BALTIMORE — July 4th is just days away, and that means many families will gather for a celebratory cookout.
Unfortunately this Independence Day, it might cost you a little more money.
According to a newly released survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation, an average barbecue for 10 guests will be around $72.10 — about 5 percent more than last fourth. That's a record high since the survey started in 2013.
It studies nationwide grocery prices for holiday food favorites like hamburgers and chicken breasts.
All but two items on the list (chicken breasts and potato salad) went up in price since 2023.
Ground beef, pork chops, lemonade and potato chips lead the way in markups.
For example, two pounds of ground beef will likely cost you $12.77 — an 11 percent hike over last year.
"Several factors influence these increases, which reflect the sort of challenges farmers face on a regular basis. Drought conditions in recent years forced ranchers to sell many of their cattle early last year, reducing the amount of beef available for the summer grilling season," says the Federation. "Higher lemon prices can be attributed to citrus greening, which has spread to California after devastating Florida’s citrus industry."
Below is an expanded breakdown from the survey.
- 2 pounds of ground beef, $12.77 (+11%)
- 2 pounds of chicken breasts, $7.83 (-4%)
- 3 pounds of pork chops, $15.49 (+8%)
- 1 pound of cheese, $3.57 (+1%)
- 1 package of hamburger buns, $2.41 (+7%)
- 2 ½ pounds of homemade potato salad, $3.32 (-4%)
- 32 ounces of pork and beans, $2.49 (+2%)
- 16 ounces of potato chips, $4.90 (+8%)
- 13-ounce package of chocolate chip cookies, $3.99 (+2%)
- ½ gallon of ice cream, $5.65 (+7%)
- 2 pints of strawberries, $4.61 (+1%)
- 2 ½ quarts of lemonade, $4.19 (+12%)
Let us know if cookout prices are impacting your holiday plans.
