Average Charlotte Family Spent $565 for Food in 1918

From The Franklin Times, Louisburg, Sept. 26, 1919. The statistics are suspect, since they didn't control for number of people in the family and family income, but it's interesting to see what it cost for food in 1918.

Charlotte Was Highest Place to Live in 1918

Washington, Sept. 22—Charlotte, N.C., has the highest and Savanna, Ga., the lowest general average in the cost of living per family during the year 1918, according to an analysis of food budgets gathered by the bureau of labor statistics in the cost of living survey just made public. Ninety-one cities in various parts of the country were listed, and of these Charlotte ranked sixth while Savannah was lowest.

The average annual expenditure for food by all families in all cities listed was $511, while Fall River, Mass., stood at the top with $624.

The average at Charlotte was $565 and at Savannah $427. Newbern, N.C., which was third from the lowest among Southern cities had an average of $456.

The bureau pointed out that there is weakness in comparison in that families concerned differed somewhat in income and greatly in size.