Featured explainer
Why are grocery prices still high?
Grocery prices are still high because the big 2021–2023 increase never fully reversed.
Read explainerSource: Basket Report · BLS CPI Average Price Data
Answers behind grocery prices
Plain-English answers to the questions behind your grocery bill—why prices remain high, why eggs and beef move, and how costs differ by region. Every guide is built from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data and refreshed monthly as new numbers land.
- 18 explainers
- Updated monthly
- BLS-backed
- 36 tracked prices · 24 included in the Basket Index
Inflation
Why are grocery prices still high?
Grocery prices are still high because the big 2021–2023 increase never fully reversed.
1 min read InflationAre grocery prices higher than in 2019?
Yes.
1 min read InflationWhy doesn't lower inflation mean lower grocery prices?
Lower inflation does not usually mean lower grocery prices because inflation measures the rate of change, not the pri…
1 min read Data & MethodologyHow often does BLS update grocery prices?
BLS updates grocery average-price data monthly as part of the Consumer Price Index program.
1 min read Food CategoriesWhy do produce prices change so much?
Produce prices change so much because fresh fruits and vegetables are harvested seasonally, spoil quickly, and are ex…
1 min read Food CategoriesWhy is orange juice so expensive?
Orange juice is expensive because Florida citrus production has been pressured for years by citrus greening, hurrican…
1 min read InflationAre grocery prices rising faster than restaurant prices?
No, not in the latest data.
1 min read Food CategoriesAre eggs cheaper now?
Yes: eggs are much cheaper than they were at their recent peak.
1 min read Food CategoriesWhy is butter so cheap right now?
Butter is relatively cheap because dairy supply is ample: when cows produce plenty of milk and cream, the butter made…
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy is milk so expensive?
Milk is expensive because the retail price tracks the farm price of raw milk, which depends on the size of the dairy…
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy is sugar so expensive?
Sugar is expensive largely because U.S.
1 min read InflationHow much does Thanksgiving dinner cost?
A classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost about $55 in the American Farm Bureau Federation's 2025 survey, driven most…
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy is coffee so expensive?
Coffee is expensive because prices remain near record levels.
1 min read Food CategoriesWhy are beef prices still high?
Beef prices are still high because cattle supplies remain tight and the production cycle takes time to rebuild.
1 min read Food CategoriesWhy is bacon so expensive?
Bacon is expensive because it is cured pork belly — a single cut whose price often jumps on its own when bacon demand…
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy is chicken cheaper than beef?
Chicken is cheaper than beef mainly because broiler chickens reach market weight in weeks while cattle take about two…
2 min read Regional PricesWhere are groceries most expensive?
Groceries are most expensive in the Northeast and least expensive in the Midwest based on Basket Report’s comparable…
1 min read Data & MethodologyWhat is the BLS average grocery price?
The BLS average grocery price is the average dollar price paid for a specific grocery item, such as a gallon of milk,…
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