Why your Fourth of July barbeque could cost more this year

The Fourth of July barbeque cookout is likely to cost Americans more than ever amid inflationary pressures, supply shocks, and production issues. Many ingredients of a cookout are much more expensive than last year, according to an American Farm Bureau Federation estimate. The average cookout for 10 people is likely to cost an average of $71.22 this year, up 5% from 2023 and up 30% from five years ago, as per agricultural economists.

In the analysis, fb.org looked at the prices for ground beef, pork chops, chicken breast, cheese, hamburger buns, potato chips, homemade potato salad, chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, lemonade, pork and beans, and strawberries to estimate the cost of a cook-up.

Prices of Meat Have Skyrocketed

As per the group’s estimate, meat is set to put the biggest dent in the grocery budget of Americans as beef, pork chops and chicken breast account for nearly 50% of the barbeque costs.

Two pounds of ground beef will now cost an average of $12.77, up by 11% or over $1 from 2023. The price of pork chops is also up by 8% across the nation, costing over $1 more than last year. In some states like California, prices of pork chops were even higher, at $19.91, as per the report.

However, increased broiler production is set to provide some relief to Americans. This year, two pounds of chicken breast will cost an average of $7.83, marking a 4% decrease from last year and a 13% fall from the record high in 2022.

Sides are Expensive Too

America’s favorite side dish recipes have seen a drastic price increase from last year. As per estimates, a pack of hamburger buns will cost $2.41 or 7% more on average than last year.

Further, due to slow-to-negative milk production growth, prices of American cheese slices will be up by 1% to $3.57 this year. The other significant dairy product, ice cream will cost 7% more for half a gallon compared to last year.

The Independence Day’s favorite drink, lemonade, is set to cost way more. When made from 1.5 pounds of lemons with 1 pound of sugar, lemonade will cost a total of $4.19 total, 12% higher than last year.

Pork and beans are up 2% from 2023 and chocolate chip cookies are 2% higher than last year. Two pints of strawberries are also up, costing $4.61 on average, while a large bag of chips is up 8%, costing $4.90 on average.

Uneven Prices Across the Nation

The estimate also noted that the prices may differ from region to region. While the majority of the country will be paying $7 per person for a cookout, people in the Northeast may feed a group of 10 for an average cost of $63.54.

Meanwhile, Southerners and Midwesterners will spend an average of $68.33 and $68.26 for the same. However, people in the West will spend nearly $1 per person more than the national average, which is  $80.88 for a party of 10.

A Dip in The Market

While grocery prices have gone up, the grill equipment market has witnessed a significant dip. High-end grill manufacturer Traeger reported sales worth $76.8 million in its latest quarter down from the $156.1 million in the second quarter of 2021. Another best-selling grill brand Weber has also witnessed a decline since 2020, as per data from TraQline. Similar trends were reported by Home Depot as well.