GROCERY BASKET PRICE INDEX
Latest data: June 2026 Released: July 14, 2026 Next update: August 12, 2026

Cheddar cheese, natural

Cheddar prices

U.S. city average · June 2026

$5.96 per pound
▲ 4.8% MoM ▼ 0.7% YoY

Cheddar cheese averaged $5.96 per pound in June 2026, up 4.8% from last month and down 0.7% from last year, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data.

Illustration of cheddar cheese, natural
3% below the August 2025 peak of $6.12
Cheddar cheese price history Average price (USD per pound) · Monthly
$2.00$3.00$4.00$5.00$6.00$7.001984199219982005201220192026Jan 1984$3.05Aug 2025$6.12Jun 2026$5.96basketreport.com

Chart shown: January 1984 – June 2026 · Full series: January 1984 – June 2026 (494 observations) · Source: BLS series APU0000710212.

Quick take

Cheddar cheese prices rose 4.8% from May to June 2026 and are 0.7% lower than a year ago. Prices remain below the August 2025 peak of $6.12 but well above the 1984 level of $3.05.

How BLS measures this average price →

See cheddar cheese in the Summer Cookout Index →

Cheddar cheese price history by year

Every historical year is consolidated into one complete archive with annual averages, monthly prices, and inflation-adjusted values.

Browse the complete cheddar cheese price history →

Explore this price

From cheddar cheese to the full grocery basket

Cheddar cheese added $0.28 to June’s basket change.

What drives the price of cheddar cheese

Cheese prices reflect the farm price of milk and how much of the milk supply is directed into cheese vats rather than other dairy products. Because cheese ages and stores, inventories and the wholesale price discovered at exchange auctions feed through to the retail shelf, so prices can move even when farm milk prices are steady.

BLS series APU0000710212 tracks the average retail price of cheddar cheese, natural at the U.S. city average, measured per pound and reported monthly back to 1984.

Background: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service — Dairy. Price data: BLS series APU0000710212.

Cheddar cheese price FAQ

How much does a pound of cheddar cheese cost right now?

As of June 2026, cheddar cheese averaged $5.96 per pound at the national U.S. city average, per BLS CPI Average Price Data.

Are cheddar cheese prices going down in 2026?

The latest 2026 BLS reading shows cheddar cheese prices up 4.8% versus the prior month and down 0.7% versus a year ago (June 2026).

What is the highest price cheddar cheese has reached?

The record high is $6.12 per pound, set in August 2025; the record low is $2.92 in July 1996.

Where does this cheddar cheese price data come from?

From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Average Price Data program, retrieved via the BLS Public Data API. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.

How much did cheddar cheese cost in 2001?

In 2001, cheddar cheese averaged $3.87 per pound at the U.S. city average — versus $5.96 today (June 2026), about 54% higher now.

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// Source: Basket Report · BLS APU0000710212

Cite this

Plain text
Basket Report. "Average cheddar cheese price (U.S. city average)." Basket Report — Grocery Price Index. Retrieved August 1, 2026 from https://basketreport.com/prices/cheese/. Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, series APU0000710212.
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<a href="https://basketreport.com/prices/cheese/">Average cheddar cheese price (U.S. city average) — Basket Report</a> (data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, series APU0000710212; retrieved August 1, 2026)
APA
Basket Report. (2026). Average cheddar cheese price (U.S. city average) [Data set]. Basket Report — Grocery Price Index. https://basketreport.com/prices/cheese/