Adding just one more mile of road per square mile is associated with a 1.3% drop in the price of local groceries.
March 25, 2026
Original Paper
Food on Road: How Road Density Lowers Food Price -Evidence from Urban Demand, Retail Structure, and Spatial Spillovers
SSRN · 6338583
The Takeaway
While roads are usually debated in terms of traffic or pollution, this study quantifies them as a primary driver of food affordability. The price-lowering effect of increased 'food mobility' is strongest in rural areas, suggesting road density is a key tool for fighting 'food deserts.'
From the abstract
Recent inflation in food prices have severely exacerbated the global food crisis and contributed to nationwide diet-related health challenges in the United States. This study investigates how transportation infrastructure, measured by road density, affects local food prices. Using U.S. county-level panel data from 2010 and 2020, supplemented with demographic and geographic controls, we reveal that greater road density significantly reduces meal costs by facilitating local and regional food mobil