SALT LAKE CITY — Brand new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau Pulse Surveys give a clearer view of the human toll of inflation.
In their Pulse Surveys, the Census folks have asked the same questions of a massive sample group for two years now, so we compared last year with this year on three key questions about food.
First, an estimated 93,000 more Utah households were missing food sometimes or often from July 2021 to July 2022.
The estimates: 133,000 Utahns reported hunger last year compared with 226,000 this year.
Second number: Utah households are spending an estimated 61 dollars more per week on groceries and eating out.
In July 2021, the average Utah household reported spending 323 dollars a week for food in and out of the home.
This July, the average is 384 dollars per week.
Third number: Utah restaurants and other food services are getting an estimated 24 dollars less in value from each Utah household.
In absolute numbers, Utah households spent an average of 102 dollars a week eating out last year.
This year, they’re spending an average of 98 dollars.
If Utah households were spending the same portion of their food budget on eating out from year to year…they would be spending 122 dollars per week.
