Americans spending smarter as prices stabilize, DoorDash report shows

Americans are finally catching their breath. A new DoorDash report shows that after years of rising prices, families are spending smarter, small businesses are holding steady and paychecks are beginning to go further.

The inaugural “State of Local Commerce” report, based on millions of DoorDash transactions, offers a look at how the U.S. economy is shifting on the ground. 

To track those shifts, DoorDash analyzed affordability trends through three of its key measures: the Everyday Essentials Index, the Cheeseburger Index and the Breakfast Basics Index, which reflect price changes across household goods, restaurant meals and groceries.

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Prices of some groceries and household items have remained steady, according to data compiled by DoorDash. (Arlyn McAdorey/Reuters)

The Everyday Essentials Index, which monitors the prices of staples like toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, pain medicine and diapers, found that the average cost of these household items has remained largely flat over the past 12 months.

While household costs have held steady, fast-casual spending has inched slightly higher.

DoorDash’s Cheeseburger Index, which tracks the cost of a classic meal of a burger, fries and a soda, found prices up just 3.8% over the past year, rising from $17.90 to $18.58 nationally. But the picture looks very different from city to city. In Lincoln, Nebraska, the meal averages $10.75, while in Anchorage, Alaska, it jumps to $25.55.

The most affordable place to buy a cheeseburger, fries and a soda is Lincoln, Nebraska, according to DoorDash data. (DoorDash)

In an analysis of its Breakfast Basics Index – which tracks items like eggs, a glass of milk, a bagel and an avocado – DoorDash found that prices fell 14% between March and September, due in part to declining egg prices. Over the past year, however, the national index has slipped only 1.7%, a gap that highlights how local trends can differ from national averages.

That variation, said Jessica Lachs, DoorDash’s chief analytics officer, is a key takeaway from the company’s data.

“I think it’s interesting to see that the national averages for a lot of the metrics that we put out, things like the Cheeseburger Index and the Everyday Essentials Index, those national averages are one data point, but when you actually look city to city, there’s a ton of variation,” Lachs told FOX Business.

“I think that variation from city to city paints a picture that is reflective of just how complicated and how nuanced all of this is,” she added.

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The average price of a cheeseburger meal in Anchorage, Alaska, is about $25.55, according to DoorDash data. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Lachs said that DoorDash aimed to go beyond raw data by using indexes to help people visualize what price changes actually mean in everyday life.

“We wanted to come up with indicators that could translate really complex price data and price trends into something that is relatable and something that is an easily understood measure of affordability,” Lachs said. “Things like the Cheeseburger Index take a common meal and paint a picture of what’s happening with prices in the overall economy in a much easier way to understand,” she added.

The DoorDash report also shows that paychecks are finally gaining ground. Since early 2024, wages have been rising faster than restaurant prices, meaning Americans’ dollars are stretching further. Across much of the country, wages are outpacing prices, especially in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where pay is up 6.1%, and in Madison, Wisconsin, up 4.1%.

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The DoorDash findings come as the White House touts progress in bringing down inflation and boosting take-home pay.

“After inheriting an economic catastrophe, President Trump quickly stopped Joe Biden’s inflation crisis with the Consumer Price Index at its lowest levels in four years,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to FOX Business.

“President Trump’s pro-growth policies will continue to supercharge wage growth and drive down costs as the president remains laser-focused on continuing to Make America Affordable Again,” Rogers added.