See how prices at State College grocery stores have changed over the past year
With fears of worsening inflation and tariff-laden trade wars dominating headlines this spring, supermarket shoppers could soon see more prices on the rise.
It’s not just eggs, for which avian flu has had an impact on both supply and cost across the country. Prices for all food are expected to increase by an average of 3.2% in 2025, according to the latest findings published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Each jump could create significant strains for those shopping on a budget.
So, how have grocery prices changed in State College over the last year? To find out, we shopped around the area’s major grocery stores to find the prices of common items, see who offers the best deals and compare prices to our last price check analysis from one year ago.
How did we track our grocery price comparisons?
Before diving into the nitty-gritty numbers, please keep the following points in mind regarding our methodology.
Where did we shop? — We visited State College locations of the area’s biggest grocery store chains: Aldi, Giant, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans and Weis, plus Target and Walmart. All seven of these stores are along North Atherton Street, though some have additional locations across Centre County.
Which stores were excluded? — Stores with membership requirements, like Sam’s Club, were left out, as were specialty and international markets, which may have lacked comparable items to our selections.
When did we shop? — Prices at these stores were documented in a spreadsheet during individual visits in late February, almost exactly a year after our first price check analysis. Some prices — notably those of eggs — have changed in the last few weeks, but this project seeks to directly compare items and their prices from February 2024 to 2025.
What did we shop for? — We picked more than 30 items sold at almost all of these stores, ranging from fresh produce and store-brand pantry staples to name-brand snacks and baking needs.
What items did we leave off the list? — This exercise works only with common items, so some variables — deli items, baked goods, flowers, pharmaceuticals — were excluded. Others, like baby needs, have been featured in other price check stories published by the CDT.
Were sale prices a factor? — No. Some stores, particularly Giant, offer huge catalogs of weekly sales and specials, but it would be unfair to compare them to stores without discounts. We counted only regular prices for these items, but savvy shoppers can likely find even cheaper options when they visit.
Looking at the data on grocery prices
Check out this Datawrapper visualization to flip through each of the 35 items included in this comparison project, including fresh produce and dairy products to Oreo cookies and Mission flour tortillas.
Prices are displayed for the stores that sell each item. Every store we shopped at carries store-brand pasta, for example, but not all offer Dawn dish detergent or Hillshire Farm deli meats.
Aldi
Store stopped: 1798 N. Atherton St. in State College on Feb. 27
The newest grocery store in State College, Aldi offers low-cost, almost exclusively house-brand items. Another store in the area opened at 780 Benner Pike in 2023.
Aldi wound up offering the cheapest price for several items, including one-pound packs of bacon ($3.99), butter quarters ($3.75), white and whole-wheat bread ($1.35 and $1.85, respectively) and 28-ounce bottles of Dawn dish detergent ($4.44). The store also offered the best price in the area on select produce items and baking goods, including bananas ($0.48 per pound), Gala apples ($1 per pound) and white sugar ($2.99 per four-pound bag).
Unsurprisingly, no item we surveyed at Aldi over the last year observed a larger price increase than its eggs, which jumped 131.4% to sell at $5.97 per dozen during our most recent visit. Avocados (up 50.9%), oatmeal (up 44.6%) and ground coffee (up 28.6%) also saw sizable jumps in price since February 2024.
Giant Food Stores
Store shopped: 255 Northland Center in State College Feb. 28
Giant operates three stores in State College and another location in Bellefonte along Benner Pike. We shopped its North Atherton Street market during our most recent survey.
Our analysis found Giant offered the best price in the area on 20-count packs of Mission flour tortillas ($2.99), tied with Wegmans and Weis. Giant’s prices for bananas, white bread, butter, dry pasta and white sugar were among the cheapest of our surveyed stores.
Among our surveyed items, no grocery staple saw a larger price increase at Giant than a dozen eggs, which sold for $7.69 during our last visit in late February — a 157% increase over February 2024. Oatmeal, Dawn dish detergent and ground coffee each saw their prices rise by at least 29%, while prices for Gala apples, Mission flour tortillas and jarred pasta sauce dropped by at least 15% year-over-year.
