American Farm Bureau Reports Cost of Fourth of July Cookout Increase 4%
Families celebrating the Fourth of July holiday with a cookout will find that prices at the grocery store closely reflect inflation increases over the last year. An Independence Day cookout will cost $73.82 for 10 guests this year, according to the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation annual marketbasket survey.
This is up $2.90 from last year, which is a 4 percent increase. The overall annual inflation rate in the United States is 4.2 percent for 12 months ending in May, which is consistent with the findings of the marketbasket survey, even though the survey tracks a much smaller basket of items.
At $7.38 per person, this is the most expensive Fourth of July cookout since Farm Bureau began surveying costs in 2016. However, after adjusting for inflation, cookout costs have remained relatively stable in recent years and remain below the previous peak reached in 2022.
The marketbasket survey shows an increase in the cost of 10 of the 12 tracked items including ground beef, pork and beans, strawberries and hamburger buns.
Interestingly, in Montana, the price of ground beef, pork chops, hamburger buns and chocolate chip cookies are less than the national average, while other picnic fare like chicken breasts, cheese, pork and beans, lemonade, strawberries
and homemade potato salad are up. According to the survey, the cost of a summer cookout for 10 in Montana is $72.13, or $7.21 per person. This is up $2.65 from last year. In the Western region, the average cost of the summer cookout is $80, or $8 per person.
Several factors influence the increased costs. The retail price for 2 pounds of ground beef increased 5.5 percent to $14.06. America’s ranchers continue to rebuild their herds following years of severe drought, which has affected supplies. It will take several years for herds to recover to pre-drought levels.
Strawberries cost $5.27 for two pints, an increase of 12.4 percent. Strawberry prices increased, in part, because of a devastating frost in Florida that destroyed many young plants early in the spring. High labor costs for fruits and vegetables are also a factor as well as increased costs for fuel used in refrigeration and transportation.
A 32-ounce can of pork and beans is up 37 cents from 2025 to $3.06. The cost of aluminum drastically increased this year, driving up the production cost of cans used in pork and beans.
Hamburger buns cost an average of $2.53, a 7.7 percent increase from last year. Increased production, transportation and labor costs contributed to the price increase of hamburger buns.
Two bright spots in the survey were potato salad and chips. The price for potato salad fell 17.8 percent from 2025 to $2.91. This can be attributed partially to a key salad ingredient – eggs. Egg prices have dropped as flocks recovered from avian influenza. Healthy potato harvests reduced the cost of making potato salad and chips. Chips were down 4 cents from 2025 to $4.76.
“Farmers represent less than 2 percent of the population, but they carry a great responsibility in providing nutrition for the remaining 98 percent of America. The critical role they play has traditionally been supported by investments in innovation, research and risk management, all made possible by the farm bill. We encourage lawmakers to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and then return to D.C. with a renewed commitment to pass a new, modernized farm bill. It’s an investment in our country’s future,” American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall said.
