Fourth of July barbecue costs remain near record highs as inflation and reduced availability of certain food items keep prices “stubbornly high,” according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
Families cooking for the holiday for 10 guests this year should expect to pay about $70.92, which is only 30 cents less from last year’s record-high cost, according to the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation annual marketbasket survey.
Broken down, that’s about $7.09 per person, meaning this year will be the second-highest cost since the AFBF began the survey in 2013.
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The AFBF’s list includes holiday staples such as cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, offering a snapshot of prices families are facing this summer.
However, the organization said that the higher costs don’t mean more money for farmers.
“Farmers are price takers, not price makers,” AFBF associate economist Samantha Ayoub said, adding that their share of the food retail dollar is only 15%. “The cost of running their farm is up, from labor and transportation, to taxes,” she added.
Specifically, prices rose for beef, potato salad and canned pork and beans, while the cost of pork chops, chips and hamburger buns fell.
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Several factors, including tariffs and tight cattle supplies, have helped drive the retail price of 2 pounds of ground beef up 4.4% to $13.33, the cost of pork and beans up 20 cents to $2.69 and potato salad up 6.6% to $3.54, according to data from the AFBF.
Steel and aluminum tariffs have impacted the cost of canned goods, while the persisting shortage of cattle has tightened supplies and increased meat costs. The cost of eggs, although much lower than the record highs earlier this year, is still elevated, as egg-laying chicken populations continue to recover from highly pathogenic avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu.
Pork supplies are up, which is pushing pork prices down and the “demand for potatoes has eased,” which aided in the reduction of chip prices. Additionally, wheat prices are still much lower than record highs of three years ago, contributing to the slight decrease in the cost of buns.
The AFBF is advocating for Congress to pass “a new, modernized five-year farm bill” that includes risk management tools for farmers, access to nutrition for low-income families, conservation programs and investments in agricultural research to help farmers contending with tax, labor and supply issues as well as outdated infrastructure in rural communities.
“Farmers are dedicated to doing the right thing, and their commitment to sustainable and innovative farming practices ensures a safe and abundant food supply for every family in America. Farmers and ranchers achieve this, in part, through research, conservation and farm safety net programs that are made possible through a strong farm bill,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said.
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s list of common barbecue staples and their price differences from a year ago:
- 2 pounds of ground beef, $13.33 (+4.4%)
- 2 pounds of chicken breasts, $7.79 (-0.5%)
- 3 pounds of pork chops, $14.13 (-8.8%)
- 1 pound of cheese, $3.54 (-0.9%)
- 1 package of hamburger buns, $2.35 (-2.6%)
- 2 ½ pounds of homemade potato salad, $3.54 (+6.6%)
- 32 ounces of pork and beans, $2.69 (+8.2%)
- 16-ounce bag of potato chips, $4.80 (-2.1%)
- 13-ounce package of chocolate chip cookies, $4.00 (+0.3%)
- ½ gallon of ice cream, $5.69 (+0.7%)
- 2 pints of strawberries, $4.69 (+1.7%)
- 2 ½ quarts of lemonade, $4.37 (+4.2%)
