diff --git a/src/api/firebase.js b/src/api/firebase.js
index a16311a..44e2618 100644
--- a/src/api/firebase.js
+++ b/src/api/firebase.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
 } from 'firebase/firestore';
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { db } from './config';
-import { getFutureDate } from '../utils';
+import { getFutureDate, getDifferenceBetweenDates, todaysDate } from '../utils';
 
 /**
  * A custom hook that subscribes to the user's shopping lists in our Firestore
@@ -208,3 +208,58 @@ export async function deleteItem(listPath, itemId) {
 	const itemDocRef = doc(listCollectionRef, itemId);
 	return deleteDoc(itemDocRef);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Compare and sort list items by time urgency and alphabetical order
+ * @param {array} array The list of items to sort
+ */
+export function comparePurchaseUrgency(array) {
+	return array.sort((a, b) => {
+		// getDifferenceBetweenDates gets the average number of days between the next purchase date and today's date for each shopping item
+		const dateA = Math.floor(
+			getDifferenceBetweenDates(a.dateNextPurchased.toDate(), todaysDate),
+		);
+		const dateB = Math.floor(
+			getDifferenceBetweenDates(b.dateNextPurchased.toDate(), todaysDate),
+		);
+
+		const itemA = a.name.toLowerCase();
+
+		const itemB = b.name.toLowerCase();
+
+		// get the average number of days between today's date and the date last purchased or the date created if
+		// dateLastPurchased does not exist yet
+		const daysSinceLastPurchaseA = Math.floor(
+			getDifferenceBetweenDates(
+				todaysDate,
+				a.dateLastPurchased
+					? a.dateLastPurchased.toDate()
+					: a.dateCreated.toDate(),
+			),
+		);
+
+		const daysSinceLastPurchaseB = Math.floor(
+			getDifferenceBetweenDates(
+				todaysDate,
+				b.dateLastPurchased
+					? b.dateLastPurchased.toDate()
+					: b.dateCreated.toDate(),
+			),
+		);
+
+		// sort by value of days since last purchased
+		if (daysSinceLastPurchaseA >= 60 && daysSinceLastPurchaseB < 60) {
+			return 1;
+		} else if (daysSinceLastPurchaseA < 60 && daysSinceLastPurchaseB >= 60) {
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		// if dates are not equal sort by difference of dates
+		if (dateA !== dateB) {
+			return dateA - dateB;
+		}
+
+		// if dates are equal sort by character value
+		return itemA.localeCompare(itemB);
+	});
+}
diff --git a/src/components/ListItem.jsx b/src/components/ListItem.jsx
index bab17b3..f990334 100644
--- a/src/components/ListItem.jsx
+++ b/src/components/ListItem.jsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
+import { getDifferenceBetweenDates, todaysDate, subtractDates } from '../utils';
+import { colorPicker, calculateUrgency } from '../utils/helpers';
 import { updateItem, deleteItem } from '../api';
-import { subtractDates } from '../utils';
 import { Timestamp } from 'firebase/firestore';
 import { calculateEstimate } from '@the-collab-lab/shopping-list-utils';
 import './ListItem.css';
@@ -13,36 +14,56 @@ export function ListItem({
 	totalPurchases,
 	dateCreated,
 }) {
-	const todaysDate = Timestamp.now();
-
 	// if dateLastPurchased is true subtract it from dateNextPurchased, else subtract dateCreated from dateNextPurchased to get the estimated number of days till next purchase
 	const previousEstimate = Math.ceil(
-		(dateNextPurchased.toDate() -
-			(dateLastPurchased ? dateLastPurchased.toDate() : dateCreated.toDate())) /
-			(24 * 60 * 60 * 1000),
+		getDifferenceBetweenDates(
+			dateNextPurchased.toDate(),
+			dateLastPurchased ? dateLastPurchased.toDate() : dateCreated.toDate(),
+		),
 	);
 
 	// if dateLastPurchased is true subtract it from todaysDate, else subtract dateCreated from todaysDate to get the number of days since the last transaction
-	const daysSinceLastTransaction = Math.floor(
-		(todaysDate.toDate() -
-			(dateLastPurchased ? dateLastPurchased.toDate() : dateCreated.toDate())) /
-			(24 * 60 * 60 * 1000),
+	const daysSinceLastPurchase = Math.floor(
+		getDifferenceBetweenDates(
+			todaysDate,
+			dateLastPurchased ? dateLastPurchased.toDate() : dateCreated.toDate(),
+		),
+	);
+
+	const daysTillNextPurchase = Math.floor(
+		Math.floor(
+			getDifferenceBetweenDates(dateNextPurchased.toDate(), todaysDate),
+		),
 	);
 
 	const nextPurchaseEstimate = calculateEstimate(
 		previousEstimate,
-		daysSinceLastTransaction,
+		daysSinceLastPurchase,
 		totalPurchases,
 	);
 
 	const handleChecked = async () => {
+		const todaysDateTimestamp = Timestamp.now();
 		try {
-			await updateItem(listPath, id, todaysDate, nextPurchaseEstimate);
+			await updateItem(listPath, id, todaysDateTimestamp, nextPurchaseEstimate);
 		} catch (err) {
 			console.error(err);
 		}
 	};
 
