Price of your July 4 cookout will be going up about 17%
Barbecue, burgers and potato salad are as much a part of July Fourth as fireworks.
But if you’re planning to pick up traditional tasty foods for your family holiday gathering, get ready for a shocker at the supermarket.
The average cost of a Fourth of July cookout will be 17% higher than last year, according to a new national survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation’s largest general farm organization.
The survey’s data was collected by 176 volunteer shoppers across the country and in Puerto Rico, including Farm Bureau members and others.
Some takeaways from the survey:
U.S. consumers, looking to feed a group of 10 on the Fourth, will pay nearly $70 for their favorite Independence Day cookout foods, including cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream. Last year, that amount was $59.50.
The biggest year-overyear increase was for ground beef, the survey showed. The retail price for 2 pounds of ground beef was $11.12, up 36% from last year. Second was boneless, skinless chicken breasts, with 2 pounds averaging $8.99 (which is a 33% increase.)
Inflation is at the core of the increases, along with chronic supply chain issues and the ongoing war on Ukraine.
If there’s any bright spot for shoppers, it’s that the average price for three July Fourth foods is down this year, according to the survey:
Strawberries declined by 86 cents compared with a year ago.
Sliced cheese and potato chips also dropped in price, 48 cents and 22 cents, respectively.