Location: Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL.
Location: Logan Square, Chicago, IL
The top picture was taken in Lincoln Park, a neighborhood in Chicago made up of brownstones, boutiques and bars. Home to DePaul University and several multi-million dollar homes, this is a nice area of the city. Logan Square, pictured below, is just a few miles away. When I think of Logan Square, I think urban renewal and cute hipster families going to restaurants I may or may not be cool enough to go to. While some professionals own homes, the majority of residents continue to live in rented apartments. The median income is $36,245, compared to Lincoln Park’s $83,328.
As you can see, food prices at these two comparable stores are higher in the lower income location. The price of a gallon of milk is $.70 more and a loaf bread is $.30 more. These differences may not seem crippling to you, however spending an extra dollar for milk and bread each week adds up quickly to an amount that matters for a low-income family. In 2009, 35% of Feeding America client households had to choose between paying for food and paying for transportation. When faced with this decision, it is not reasonable that those who can only afford to shop for food nearby have a higher price to pay.
Food America is an ongoing series that illustrates the different costs of food low-income people face from coast to coast. We’ll feature pictures of the price of common food items across the country at convenience, grocery and wholesale stores, everywhere from urban to suburban to rural areas. Want to show us how much food costs in your neighborhood? Snap a picture and send it to us at blog@feedingamerica.org.