This year’s Fourth of July cookout will cost slightly less than last year’s record, but the federal government’s broader Consumer Price Index report for food at home still shows an overall increase of 2.2% compared to a year ago.
According to the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation annual summer survey, holiday cookout for ten will cost $70.92, down only 30 cents from last year’s record-high cost, making it $7.09 per person, the second-highest cost since Farm Bureau began the survey in 2013.
“Inflation and lower availability of some food items continue to keep prices stubbornly high for America’s families,” said AFBF Associate Economist Samantha Ayoub. “High prices don’t mean more money for farmers, however. Farmers are price takers, not price makers. Their share of the food retail dollar is just 15%. The cost of running their farm is up, from labor and transportation, to taxes.”
The survey included prices for a meal with cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, among other favorites. It shows an increase this year in the cost of beef, potato salad and canned pork and beans, while prices are lower for pork chops, chips and hamburger buns.
The retail price for 2 pounds of ground beef increased 4.4% to $13.33. Pork and beans will cost $2.69, up 20 cents from 2024. Potato salad is up 6.6% to $3.54. Several factors influence these increases, reflecting the sort of 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.
Our survey found a reduction in cost for six cookout staples. Among them is a 3-pound package of pork chops, which is down 8.8% from last year, at $14.13. Chips average $4.80 a bag, a dime less than 2024. Hamburger buns are 2.6% less expensive, at $2.35. 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.