FCS_Dec

Cost of Food at Home for a Week in Alaska

December 1996
Surveys are conducted quarterly: March, June, September, December
19 Communities Surveyed

Up to three stores in each of nineteen Alaskan communities were surveyed during November and December of 1996 for the cost of a specific set of food and non-food items. The 104 food items selected were taken, with some modification, from the USDA Low-cost Food Plan which is itself based on a nationwide survey of eating habits of Americans, conducted in 1977-78. In addition, the costs of such items as water, propane and electricity are collected. All costs have been adjusted to reflect local sales tax when applicable. Since Wasilla and Palmer were combined in this census, their differing sales taxes were averaged.

The estimated prices of unavailable food items in various communities were calculated as the expected cost as judged from the prices of all available items relative to the prices of those items in Anchorage. The percent of foods unavailable in each community are shown in the survey.

Weekly food consumption rates for a family of 4, children 6 - 11 years, form the basis of the expressed food costs. All other costs are ratios of that cost as calculated from the December 1996 USDA Cost of Food at Home Survey. The cost for this family of 4 can be calculated from the table by summing the individual members. For smaller families such a sum would be too low and should be adjusted up by 20%, 10% or 5% for families of 1, 2 or 3 persons respectively. Similarly, the sum for larger families would be too high and downward adjustments of 5% and 10% are suggested for 6 and 7 or more member families. These adjustments reflect that some economies may be realized when preparing foods for larger families.

The current and historical costs are given as percentages of the cost in Anchorage. However, the Anchorage column was modified (it would otherwise always read 100%) to represent the percentage of past Anchorage costs to the current cost.

The US average weekly costs were estimated by the USDA using 2400 items priced in major communities around the US, including Anchorage and Hawaii. Prices are adjusted monthly based on an index change within categories. This methodology differs entirely from that used in Alaska and therefore the US average figures cannot be directly compared. Further information on the USDA survey is available from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and on the world wide web at http://www.usda.gov/fcs/cnpp.htm.

It is important to note that the food costs presented here are based on a prescribed low cost diet plan. It is assumed that meals will be planned, that cooking facilities are available and few convenience foods are eaten. Each of the foods were priced for their lowest available cost regardless of packaging or brand. In addition to food costs, representative values are presented for fuels, utilities and building materials.

The accompanying graphic demonstrates that a wide range of food costs exist statewide. Small quarterly price fluctuations are commonly reported.

To see the results of Alaska Cooperative Extension's Food Cost Survey on the world wide web, point your browser to:

http://www.uaf.edu/coop-ext/fcs/fcs.html

Submitted By:

Bret R. Luick, Ph.D.

Foods & Nutrition Specialist/EFNEP Coordinator

	Anchorage	Bethel	Cordova	Delta	Dillingham
Sales Tax (In percent)	0	5	6	0	5
Percent of Food Unavailable	0	0	3	4	1

Family of 2 (20-50 years)	57.66	84.77	81.12	65.42	96.55
Family of 2 (51 & older)	55.46	81.53	78.03	62.93	92.86
Family of 4, children 1-5 years	83.34	122.51	117.25	94.56	139.54
Family of 4, children 6-11 years	98.05	144.14	137.95	111.25	164.18

Children 1-2 years	14.79	21.73	20.81	16.78	24.76
Children 3-5 years	16.13	23.71	22.69	18.3	27.01
Children 6-8 years	21.37	31.42	30.07	24.25	35.78
Children 9-11 years	24.26	35.67	34.13	27.53	40.62

Females 12-19 years	23.63	34.73	33.24	26.81	39.56
Females 20-50 years	24.48	35.99	34.45	27.78	40.99
Females, 51 years and over	23.79	34.98	33.48	27	39.84

Males, 12-14 years	27.38	40.25	38.52	31.06	45.83
Males, 15-19 years	28.18	41.42	39.64	31.97	47.18
Males, 20-50 years	27.93	41.07	39.3	31.7	46.78
Males, 51 years & older	26.63	39.14	37.47	30.21	44.58

