Overview
- The American Farm Bureau Federation survey, published in late June, put the cost of a 10-person Fourth of July cookout at $73.82, a 4 percent increase from 2025 and the highest nominal total since the survey began.
- Most of the 12 items in the Farm Bureau marketbasket rose in price, led by ground beef up 5.5 percent, strawberries up 12.4 percent, and canned pork and beans up 13.8 percent due to higher aluminum costs.
- After adjusting the basket using the Consumer Price Index, the Farm Bureau found the real purchasing-power cost is largely unchanged from last year and remains slightly below the 2022 peak.
- Costs vary across the country, with the West averaging about $80 for a 10-person cookout and Michigan notably lower at $66.06, figures that reflect local supply, labor and transport differences.
- A separate National Retail Federation survey projects higher per-household spending at $94.41 and about $9.4 billion in total holiday food outlays, and shoppers report trimming menus or plans to manage higher grocery bills.