How Much Food the Average Household Wastes, and What That Costs

A U.S. household of four throws away about $2,913 of uneaten edible food each year, or roughly $56 per week. That represents about 11% of food spending, according to the EPA's 2024 cost estimate.

The headline numbers

• $728 per person per year in wasted edible food (EPA, 2024).
• $56 per week for a household of four (EPA, 2024).
• 11% of food expenditures, on average (EPA, 2024).
• 73 kg of food waste per person per year in U.S. households, per the UN Food Waste Index cited in the EPA strategy report.

The EPA analysis updated older USDA estimates that used 2010 price data. Because food prices have risen sharply, the 2010-based figures (often cited as ~$1,500 per family of four) now understate the current cost.

What kind of food is wasted most

Produce, dry goods, and dairy & eggs make up the largest shares of residential food waste, according to ReFED's 2024 consumer waste analysis. In total, U.S. consumers spent an estimated $259 billion on uneaten food in 2024.

Important caveats

• These are model-based estimates, not receipts from every household.
• "Waste" includes uneaten edible food and some inedible parts (peels, bones) depending on the data source.
• Households vary widely by size, income, location, and cooking habits. The average is not a prediction for any one family.

Sources

• EPA — Estimating the Cost of Food Waste to American Consumers (2024)
• EPA — Cost of Food Waste Report (PDF)
• ReFED — Consumer Food Waste Statistics & Solutions (2024)
• EPA/UN — National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste (2025)