Hy-Vee vs Target: Who is Cheaper?
Hy-Vee is a grocery store chain in 8 states with about 225 stores. Target is a large box retailer that offers groceries now in all 50 states.
To determine if Hy-Vee or Target is cheaper for groceries, we will do a side-by-side price comparison of a week’s worth of groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict and potential savings!
Is Hy Vee more expensive than Target?
For this test, I have prepared a meal plan for one week that consists of breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 young kids). I am using the “25 Cheap food that fills you up when you are broke!” as my guide to pick not only healthy foods but also ones that should be fairly cheap.
Here is the meal plan for this grocery trip:
Breakfasts
- Peanut Butter Toast with Bananas x2
- Overnight Oats with Apples and Raisins x3
- Scrambled Eggs with Cheese on top and Toast x2
Lunches
- Tuna Salad Sandwiches x 2
- Veggie & Pepperoni Pasta Salad with Zesty Italian Dressing
- Salad Wraps with tomato, cucumber, and cheese
- Leftovers
Snacks
- Carrots
- Apples
- Popcorn
Dinners
- Baked Whole Chicken with rice and sautéed carrots
- Leftover Chicken in a Pasta with Alfredo Sauce, Broccoli, and side salad
- Ground Turkey Tacos with Corn and Refried Beans
- Leftover Taco Meat in a Mexican Baked Potato Bar with Side Salads
- Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes and Corn
- Hawaiin Pizza with Leftover Pork, Pepperoni, and Pineapple (using a little Alfredo Sauce as the Base)
Sweet Treat
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
For this meal plan, I am going to shop at both stores and look for the best deals on price. We will be using prices in Lincoln, Nebraska for this store comparison.
Most items will be the generic store brand, and I will be aiming to get my groceries needed for the cheapest price available.
Even though my pantry is very well stocked, for this experiment I will shop as if I only have the bare basics at home like seasonings, salt, sugar, and cooking oil. For a full breakdown of this meal plan, and how I would make it work, check out “Healthy Grocery List for Family of 4 on a Budget #1.”
Produce
These are the fresh vegetables and fruits needed in the produce section for my meal plan this week.
| Items | Hy-Vee Price | Target Price |
| 8 Bananas | $0.18 each= $1.44 | $0.25 each= $2.00 |
| Apples | 3lbs Mcintosh Apples (1.48lb) = $4.44 | 3lb bag Red Delicious apples= $4.69 |
| Lettuce | 1 head Iceberg= $1.74 | 1 head Iceberg= $1.79 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets= $2.99 | 5lb bag of Russets= $2.99 |
| Tomatoes x3 | 1lb tomatoes on the vine= $1.88 | 1lb Roma tomatoes= $1.59 |
| Cucumber | $0.89 each | $0.59 each |
| Carrots | 1lb baby carrots= $1.50 *on sale* | 1lb baby carrots= $0.99 |
| Totals: 7 Items | $14.88 | $14.64 |
In the produce section, Target came out cheaper with a total of $14.64. This was $0.24 cheaper than Hy-Vee’s total of $14.88
Deli/Meats
Here are the items I will need from the deli and meat section of the stores.
| Items | Hy-Vee Price | Target Price |
| Pepperoni | Hy-Vee 6oz pack= $3.69 | Market Pantry 6oz pack= $3.29 |
| Whole Chicken | Hy-Vee $0.99 a lb (4.85lbs) = $4.80 | Smart Chicken $2.99 a lb (5lbs)= $14.95 |
| Ground Turkey | Carolina Turkey 1lb roll= $3.99 | Jennie-O 1lb roll= $4.39 |
| Pork Loin | Smithfield 27.2oz =$6.99 *on sale* | Good & Gather 24oz = $7.80 |
| Totals: 4 Items | $19.47 | $30.43 |
In the meat section, Hy-Vee came out cheaper with a total of $19.47. This was $10.96 cheaper than Target’s total of $30.43.
