AFBF: Summer cookout costs are nearly unchanged from 2024

Families celebrating the Fourth of July holiday continue to find high prices at the grocery store, based on the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation annual marketbasket survey. The average Independence Day cookout will cost $70.92 for 10 guests this year.

This is down 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. 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.

“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 percent. The cost of running their farm is up, from labor and transportation, to taxes.”

The marketbasket 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 2 pounds of ground beef increased 4.4 percent to $13.33. Pork and beans will cost $2.69, up 20 cents from 2024. Potato salad is up 6.6 percent 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.

The AFBF 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 percent from last year, at $14.13. Chips average $4.80 a bag, a dime less than 2024. Hamburger buns are 2.6 percent 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.

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.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “We can celebrate America’s independence every year in part because of the hard work of the farmers and ranchers who contribute to the nation’s food independence. Farmers are dedicated to doing the right thing, and their commitment to sustainable and innovative farming practices ensures a safe and abundant food supply for every family in America.

“Farmers and ranchers achieve this, in part, through research, conservation and farm safety net programs that are made possible through a strong farm bill. We urge members of Congress to return from their holiday break and pass a new, modernized five-year farm bill. We appreciate efforts during the reconciliation process to address some issues facing agriculture, but only a new farm bill will bring the certainty farmers need to continue leading the world in agriculture.”

The federal government’s broader Consumer Price Index report for food at home shows an overall increase of 2.2 percent compared to a year ago. Farm Bureau’s informal marketbasket survey examines only those foods commonly associated with summer cookouts.

The July Fourth cookout survey is part of the Farm Bureau marketbasket series, which also includes the popular annual Thanksgiving dinner cost survey of common food staples Americans use to prepare a holiday meal at home.

Volunteer shoppers across the country, including Farm Bureau members and others, collected data from stores in every state and Puerto Rico.

Individual Prices, AFBF 2025 Summer Cookout

• 2 pounds of ground beef, $13.33 (+4.4%)
• 2 pounds of chicken breasts, $7.79 (-0.5%)
• 3 pounds of pork chops, $14.13 (-8.8%)
• 1 pound of cheese, $3.54 (-0.9%)
• 1 package of hamburger buns, $2.35 (-2.6%)
• 2 ½ pounds of homemade potato salad, $3.54 (+6.6%)
• 32 ounces of pork and beans, $2.69 (+8.2%)
• 16-ounce bag of potato chips, $4.80 (-2.1%)
• 13-ounce package of chocolate chip cookies, $4.00 (+0.3%)
• ½ gallon of ice cream, $5.69 (+0.7%)
• 2 pints of strawberries, $4.69 (+1.7%)
• 2 ½ quarts of lemonade, $4.37 (+4.2%)

Read the full Market Intel on the 2025 Fourth of July Cookout Survey here.