Folks celebrating the Fourth of July holiday are continuing to find high prices at the grocery store.
That information is based on the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual survey. The national average of an Independence Day cookout is $70.92 for 10 guests this year, a decrease of only 30 cents from last year’s record-high cost. At $7.09 per person, 2025 will be the second-highest cost since Farm Bureau began the survey in 2013.
In New York, the average cost is $58.91, or $5.89 person, proving to be one of the lowest prices found in the survey and more than 20% lower than the national average.
The cookout favorites include cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, among other products. While the survey does not include an exhaustive list of Fourth of July options, it serves as a snapshot of prices families are facing this summer.
The AFBF survey shows an increase in the cost of beef, potato salad and canned pork and beans, while there are drops in the cost of pork chops, chips and hamburger buns.
The retail price for two pounds of ground beef increased 4.4% to a national average of $13.33 ($10.67 in New York), while the cost of three pounds of pork chops averages $14.13, down 8.8% from last year ($11.47 in New York). The cost of two pounds of chicken breasts averages $7.79 ($5.96 in New York).
A 32-ounce can of pork and beans will cost $2.69 ($3.71 in New York), up 20 cents from 2024. Homemade potato salad is up 6.6% to $3.54 ($3.77 in New York), and a 16-ounce bag of potato chips averages $4.80 ($3.90 in New York), down 2.1% from 2024. Hamburger buns are 2.6% less expensive, at $2.35 ($2.18 in New York).
Several factors influence the price increase of certain items, reflecting challenges farmers regularly face. Fewer cattle are available for processing, which is affecting supplies. Steel and aluminum tariffs mean increased prices on canned goods. The cost of eggs, used in potato salad, is still elevated, although they are much lower than record highs earlier this year as egg-laying chicken populations are recovering from avian influenza.
Meanwhile, the amount of pork available to stores is up, which is pushing prices down. The demand for potatoes has eased, helping bring down the cost of chips. Wheat prices are still much lower than record highs of three years ago, contributing to the slight decrease in the cost of buns.
Although the $7.09 per-person cost is near a historic high, when put in a global context, people in the U.S. spend a smaller percentage of their expenditures on food than in any other country.
The federal government’s broader Consumer Price Index report for food at home shows an overall increase of 2.2% compared to a year ago. Farm Bureau’s informal July 4 survey examines only those foods commonly associated with summer cookouts.
Leave a Reply