Dry Goods
This is the center area of most grocery stores, and I call this area dry goods. It is all items that are considered shelf stable and are typically stored in a cabinet or on a pantry shelf.
| Items | Hy-Vee Price | Target Price |
| Sandwich Bread | Hy-Vee 20oz white bread= $1.59 | Market Pantry 20oz white bread= $1.29 |
| Peanut Butter | Hy-Vee 16oz jar= $2.29 *on sale* | Good & Gather 16oz jar= $1.69 |
| Quick Oats | Mom’s Best Oats 16oz container= $1.99 | Good & Gather 18oz container= $2.69 |
| Raisins | Sun Maid mini boxes 6oz= $1.99 *on sale* | Good & Gather mini boxes 6oz= $1.59 |
| Canned Tuna Fish (2 cans) | Island Sun 5oz cans x 2= $1.98 | Good & Gather 5oz cans x2= $1.70 |
| Pasta | Hy-Vee 16oz rotini= $1.25 *on sale* | Good & Gather 16oz rotini= $0.95 |
| Zesty Italian Dressing | That’s Smart 16oz bottle= $1.50 *on sale* | Market Pantry 16oz bottle= $1.99 |
| Flour Tortillas | Hy-Vee 10ct= $1.99 | Market Pantry 10ct= $1.99 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Hy-Vee 3bags= $1.99 | Market Pantry 6 bags= $2.99 |
| White Rice | Water Maid 1lb bag= $1.99 | Good & Gather 1lb bag= $0.99 |
| Alfredo Sauce | Ragu 16oz jar= $1.88 *on sale* | Ragu 16oz jar= $2.29 |
| Canned Corn | Hy-Vee 15.25 oz can= $0.67 *on sale* | Good & Gather 15.25oz can= $0.65 |
| Refried Beans | That’s Smart 16oz can= $0.99 | Good & Gather 16oz can= $0.99 |
| Salsa | Hy-Vee 16oz jar= $2.19 | Good & Gather 16oz jar= $2.29 |
| Canned Pineapple | That’s Smart 20oz can= $1.99 | Market Pantry 20oz can= $1.39 |
| All Purpose Flour | That’s Smart 5lb bag= $2.69 | Good & Gather 5lb bag= $2.29 |
| Dry Active Yeast | Red Star 3ct= $1.79 | Fleishmann’s 3ct= $1.89 |
| Brown Sugar | That’s Smart 2lb bag= $1.99 | Good & Gather 2lb bag= $1.79 |
| Totals: 18 items | $32.75 | $31.45 |
In the dry goods section, Target came out cheaper with a total of $31.45. This was $1.30 cheaper than Hy-Vee’s total of $32.75.
Frozen Foods
This is the area in the store that typically has frozen meats, vegetables, fruits, and ice cream. We will mainly stick to the frozen veggie section.
| Items | Hy-Vee Price | Target Price |
| Frozen Mixed Vegetables | Bird’s Eye 10oz bag= $1.24 | Good & Gather 12oz bag= $0.89 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Bird’s Eye 10.8oz bag= $1.24 | Good & Gather 12oz bag= $0.89 |
| Totals: 2 items | $2.48 | $1.78 |
In the frozen section, Target came out cheaper with a total of $1.78. This was $0.70 cheaper than Hy-Vee’s total of $2.48.
Dairy
This is the final section of the store and will cover all dairy needs like cheeses and milk.
| Item: | Hy-Vee Price | Target Price |
| Eggs | That’s Smart 12ct white= $1.99 | Good & Gather 12ct white= $2.29 |
| 2% Milk (gallon) | That’s Smart gallon= $3.99 | Hiland gallon= $4.99 |
| Cheddar cheese (shredded) | Kraft 8oz bag= $2.88 *on sale* | Good & Gather 8oz bag= $2.29 |
| Mozzarella cheese (shredded) | Kraft 8oz bag= $2.88 *on sale* | Good & Gather 8oz bag= $2.29 |
| Sour Cream | Hy-Vee 8oz container= $0.99 *on sale* | Good & Gather 8oz container= $1.59 |
| Totals: 5 items | $12.73 | $13.45 |
In the dairy section, Hy-Vee came out cheaper with a total of $12.73. This was $0.72 cheaper than target’s total of $13.45.
Is Hy-Vee cheaper than Target?
There was a lot of jumping back and forth on who was cheaper in each section. Let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Hy-Vee Price | Target Price |
| Produce | $14.88 | $14.64 |
| Deli/Meats | $19.47 | $30.43 |
| Dry Goods | $32.75 | $31.45 |
| Frozen Foods | $2.48 | $1.78 |
| Dairy | $12.73 | $13.45 |
| Overall Total | $82.31 | $91.75 |
Overall, Hy-Vee came out cheaper than Target with a total of $82.31. This was $9.44 (about 10%) cheaper than Target’s total of $91.75.
Since neither store dominated in every section, the best way to save money with these two stores is to split your shopping. If I had the time I would shop for meats and dairy at Hy-Vee. Then grab dry goods and frozen items at Target.
If you utilize the weekly sales flyer to help meal plan you could potentially save even more money on your grocery budget.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Hy-Vee vs Cub Foods: Who is Cheaper?” and “Target vs Safeway: Who is Cheaper?“