% Anchorage Dec 1996	100	147	141	113	167
% Anchorage Sept 1996	97	147	140	107	157
% Anchorage Dec 1995	105	151	150	121	169
% Anchorage Dec 1994	108	149	138	129	170
% Anchorage Dec 1993	111	162	159	131	177

Electricity, 1000 Kwh	85.15	244.39	194.88	89.31	157.14
Electricity, paid by State		59.78	13.29		55.44
Heating oil, 55 gal	55.55	80.27	99	97.7	95.29
Gas, 55 gal unleaded auto	71.44	96.62	108.35	82.45	101.69
Lumber, 2X4X8'	2.89	5.1	4.95	2.5	5.23
Propane, 288 gal	479.23	1103.76	720	547.2	1071.66
Propane, 100 lb refill	42.1	105	59	40.8	89.21
Sewer, monthly fee	21.93	18.9	27.6		32.5
Sewer, 1000 gal		21
Water, monthly fee	25.95	60.38	23		26.36
Water, 1000 gal		23.06
Sewer and Water, monthly	47.88	79.28	50.6		58.86

	Fairbanks	Haines	Juneau	Kenai-Soldotna	Ketchikan
Sales Tax (In percent)	0	0	4	5	5.5
Percent of Food Unavailable	0	2	0	0	0

Family of 2 (20-50 years)	59.93	67.16	59.15	64.59	61.2
Family of 2 (51 & older)	57.65	64.59	56.89	62.13	58.87
Family of 4, children 1-5 years	86.63	97.06	85.49	93.36	88.46
Family of 4, children 6-11 years	101.92	114.2	100.58	109.84	104.08

Children 1-2 years	15.37	17.22	15.17	16.57	15.7
Children 3-5 years	16.77	18.79	16.55	18.07	17.12
Children 6-8 years	22.21	24.89	21.92	23.94	22.68
Children 9-11 years	25.22	28.26	24.89	27.18	25.75

Females 12-19 years	24.56	27.52	24.24	26.47	25.08
Females 20-50 years	25.45	28.52	25.12	27.43	25.99
Females, 51 years and over	24.73	27.71	24.41	26.66	25.26

Males, 12-14 years	28.46	31.88	28.08	30.67	29.06
Males, 15-19 years	29.29	32.82	28.91	31.57	29.91
Males, 20-50 years	29.04	32.54	28.66	31.29	29.65
Males, 51 years & older	27.68	31.02	27.32	29.83	28.27

% Anchorage Dec 1996	104	116	103	112	106
% Anchorage Sept 1996	95		96	104	103
% Anchorage Dec 1995	105		107	114	106
% Anchorage Dec 1994	99		114	110	109
% Anchorage Dec 1993	105		113	122	112

Electricity, 1000 Kwh	83.23		103.14	111	93.5
Electricity, paid by State
Heating oil, 55 gal	61.6	60.5	84.66		65.57
Gas, 55 gal unleaded auto	76.39	92.35	76.22	74.75	85.25
Lumber, 2X4X8'	4.6	3.6	3.44	3.86	3.15
Propane, 288 gal	489.6	604.8	528.15		551.97
Propane, 100 lb refill	40.12	50.79	45.8	41.13	48.21
Sewer, monthly fee	2.74	36.89	33.8		26.6
Sewer, 1000 gal	4.51
Water, monthly fee	3.7	19.89	19.76		24
Water, 1000 gal	4.11
Sewer and Water, monthly	6.44	56.78	56.47	41.29	50.6

	Kodiak	Matanuska-Susitna	Nome	Petersburg	Sitka
Sales Tax (In percent)	6	2.5	4	6	5
Percent of Food Unavailable	1	0	3	0	0

Family of 2 (20-50 years)	71.31	62.65	103.2	62.01	67.04
Family of 2 (51 & older)	68.58	60.26	99.26	59.65	64.48
Family of 4, children 1-5 years	103.06	90.55	149.16	89.63	96.9
Family of 4, children 6-11 years	121.26	106.54	175.49	105.45	114.01

