The price of school supplies and lunch essentials has climbed again, putting additional financial pressure on families preparing for the 2026–27 school year.
The back-to-school shopping list is getting more expensive.
Across the country, families are paying more for basic classroom supplies, from notebooks and pencils to folders and lunch essentials. An analysis of 21 common school supply items by the Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation found that the average school supply haul now costs $173.45, about 7.7% higher than last year.
The increase comes as families also face higher food costs. The analysis found that prices for school lunch essentials rose by about 11%, including items commonly packed in children’s lunches, such as fruit, beverages, and other staples.
Combined, the cost of supplies and meals can approach thousands of dollars over the course of a school year, creating another financial challenge for households already managing higher everyday expenses.
Small increases add up
The rise in school costs is not driven by a single item. Instead, families are seeing increases across many of the products that appear on school supply lists.
Items such as notebooks, paper products, lunch containers and other basics have become more expensive compared with previous years. For families purchasing supplies for more than one child, even small price increases can quickly multiply.
The initial back-to-school purchase is only part of the expense. Many families also budget for backpacks, clothing, shoes, technology and classroom fees, which can significantly increase the total cost of preparing for a new school year.
Los Angeles families navigate higher costs
While the national figures show the broader trend, the impact is especially significant in Los Angeles, where families are already facing some of the highest living costs in the country.
Parents shopping in Los Angeles are encountering the same national price increases, while also dealing with higher costs for housing, groceries, transportation and other necessities.
The result is that back-to-school spending can become a larger share of a household budget, particularly for families with multiple children or those facing rising food and living expenses.
What back-to-school shopping looks like in Los Angeles
The cost of preparing a child for school varies depending on grade level, school requirements and where families shop.
A basic supply list may include:
notebooks and paper
pencils and pens
folders and binders
classroom materials
lunch containers and water bottles
Additional purchases, such as backpacks, clothing, shoes and electronics, can add significantly to the total.
For some Los Angeles families, the challenge is not just the price of individual items but the timing: many school-related expenses arrive within the same few weeks before classes begin.
Schools and communities respond
As costs increase, schools, nonprofits and community groups across Los Angeles continue to provide support through supply drives, donations and other programs designed to help families prepare for the school year.
The rising cost of school supplies and meals reflects a broader issue facing households nationwide: even routine expenses are becoming harder to absorb.
For Los Angeles families heading into the 2026–27 school year, the back-to-school season is another test of how far household budgets can stretch.