+	const isChecked = () => {
+		if (dateLastPurchased) {
+			return (
+				getDifferenceBetweenDates(todaysDate, dateLastPurchased.toDate()) < 1
+			);
+		}
+
+		return false;
+	};
+
+	let urgency = calculateUrgency(daysTillNextPurchase, daysSinceLastPurchase);
+	let textColor = colorPicker(urgency);
+
 	const handleDelete = async () => {
 		try {
 			if (window.confirm('Are you sure you want to delete this item?')) {
@@ -58,13 +79,13 @@ export function ListItem({
 	return (
 		<li className="ListItem">
 			<label>
-				{name}
+				{name} <span style={{ color: textColor }}>{urgency}</span>
 				<input
 					type="checkbox"
 					id={`checkbox-${id}`} // Unique identifier
 					name={name}
 					onChange={handleChecked}
-					checked={subtractDates(todaysDate, dateLastPurchased)}
+					checked={isChecked()}
 				></input>
 			</label>
 			<button onClick={handleDelete} className="delete-button">
diff --git a/src/utils/dates.js b/src/utils/dates.js
index 1ff42e0..fc927b9 100644
--- a/src/utils/dates.js
+++ b/src/utils/dates.js
@@ -11,10 +11,8 @@ export function getFutureDate(offset) {
 	return new Date(Date.now() + offset * ONE_DAY_IN_MILLISECONDS);
 }
 
-export function subtractDates(todaysDate, dateLastPurchased) {
-	if (dateLastPurchased) {
-		return (todaysDate - dateLastPurchased) * 1000 < ONE_DAY_IN_MILLISECONDS;
-	}
-
-	return false;
+export function getDifferenceBetweenDates(date1, date2) {
+	return (date1 - date2) / (24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
 }
+
+export const todaysDate = new Date();
diff --git a/src/utils/helpers.js b/src/utils/helpers.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddc3265
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/helpers.js
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+export function colorPicker(text) {
+	let color;
+	switch (text) {
+		case 'overdue':
+			color = 'red';
+			break;
+		case 'soon':
+			color = 'orange';
+			break;
+		case 'kind of soon':
+			color = 'yellow';
+			break;
+		case 'not so soon':
+			color = 'green';
+			break;
+		case 'inactive':
+			color = 'grey';
+			break;
+		default:
+			color = 'black';
+	}
+	return color;
+}
+
+export function calculateUrgency(daysTillNextPurchase, daysSinceLastPurchase) {
+	let urgency;
+
+	if (
+		daysTillNextPurchase < 0 &&
+		daysSinceLastPurchase > daysTillNextPurchase
+	) {
+		urgency = 'overdue';
+	} else if (daysTillNextPurchase <= 7) {
+		urgency = 'soon';
+	} else if (daysTillNextPurchase < 30) {
+		urgency = 'kind of soon';
+	} else if (daysTillNextPurchase >= 30) {
+		urgency = 'not so soon';
+	}
+
+	if (daysSinceLastPurchase >= 60) {
+		urgency = 'inactive';
+	}
+
+	return urgency;
+}
diff --git a/src/views/List.jsx b/src/views/List.jsx
index 77589f9..2a56275 100644
--- a/src/views/List.jsx
+++ b/src/views/List.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useState } from 'react';
 import { ListItem } from '../components/ListItem';
+import { comparePurchaseUrgency } from '../api/firebase';
 
 export function List({ data, listPath, loading }) {
 	const [search, setSearch] = useState('');
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ export function List({ data, listPath, loading }) {
 		item.name.toLowerCase().includes(search.toLowerCase()),
 	);
 
+	const sortedItems = comparePurchaseUrgency(filteredData);
+
 	return (
 		<>
 			<p>
@@ -45,7 +48,7 @@ export function List({ data, listPath, loading }) {
 						</button>
 					</form>
 					<ul>
-						{filteredData.map((item) => (
+						{sortedItems.map((item) => (
 							<ListItem
 								key={item.id}
 								name={item.name}