Ground beef up 14.5% Memorial Day

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said April retail ground beef prices reached $6.899 a pound, while all uncooked ground beef averaged $7.056 and all uncooked beef steaks averaged $13.024. Those figures, published in the agency’s latest retail food price tables, landed just before Memorial Day weekend, when beef demand typically rises with backyard cookouts. Fox Business reported on May 22 that ground beef was up 14.5% from a year earlier and steak was up 16.1%, citing the same April inflation data. Quartz separately reported that the national average for ground beef hit a record $6.90 a pound. ### How much did burger and steak prices rise? April BLS data showed all uncooked ground beef up 14.9% from April 2025 and all uncooked beef steaks up 17.1% over the same period in the U.S. city average series. In the same table, the headline “ground beef, 100% beef” category rose to $6.899 a pound from $5.801 a year earlier, and “all uncooked beef steaks” rose to $13.024 from $11.120. (bls.gov) Fox Business used broader consumer inflation categories and reported year-over-year increases of 14.5% for ground beef and 16.1% for steak ahead of the holiday weekend. The outlet also said frankfurters were up 10.7% and fresh vegetables rose 11.5%, with tomato prices up 39.7%. ### Why is beef more expensive this year? Fox Business reported that U.S. cattle inventories have fallen to their lowest level in more than 70 years as ranchers dealt with drought and higher overhead costs. (bls.gov) Quartz said lower cattle supply and robust demand had pushed prices higher over the past five years. Quartz also reported that the U.S. (foxbusiness.com) Department of Agriculture recently projected beef prices would increase 6.3% in 2026. That forecast, cited by Quartz, pointed to continued pressure in the meat case even after the Memorial Day weekend buying surge. ### Are other cookout staples going up too? BLS-linked figures cited by Fox Business showed some barbecue basics rising faster than overall inflation. (foxbusiness.com) Fresh vegetables were up 11.5% from a year earlier, cakes, cupcakes and cookies rose 5.1%, ice cream was up 2.7%, and beer rose 2.2%, Fox Business said. Chicken was one of the few meat categories moving the other way. (qz.com) Fox Business reported chicken prices were down 0.7% from a year earlier in April, with fresh whole chicken down 1.8%. ### Can shoppers offset food inflation with grill deals? WIRED reported on May 23 that some Memorial Day discounts on grills, griddles and pellet smokers reached as much as $250 off. (foxbusiness.com) Weber’s U.S. sale page also advertised Memorial Day promotions on pellet grills, griddles and tools, while Home Depot listed price cuts on selected grills and smokers. Those promotions do not change grocery prices, but they show retailers using the holiday weekend to push outdoor cooking gear as shoppers absorb higher meat costs. (foxbusiness.com) The biggest verified price signal in the food data remains the beef case: $6.899 a pound for ground beef in April and more than $13 a pound for uncooked beef steaks. (wired.com) ### What should shoppers watch next? Memorial Day falls on May 25 this year, and the next official checkpoint for grocery inflation will be the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ next monthly consumer price releases and retail food tables. Until then, the April BLS figures and holiday-weekend retail promotions are the clearest public markers for what Americans are paying to grill. (bls.gov)