Target
Store shopped: 315 Colonnade Blvd. in State College Feb. 28
Though this Target store doesn’t sell fresh produce or meat, it still offers a good number of grocery staples for the everyday shopper. During our latest survey, we found the store offered the area’s best price on six-packs of 16.9-ounce Coca-Cola bottles ($5.19) and gallons of fat-free milk ($4.39).
Though the price of a dozen eggs jumped 201% from 2024 (settling at $5.99 during our most recent visit in late February), a good chunk of items we surveyed at Target saw prices stay flat or even decrease over the last year. Dawn dish detergent, Coca-Cola six-packs, creamy peanut butter and skim milk each saw their prices jump by at least 10%, while rising-crust frozen pizzas and 8-ounce bags of shredded cheese saw prices fall by 13% over that period.
Trader Joe’s
Store shopped: 243 Patriot Lane in State College Feb. 28
This store, the only Trader Joe’s between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, is known for selling products under the company’s own label, many of which are organic or locally sourced. Trader Joe’s sells a good chunk of its produce individually rather than by weight, so some items are not included in our price comparison index.
During our survey, we found Trader Joe’s by far offered the best price in the area for a dozen eggs, which sold for $3.49 on Feb. 28. Some other items, including rising-crust frozen pizzas and bacon, were the most expensive among area stores.
Though the price is far cheaper than local competitors, eggs at Trader Joe’s increased in price by about 75% over the last year. Baby carrots, avocados and tomatoes on the vine all saw their prices jump by at least 25% since February 2024, while creamy peanut butter observed a 20% price drop.
Walmart
Store shopped: 1665 N. Atherton St. in State College Feb. 27
Walmart’s State College Supercenter offers a huge grocery section, with most items available under the company’s Great Value label at a lower cost.
Just like last year, Walmart offered the area’s cheapest price on a number of items, including avocados ($0.68 each), ground coffee ($4.44 per 11-ounce can) and tomatoes on the vine ($1.29 per pound). The store beat out most others in the area by offering the cheapest prices on some name-brand items, including Hillshire Farm sliced turkey ($3.97 per 9-ounce pack), Oscar Mayer hot dogs ($2.84) and 13.3-ounce packs of Oreo cookies ($3.76).
Like other chains, a dozen large eggs (sold for $5.97 in late February) marked Walmart’s largest price increase over the last year after jumping 149%, our survey found. Select produce items — including tomatoes on the vine, avocados and baby carrots — were at least 4% cheaper compared to a year ago.
Wegmans
Store shopped: 345 Colonnade Blvd. in State College Feb. 27
The only Wegmans in Centre County offers the best prices in the area for family packs of boneless chicken breasts ($2.49 per pound), baby carrots ($0.99 per pound), 12-ounce boxes of Cheerios ($4.29) and russet potatoes ($2.99 per 5-pound bag). The store received substantial upgrades following a renovation project last summer.
A dozen large eggs ($5.79 in late February) increased in price by 142% since last year, our report found. Avocados, boneless chicken breasts and ground coffee each saw their prices rise by at least 25% over that span, too.
Weis Markets
Store shopped: 1471 Martin St. in State College Feb. 28
Finally, this Pennsylvania-headquartered grocery chain operates stores in Centre County in State College, Bellefonte and Philipsburg. Just like last year, we surveyed its store along North Atherton Street.
During our visit, we found Weis offered the best prices in the area on 16-ounce cans of Bush’s Best baked beans ($1.99) and 20-count packs of Mission flour tortillas ($2.99). This no-frills grocery store sold some items we surveyed, including Hillshire Farm sliced turkey and russet potatoes, at a higher price point than any local competitor.
Six-packs of Coca-Cola (up 68%), a dozen large eggs (up 52%) and 10.75-ounce cans of Campbell’s soup (up 39%) saw the largest year-over-year price increases at Weis, our report found.
So, which store has State College’s cheapest prices?
Aldi and Walmart both present strong cases as the area’s best supermarket option for budget-conscious shoppers.
Aldi wound up tying or leading these seven chains with the lowest surveyed prices for 15 items, including boneless chicken breasts, bacon, butter, store-brand bread and even Dawn dish detergent. Walmart, meanwhile, led or tied the area’s stores by offering the lowest price on 11 items, including name-brand options like Oreo cookies and Hillshire Farm deli meats.
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 10:59 AM.
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