few of them city and county taxes push the total on food above 6%.
Practical guide
How grocery sales tax works, state by state
- 1
Start with the state general sales tax rate. That headline rate applies to most retail purchases, but food bought to prepare at home is treated separately in most states.
- 2
Check how your state classifies groceries. There are only four outcomes: no state sales tax at all, groceries fully exempt, groceries taxed at a reduced state rate, or groceries taxed at the full state rate.
- 3
Add the local layer. Cities, counties and special districts can tax food even where the state exempts it, which is why a few exempt states still show a real tax on your receipt.
- 4
Apply the combined rate to the part of the bill that counts as groceries. Hot and prepared food, candy and soft drinks are excluded from the grocery definition in many states and are taxed at the full rate.
- 5
Multiply by your own monthly grocery spend to see the annual cost. That yearly figure, not the percentage, is what tells you whether the tax is worth planning around.
Worked example
Worked example: a household spending $650 a month in a state with a 3% reduced state grocery rate plus a 3% typical local tax pays about 6% on food, which is roughly $39 a month and $468 a year. The same $650 in a state that exempts groceries pays nothing, and in the highest-tax localities of that first state the total can reach 8%, or about $624 a year. SNAP purchases are exempt from sales tax everywhere by federal law, so only the share paid with your own money is taxed.
How to read the result
Read the status first, then the rate. Exempt means your receipt should show no tax on food at all, reduced means the state charges less on food than on other goods, and full rate means food is treated like any other purchase. The typical rate is what most shoppers in the state pay once local taxes are included; the maximum shows the worst case in the highest-taxing city or county.
Important limits: Sales tax is set at state and local level and changes when legislatures act, so every figure here carries an as-of date and is rebuilt from source rather than hardcoded. A ZIP code can span more than one local taxing district, so the local layer is shown as a typical and a maximum rather than a single exact rate, and prepared food, candy, soft drinks and dietary supplements often follow different rules than plain groceries.
Evergreen method
Build a budget from your own baseline
Use observed household spending and an explicit adjustment instead of treating a national average as a personal target.
Formula
monthly budget = weekly baseline × 52 ÷ 12Reproducible steps
- 1.Average at least four normal shopping weeks.
- 2.Separate groceries from restaurants and household supplies.
- 3.Apply one realistic adjustment, then review the result against actual receipts.
Data note — Evergreen model: The formula works with your own inputs and does not depend on a specific price or year.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Which states do not tax groceries?
Most states exempt groceries bought for home preparation from the state sales tax, and a few states have no general sales tax at all. A smaller group still taxes food, either at a reduced state rate or at the full rate, and several otherwise-exempt states allow cities and counties to tax food locally. Enter your ZIP code above to see which case applies where you shop.
How much is sales tax on groceries in my state?
It depends on both the state rule and your local city or county rate. The tool shows the state grocery rate, the typical local addition, the combined typical rate and the maximum total charged in the highest-taxing localities, all from the same dataset with an as-of date.
Do I pay sales tax on groceries bought with SNAP or EBT?
No. Federal law prohibits state and local sales tax on eligible food purchased with SNAP benefits, even in states that tax groceries. If you split the order, the portion paid with your own money can still be taxed normally.
Why is there tax on my receipt if my state exempts groceries?
Two common reasons: a local city, county or borough tax that still applies to food, or items that fall outside the grocery definition such as hot deli food, candy, soft drinks, vitamins, paper goods and cleaning supplies. The exemption usually covers unprepared food only.
Is prepared or hot food taxed at a different rate?
Yes. Restaurant meals, hot food, deli plates and most ready-to-eat items are taxed at the full state and local rate in nearly every state, including states where groceries are exempt. Some states also apply a separate prepared-food or meals tax on top of that.
How much does grocery tax cost a family per year?
Enter your monthly grocery spend and the tool multiplies it by the combined rate. At a 6% total tax on food, a $650 monthly budget pays about $468 a year, while a $1,000 monthly budget pays about $720 a year. In an exempt state the same budgets pay nothing on food.
Are these grocery tax rates kept up to date?
Yes. The rates are rebuilt on a schedule from state revenue rules and published state and local sales tax data, and the results and page text both read from that same source with the as-of date displayed. Several states have phased out or reduced their grocery tax in recent years, so the dataset changes rather than staying frozen.
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