Ground beef is within 5% of its BLS record high.
Ground beef averages $6.79 per pound — 1.9% below the August 2026 record and +7.4% versus last year.
Where beef prices stand
Ground beef averaged $6.79 per pound for September 2026. The price is 7.4% higher than a year ago. The latest monthly change is −1.9%, and the price is 1.9% below the August 2026 record. The annual trend can point in a different direction from the latest monthly move.
Why beef stays expensive
USDA describes a cattle cycle shaped by producer returns, breeding decisions, weather and the time required to raise animals. Its sector overview documents herd contraction through January 2025, while its current outlook reports historically low fed-cattle slaughter. Rebuilding a herd takes years because a rancher who keeps heifers to breed is pulling animals out of the beef supply today to make more beef later. These mechanisms help explain supply constraints, but do not determine the direction of every monthly retail change.
A real shelf price
Every figure here is the BLS average retail price, tracked monthly since January 1984.
Frequently asked questions
How much does ground beef cost right now?
100% ground beef averaged $6.79 per pound at the U.S. city average in September 2026, per BLS data.
Why is beef so expensive?
USDA reports low fed-cattle slaughter and describes the slow breeding and production cycle. Imports, demand and processing conditions also affect retail beef prices — beef is +7.4% year over year.
Will beef prices come down?
Herd rebuilding is slow, but imports, demand and processing conditions can also change retail prices before the herd expands. As of September 2026 ground beef is −1.9% month over month.
Sources and methodology
- BLS average retail food and energy prices
- USDA ERS cattle production cycle
- USDA ERS cattle and beef market outlook
- Basket Report methodology
- Basket Report data downloads
Data through September 2026 · Editorial prose reviewed for September 2026 · Source data is independently analyzed by Basket Report and does not imply BLS endorsement.
Explore ground beef prices
See the full price history and how beef tracks the cattle cycle.