Food Spending Drops Dramatically in 100 Years

• In 1901, Americans spent 42.5% of their income on food, compared to only 11.3% in 2024 • That's equivalent to a median-income family today spending over $2,600 a month on food • Other costs like housing and clothing took up larger portions of budgets in 1901 too • We spend more now on categories like transportation, technology, and healthcare that barely existed in 1901 • So while food prices cause frustration today, Americans 100 years ago had it much tougher