Fast food is more expensive than ever this is the state where it costs the most

The food might be fast, but the payoff can be slow.While fast food used to be a sure way to get a cheap eat, it is increasingly getting more expensive — sometimes costing a good chunk of your paycheck.A new study from WalletHub determined which states spend the greatest percentage of their income on fast-food purchases.The experts analyzed the prices of fast-food burgers, pizza and fried chicken sandwiches in each state, then added the costs together and compared them to the median household income.“Where you live can have a big impact on how much you shell out for fast food,” Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, explained.

“It costs around 1.6 times more in the most expensive states than the cheapest states, relative to the median income.”People who live in Mississippi pay more for fast food when compared to their relative income than anyone else in the country, the analysis found.Purchasing one fast-food burger, a small pizza and a fried chicken sandwich would cost a Mississippian 0.47% of the median monthly income.The state has the lowest median household income in the country at $54,915.However, the actual prices of fast food in Mississippi rank as one of the cheapest in the country — but because residents’ median income is so low, fast food takes out a larger portion of their paycheck.

The second-most costly fast food relative to income is in New Mexico.One burger, a small pizza and a friend chicken sandwich would also cost those in New Mexico 0.47% of the median monthly earnings.

With the sixth-lowest median household income in the country at $62,125, the fast-food prices combined with the low median puts New Mexico in second place.Kentucky loves its fried chicken, but the state ranks as the third-most expensive for fast food relative to income.The state is in the most-expensive half of the country for burgers, pizza and chicken sandwiches, and a purchase of one of each costs a resident 0.46% of the median household income.Kentucky’s median annu...