Children 1-2 years	18.29	16.07	26.47	15.9	17.19
Children 3-5 years	19.95	17.53	28.87	17.35	18.76
Children 6-8 years	26.43	23.22	38.25	22.98	24.85
Children 9-11 years	30	26.36	43.42	26.09	28.21

Females 12-19 years	29.22	25.67	42.29	25.41	27.47
Females 20-50 years	30.28	26.6	43.82	26.33	28.47
Females, 51 years and over	29.43	25.86	42.59	25.59	27.67

Males, 12-14 years	33.85	29.75	49	29.44	31.83
Males, 15-19 years	34.85	30.62	50.43	30.3	32.76
Males, 20-50 years	34.55	30.35	50	30.04	32.48
Males, 51 years & older	32.93	28.93	47.66	28.64	30.96

% Anchorage Dec 1996	124	109	179	108	116
% Anchorage Sept 1996	124	106	160	102	111
% Anchorage Dec 1995	128	114	167	118	113
% Anchorage Dec 1994	130	120	161	118	121
% Anchorage Dec 1993	140	130	167	124	131

Electricity, 1000 Kwh	155.41	108.8	174.5	101	87
Electricity, paid by State
Heating oil, 55 gal	69.3	74.25	96.38	68.53	77.77
Gas, 55 gal unleaded auto	91.3	73.65	113.3	96.74	89.23
Lumber, 2X4X8'	4.12	3.58	5.74	3.67	3.92
Propane, 288 gal	720	460.51	880.58	598.35	628.99
Propane, 100 lb refill	62.28	36.58	85.28	51.68	57.75
Sewer, monthly fee	32.2	18.42		27.83	24
Sewer, 1000 gal				0.68
Water, monthly fee	25.3	16.7	36	15.27	12
Water, 1000 gal				1.39
Sewer and Water, monthly	57.5	35.12	43		36

	St. George	Tok	Unalaska	Wrangell	US Average
Sales Tax (In percent)	0	0	3	7
Percent of Food Unavailable	28	4	0	7

Family of 2 (20-50 years)	126.9	74.02	82.6	67.69	71.4
Family of 2 (51 & older)	122.06	71.2	79.45	65.11	68.6
Family of 4, children 1-5 years	183.41	106.98	119.38	97.83	103.2
Family of 4, children 6-11 years	215.79	125.87	140.46	115.11	121.3

Children 1-2 years	32.55	18.98	21.18	17.36	18.3
Children 3-5 years	35.5	20.71	23.11	18.94	20
Children 6-8 years	47.03	27.43	30.61	25.09	26.4
Children 9-11 years	53.39	31.15	34.75	28.48	30

Females 12-19 years	52	30.33	33.85	27.74	29.2
Females 20-50 years	53.89	31.43	35.07	28.74	30.3
Females, 51 years and over	52.37	30.55	34.09	27.93	29.4

Males, 12-14 years	60.25	35.14	39.22	32.14	33.9
Males, 15-19 years	62.01	36.17	40.36	33.08	34.9
Males, 20-50 years	61.48	35.86	40.02	32.79	34.6
Males, 51 years & older	58.61	34.19	38.15	31.26	33

% Anchorage Dec 1996	220	128	143	117
% Anchorage Sept 1996		140	142
% Anchorage Dec 1995		134	157
% Anchorage Dec 1994		143
% Anchorage Dec 1993		155

Electricity, 1000 Kwh	315	205.3	200.31	99.94
Electricity, paid by State	117.53	56.7	35.14
Heating oil, 55 gal	85.8	62.15	82.32	70.1
Gas, 55 gal unleaded auto	135.85	83.55	99.55	104.5
Lumber, 2X4X8'		3.68	2.99	3.25
Propane, 288 gal		446.4	777.6	570.1
Propane, 100 lb refill		38	64.8	49.05
Sewer, monthly fee	4.2		24.6	26.75
Sewer, 1000 gal
Water, monthly fee	36.75		28.96	14.72
Water, 1000 gal
Sewer and Water, monthly	40.95		53.56	41.47