Price Growth Eases as Grocery Staples Fall: DoorDash's State of Local Commerce Q1 Update

Today, DoorDash released our first quarterly State of Local Commerce update, providing a fresh look at how prices and economic conditions are shifting across the United States with data drawn from millions of transactions across restaurants, grocery and everyday goods nationwide.

The data shows inflation moderating across key categories, with some showing significant declines year-on-year. Egg prices are down sharply, making breakfast more affordable. Restaurant price increases are slowing. Household goods are holding steady.

This is the first in a series of regular updates to our local commerce indicators, building on the annual State of Local Commerce report launched last year. The goal is to complement traditional economic indicators with a more frequent, ground-level view of how prices and demand are actually evolving across cities and categories.

"Our goal is to provide a simple, reliable way to track what's happening in local economies," said Jessica Lachs, DoorDash Chief Analytics Officer. "This data reflects what people are actually buying day to day, which helps add context to broader economic trends. Over time, we hope these updates can serve as a useful reference point for understanding how conditions are changing across communities."

What the data shows

The latest data suggests that price growth across key categories has continued to stabilize, with some categories even showing notable declines year-over-year.

• A sunny side for grocery prices: The Breakfast Basics Index is down significantly at -22.3% year-over-year, driven largely by a sharp decrease in egg prices from this time last year.

• A cross-check for CPI: The DoorDash Cheeseburger Index comes in at 3.7% year-over-year, compared to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics' food-away-from-home CPI of 3.9%.

• Restaurant price increases are slowing: The Restaurant Price Index is up just 3.2% year-over-year reflecting a moderate, consistent trend as part of a more gradual long-term decline.

• Household goods are holding steady: Flat prices for daily goods - down -0.3% year-over-year - means consumers' aren't feeling the squeeze when buying frequently purchased household items.

No single story across local economies

While national trends offer a useful benchmark, the data underscores that economic conditions continue to vary significantly at the local level. These differences highlight how local factors can shape price levels in ways that national averages may obscure.

• Most affordable Breakfast Basics: Greensboro, NC ($2.60)

• Most affordable Cheeseburger Index: Lincoln, NE ($12.47)

• Most affordable Everyday Essentials: Memphis, TN ($51.93)

By publishing these findings on a recurring basis, we want to contribute a steady, data-driven perspective that reflects how local commerce is taking shape across communities and help inform policymakers, researchers, and business leaders about what it means for local economies.