America's fanciest states? Here's where people spend the most on personal care products
FILE-A woman stands near a shelf of shampoos and hair conditioner at a local supermarket. (Photo by Indranil Aditya/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Self-care is essential for many reasons and having quality products can enhance daily hygiene rituals.
Although some brands are expensive, consumers in some states will spare no expense to have them, according to a new WalletHub report.
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The personal finance website takes a deep dive into where states are spending the most money on personal care products by evaluating the prices of toothpaste and shampoo in all 50 states.
States spending the most on personal care products
Dig deeper:
WalletHub ranked states spending the most on personal care by calculating the individual costs of these goods and adjusting the amount to the median monthly income in each state. The states are ranked below:
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- West Virginia
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Oregon
- New Mexico
- Montana
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Michigan
- Iowa
- South Dakota
A breakdown of the top states spending more on personal care items
By the numbers:
Mississippi, Louisiana, and West Virginia ranked in the top three states where residents are spending top dollar on their items, and WalletHub shares insight into their findings.
Mississippi
According to WalletHub, Mississippi residents are spending the most on personal care products. Purchasing toothpaste and shampoo in the state costs an average of $5.51, roughly 0.12% of the median monthly household income in the area. The state has the 25th-most expensive toothpaste and the 12th-cheapest shampoo.
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But the state has the lowest median household income in the country, at $54,915. WalletHub found that each dollar spent on personal care products accounts for a higher amount of residents’ income than it would in other places.
Louisiana
Louisiana ranks second on the list with toothpaste and shampoo costing residents an average of $5.59, which is about 0.11% of the median monthly household income in the region.
The cost of personal care products is slightly higher than Mississippi because Louisiana has a slightly higher median household income, at $60,023 annually.
Moreover, WalletHub determined that Louisiana has the 19th-most expensive shampoo prices in the U.S. but only ranks 43rd when it comes to the cost of toothpaste.
West Virginia
West Virginia residents on average spend $5.32 on toothpaste and shampoo and it accounts for 0.11% of the median monthly household income in the state.
The state’s prices for personal care items are inexpensive, with WalletHub noting that the area only ranks 33rd for the cost of toothpaste and it has the second-cheapest shampoo prices. Also, West Virginia has the second-lowest median household income in the country, at $57,917 annually.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by WalletHub, which created a ranking of states spending the most on personal care items assessing the prices of toothpaste and shampoo in all 50 states. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.