Fourth Of July Inflation 'Shock'? 2026 BBQ Cost Hits Record
An annual report from Farm Bureau adds up the costs of an average Fourth of July barbeque outing for friends and family. With inflation on the mind of consumers, here’s a look at how much this year’s meal could cost and how that compares to recent years.
2026 Fourth of July BBQ Costs
Last year’s Farm Bureau Fourth of July basket cost came in lower than the record $71.22 set in 2024. This year, records are back with the average cost of items for 10 people coming in at $73.82, up 4% from 2025’s total.
An annual list since 2016, this year’s Farm Bureau survey lists the costs as the highest in survey history, with the 4% rise in line with the overall 12-month U.S. inflation of 4.2%.
Broken down by food item, here’s a look at some of the costliest and highest rising cost items for 2026:
- Two pounds of ground beef: $14.06, +5.5%
- One pound of cheese: $3.60, +1.7%
- Hamburger buns: $2.53, +7.7%
- Two pounds of chicken breasts: $8.06, +3.5%
- Pork chops: $14.79, +4.7%
- Two pints Strawberries: $5.27, +12.4%
- Lemonade (2.5 quarts): $4.54, +3.9%
- Pork and beans: $3.06, +13.8%
- Chocolate chip cookies: $4.25, +6.3%
- Half-gallon ice cream: $5.99, +5.3%
Here are the items that had lower average costs for 2026:
- Potato salad: $2.91, -17.8%
- Potato chips: $4.76, -0.8%
The overall rising costs for consumers for the Fourth of July holiday come with higher gas prices at the pump and continued concerns about rising costs for many items in grocery stores.
Costs Depend on Region
The annual Farm Bureau survey also breaks down the average costs based on four regions of the United States.
Here are the average costs by region and the year-over-year change for that region:
- West: $80.00, +8.8%
- Midwest: $71.45, +2.3%
- South: $72.08, +4.6%
- Northeast: $71.35, +11.9%
The Northeast has the lowest overall average costs for items to feed 10 people, but also saw the largest year-over-year change among the four regions.
The West comes in first for the costliest region with an average cost of $80.00, more than $6 above the national average.
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