Will the food at the Market be affordable?
 According to a national study, the prices in farmers markets are generally lower and the products freshness and nutritional value much higher than for the same items in a typical supermarket. Surveys have determined that market prices on similar items represent an average savings in the range of 8-34%. Today, very little of a customer's 'supermarket dollar' is spent on the food itself. More than $0.79 of every supermarket dollar spent by shoppers goes toward the costs of advertising, management, and overhead - less than $0.21 is returned to the farmer. It is no wonder that public markets can offer both lower prices and better quality produce.
For lower income households, food costs are even more significant than for other economic strata: among households with an after tax income between $5,000-$10,000, food expenditures represents approximately more than one-third of their income. The federal government currently funds two program's which provide fresh, local produce at low or no cost to qualified families (through WIC) and senior citizens (through the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Pilot Program). By helping to keep local dollars in the regional economy. Columbia's Market will strengthen local agriculture, as it adds to local urban investment.
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