Dollar store groceries may look cheap at checkout, but a new analysis suggests they could raise the cost of personal well‑being.
Study links discount‑chain food to poorer outcomes
Researchers at University of California, Riverside examined health data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 500 Cities Project, covering major U.S. metros such as Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.
The team focused on four discount outlets—Dollar General, Dollar Tree, the 99 Cent store and Family Dollar—totaling about 34,000 locations. Using ArcGIS software, they mapped how many of these stores fell within a ten‑minute drive of residential zones and overlaid a social vulnerability index that gauges grocery affordability challenges.
Across the nation, the presence of these outlets correlated with higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. The same research, published in BMC Public Health, found that access to conventional supermarkets was associated with better metrics, even after accounting for income and unemployment levels.
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“I want to raise awareness that higher grocery costs are pushing people to buy highly processed, lower quality food at discount outlets, and it is negatively impacting their health in a similar way to fast food,” said Ryan Bruellman, the study’s first author.
In the South and Midwest, the ratio of discount outlets to conventional supermarkets hovered around 50‑50, a balance that may amplify the influence of the cheaper options. By contrast, in places like Philadelphia, the analysis could not fully capture the role of bodegas or independent markets, which likely soften the impact.
The findings hinge on food quality rather than price. The authors argue that simply reducing the number of these stores would not solve the problem; instead, they suggest improving the offerings inside them.
Potential policy routes and community options
One proposal is to forge partnerships between discount chains and local growers, bringing fresh produce into the aisles that currently stock mostly processed items.
Another idea is to locate farmers markets and food‑bank distribution points closer to the discount outlets, meeting shoppers where they already go.
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“Ideally you’d have the healthier options available inside the discount outlet,” the researcher noted.
These suggestions are not exhaustive, but they illustrate that the challenge is as much about supply as it is about demand.
From a broader perspective, the study shows how the built environment shapes dietary habits. When low‑cost venues dominate a neighborhood, residents may have fewer choices, nudging them toward items that are calorie‑dense but nutrient‑poor. Addressing that imbalance may require coordinated effort across health departments, urban planners and local businesses.
The report concludes with a call for legislators to view food access beyond the traditional supermarket model, urging them to consider “meeting people where they are” as a guiding principle.
