100% ground beef hit a new all time high average price of $6.752/lb in Jan 2026.
Like many other such graphs, the graph for 100% Ground Beef won't show the 2025 average because the government shutdown meant no figure for October in the data.
The average $6.089 in 2025 is for eleven months without October, with October obviously a high figure, too, which means the annual average is no doubt higher than $6.089.
The 20 foods shown making new all time highs represent 43% of the 46 foods I have been tracking in the FRED database at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank. Prices are per pound unless otherwise noted.
Beef Products:
Adjusted for inflation since July 1984, 100% ground beef should cost $3.88/lb in July 2025, but it's actually 61% higher than that.
100% Ground Beef $6.254/lb
Ground Chuck 6.338
Round Roast 7.909
All uncooked beef roasts 8.397
Choice chuck roast 8.439
Round steak 8.69
All uncooked beef steaks 11.875
Choice sirloin steak 13.554
All prices are FRED data from the St. Louis Fed in U.S. dollars.
The headlines are correct. Average beef prices are out of this world in June 2025:
Round Roast $7.762/lb
All Uncooked Beef Roasts $8.203
Ground Chuck $6.103
Choice Chuck Roast $8.197
100% Ground Beef $6.12
All Uncooked Ground Beef $6.342
All Uncooked Beef Steaks $11.491
Choice Sirloin Steak $12.923.
But that's not all:
Whole Chicken $2.086
Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate $4.493
Coffee $8.132
Potato Chips $6.815
Ice Cream $6.493.
Most of the other items in my list of over 40 basic food products remain near their average all time highs. Food price inflation was 3% year-over-year in June 2025. There has been no actual food price deflation since 2016.
All prices are FRED data from the St. Louis Fed in U.S. dollars.
Ground Chuck 6.018/lb
Coffee 7.931
White Sugar 1.054
Bananas 0.655
Potato Chips 6.731
Ice Cream 6.466/half gallon
100% Ground Beef 5.981/lb
All Uncooked Ground Beef 6.245
American Cheese 5.063
Beer 1.834/pint
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| sirloin |
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| chuck roast |
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| beef roasts |
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| beef steaks |
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| ground beef |
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| ice cream |
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| sugar |
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| coffee |
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| orange juice |
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| chicken |
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| ground chuck |
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| round steak |
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| round roast |
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| American cheese |
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| beer |
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| wine |
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| electricity |
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| eggs |
Ground Beef: $5.076 / $3.807, up 33.3%
Pork Chops: $4.359 / $3.339, up 30.5%
Bacon: $6.502 / $5.613, up 15.8%
Chicken: $1.958 / $1.495, up 30.97%
Dozen eggs: $2.043 / $1.396, up 46.3%
Dried beans: $1.702 / $1.344, up 26.6%
Gallon milk: $3.927 / $3.036, up 29.3%
Cheddar cheese: $5.897 / $5.308, up 11.1%
Cup of yogurt: $1.576 / $1.115, up 41.3%
In January 1984, ground beef was $1.29/pound.
Adjusted for inflation to August 2023, it should be $3.89/pound, according to the inflation calculator at bls.gov.
Ground beef is actually $5.08/pound, 30.5% higher.
It's nearly 30% overpriced.
The inflation-adjusted pound of ground beef over the period should cost $3.82.
I buy the good stuff, however. My burger costs $1.50, washed down with a cheap pint of Hamm's Beer for 83-cents.
I'll be back to beans and rice on Monday.
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.