Editor’s note: The following report is from The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2024, which provides insight based on survey responses from consumers. Since 1983, The Packer has sponsored 41 major consumer studies to track trends in the purchases and consumption of fresh produce, documenting the fluctuation in purchases of specific fruits and vegetables as well as changing attitudes toward industry issues.
Nearly 37% of those surveyed by The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2024 said they purchased asparagus in the past 12 months. This is up from the 2023 survey in which 26% of consumers polled said they added asparagus to their shopping carts in the past year, compared with 28% in Fresh Trends 2022 and 27% in Fresh Trends 2021.
Also of note, 29.2% of shoppers said they now buy asparagus after previously not doing so.
Higher-income residents of the West and Northeast regions most frequently reported purchasing fresh asparagus. Fresh Trends 2024 found that 48.5% of consumers making $100,000 or more a year said they purchased fresh asparagus in the last 12 months, compared with just 17.7% of those making less than $25,000 annually.
Forty-six percent of households with three or more dependent children were more likely to purchase asparagus, compared with 35.1% of households without dependent children.
Fresh Trends 2024 data for asparagus
Reported purchase based on household income*
- Less than $25K — 18%
- $25K<$50K — 32%
- $50K<$100K — 39%
- $100K+ — 49%
*Annual household income
Reported purchase based on dependent children
- Have kids — 39%
- 1 kid — 41%
- 2 kids — 36%
- 3 or more kids — 46%
- No kids — 35%
Reported purchase based on region
- Midwest — 34%
- Northeast — 40%
- South — 34%
- West — 41%
Reported purchase based on age*
- 18-29 — 25%
- 30-39 — 38%
- 40-49 — 37%
- 50-59 — 47%
- 60+ — 39%
*Considering primary household buyers
Reported purchase based on ethnicity
- Asian — 22%
- Black/African American — 28%
- Hispanic — 32%
- Other — 32%
- White/Caucasian — 41%
