02
Consumer Impact
24–40%
Of Prop D costs are passed on to San Franciscans through higher everyday prices.
3–4×
Lower-income families are hit harder by Prop D than wealthy households.
Consumer & Household Impact
Grocery stores can't absorb a tax increase this large, so the added costs get passed on through higher grocery prices. Working-class and lower-income families are hit the hardest because they spend more of their paycheck on food.
San Franciscans pay the price for Prop D
Grocery stores can’t absorb higher taxes. They pass them on to San Franciscans through higher prices at the register.
Share of Prop D passed on to San Franciscans
24–40%
Higher grocery prices hit lower-income families hardest
An increase in grocery costs can force impossible trade-offs for families already living paycheck to paycheck.
Use the sliders below to see how the same grocery price increase affects households at different income levels.
Select your household income
Annual grocery cost increase
~$200
10.0×
harder hit than a $300K+ household
Impact on your budget
$30K household
0.67% of income
$300K+ household
0.07% of income
Key report finding
Prop D hits lower-income families 3–4× harder than wealthy households. They spend a larger share of their income on groceries and essentials. When prices rise, they feel it the most.
No safety net
Programs like SNAP (food stamps) don’t adjust to local price increases. When grocery prices go up in SF, low-income families have no safety net to cover the gap.
What happens to grocery stores that can’t raise prices enough?
Grocery shoppers are highly price-sensitive, which limits how much stores can raise prices. If prices climb too high, customers will stop purchasing, switch to cheaper stores, or buy cheaper brands. If they can’t raise prices enough to cover the tax increase, they’re left cutting costs: fewer jobs, lower wages, and potentially leaving SF entirely.
See the impact on businesses