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Where Americans shop for groceries often depends on more than convenience. Household income shapes shopping habits, store preferences, and even how frequently people visit the supermarket to save money on groceries.
A new YouGov Profiles study compared Americans earning $150,000 or more annually with middle- and lower-income households. The findings point out several noticeable differences in where affluent shoppers tend to buy groceries, while also revealing that many popular chains continue attracting customers across every income level. Here is what the research found.
Editor's note: Grocery shopping data referenced in this article comes from a YouGov Profiles study using responses collected between June 2025 and June 2026.
Costco is shopped by affluent customers
Costco emerged as the grocery retailer that most clearly separates higher-income shoppers from everyone else. According to YouGov, 11% of households earning at least $150,000 identified Costco as the store where they do most of their grocery shopping.
Among middle- and lower-income shoppers, that figure dropped to just 5%, making Costco the strongest divider toward higher-income shoppers.
Trader Joe's skews toward wealthier households
Trader Joe's showed another notable income gap. About 5% of higher-income Americans named it their primary grocery store, compared with only 2% of middle- and lower-income households.
The smaller-format retailer has attracted shoppers looking for unique private-label products, prepared foods, and specialty ingredients, trends that seem somewhat more common among affluent consumers.
Safeway draws more higher-income customers
Safeway also leaned toward higher-income households in the YouGov data. While the difference was not nearly as dramatic as Costco's, affluent shoppers appeared somewhat more likely to choose Safeway as their primary grocery destination.
That pattern shows that traditional regional supermarkets still maintain a loyal customer base among households with larger grocery budgets.
Publix continues to appeal to affluent families
Publix joined Safeway as another supermarket attracting a somewhat larger share of higher-income shoppers. The Florida-based chain has built a reputation around customer service and prepared foods, factors that may appeal to shoppers making frequent grocery trips rather than relying primarily on large monthly stock-up visits.
Walmart is the choice for most households
While Costco led among affluent shoppers, Walmart is the clear favorite among middle- and lower-income Americans. YouGov found that Walmart Supercenter served as the primary grocery retailer for 20% of those households, compared with just 8% of higher-income shoppers.
When traditional Walmart stores and Walmart Supercenters were combined, roughly 32% of middle- and lower-income Americans named a Walmart format as their primary grocery store. Among higher-income households, only about 12% did the same, showing one of the survey's largest shopping differences.
Kroger is shopped by all income levels
Not every grocery chain had a big income divide. Kroger attracted shoppers fairly evenly regardless of household earnings, suggesting its large mix of pricing, locations, store brands, and promotions work with a wide variety of customers.
Rather than favoring one income group over another, Kroger seems to serve as a mainstream grocery option with broad appeal across the country.
H-E-B is also widely shopped across income levels
Texas favorite H-E-B displayed a similar pattern. According to the survey, shoppers across different income brackets reported using the chain at comparable rates, making it another example of a retailer whose customer base extends well beyond any single income category.
That balanced appeal suggests convenience, regional loyalty, and product selection often matter just as much as household income.
Wealthier Americans shop more frequently
The survey found differences beyond store preference. Higher-income Americans also tended to visit grocery stores more often. Around 34% reported shopping several times each week, compared with 25% of middle- and lower-income households.
Meanwhile, affluent shoppers were somewhat less likely to make grocery trips only several times each month. More frequent visits could be households purchasing fresh produce, meat, bakery items, or prepared foods on a regular basis rather than making fewer, larger shopping trips.
Grocery spending also looks different
Possibly the largest difference involved weekly grocery spending. Just over half (51%) of higher-income households said they spend more than $150 each week on groceries. Among middle- and lower-income Americans, only 28% reported spending above that amount.
Higher spending does not necessarily mean buying larger quantities. More frequent trips, premium ingredients, specialty products, and prepared meals may also contribute to higher weekly grocery bills for affluent households.
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Bottom line
The YouGov findings offer an interesting snapshot of how income influences grocery shopping habits, but they are not a scorecard ranking one supermarket above another. Retailers such as Costco, Trader Joe's, Safeway, and Publix attracted somewhat larger shares of affluent shoppers, while Walmart remained the dominant choice among many middle- and lower-income households. Meanwhile, stores like Kroger and H-E-B continued drawing customers across the income spectrum.
Shopping strategy typically matters more than shopping location. Warehouse clubs, discount grocers, and traditional supermarkets each offer different strengths depending on household size, shopping frequency, and budget. Value-focused shoppers from a variety of income levels shop at Costco and save money at Aldi, from a variety of income levels, suggesting the smartest grocery choice often comes down to matching a store's pricing, selection, and shopping style with personal needs rather than trying to mirror someone else's spending habits.
More from FinanceBuzz:
- 12 ways to pocket up to $300.
- Are you a homeowner? Get a protection plan on all your appliances.
- 10 little weird hacks Costco shoppers should know.
- Learn how to escape the paycheck-to-paycheck grind.
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