Grocery Price CheckGrocery Brief: week of October 19, 2026
Three things that stand out in US grocery ad prices this week, from USDA's weekly reports of advertised sale prices. Free to reuse with a link to Grocery Price Check.
What stands out
- Egg sale prices averaged $1.29 per dozen over the four weeks to Oct 19, down 41% from $2.17 in the same weeks a year earlier. Egg prices
- Ribeye steak sale prices averaged $17.46 per lb over the four weeks to Oct 19, up 13% from $15.51 in the same weeks a year earlier. Ribeye steak prices
- Ground turkey sale prices averaged $5.04 per lb over the four weeks to Oct 19, up 9% from $4.61 in the same weeks a year earlier. Ground turkey prices
Regional contrast
Egg ads were cheapest in the Northeast at $1.19 per dozen and priciest in the South central at $1.49, a 25% gap across the 4 regions with at least 25 store ads reported that week.
Thanksgiving is 5 weeks out: when turkey ads have been lower-priced and the Thanksgiving basket. Halloween is 2 weeks out: when pumpkin ads have been lower-priced.
Egg sale prices, last 52 weeks
Embed this chart: see "Download and embed" on the eggs page.
All items this week
| Item | Ad price | Last 4 weeks | Same weeks a year earlier | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avocados per avocado | $0.99 | $0.96 | $1.05 | −8.4% |
| Bacon per lb | $5.38 | $5.63 | $5.98 | −5.8% |
| Bananas per lb | $0.58 | $0.59 | $0.61 | −3.7% |
| Butter per lb | $3.57 | $3.66 | $4.24 | −13.7% |
| Cheese per lb | $4.83 | $4.77 | $4.65 | +2.6% |
| Chicken breast per lb | $2.71 | $2.56 | $2.81 | −8.9% |
| Chicken thighs per lb | $1.20 | $1.46 | $1.42 | +2.8% |
| Chicken wings per lb | $2.91 | $2.90 | $3.03 | −4.3% |
| Cream cheese per 8 oz pack | $2.73 | $2.74 | $2.82 | −2.7% |
| Eggs per dozen | $1.34 | $1.29 | $2.17 | −40.5% |
| Greek yogurt per cup | $1.20 | $1.23 | $1.22 | +0.4% |
| Ground beef per lb | $5.41 | $5.53 | $5.59 | −0.9% |
| Ground turkey per lb | $4.49 | $5.04 | $4.61 | +9.2% |
| Honeycrisp apples per lb | $1.83 | $2.01 | $1.90 | +5.9% |
| Ice cream per carton | $4.02 | $4.10 | $4.07 | +0.8% |
| Lemons per lemon | $0.64 | $0.67 | $0.65 | +2.7% |
| Milk per gallon | $3.51 | $3.25 | $3.17 | +2.5% |
| New York strip steak per lb | $15.60 | $14.07 | $13.84 | +1.7% |
| Pork chops per lb | $3.97 | $3.69 | $3.43 | +7.6% |
| Pumpkins per pumpkin | $5.85 | $5.71 | $5.56 | +2.6% |
| Red grapes per lb | $2.30 | $2.40 | $2.22 | +7.9% |
| Rib roast per lb | $11.18 | – | – | – |
| Ribeye steak per lb | $17.97 | $17.46 | $15.51 | +12.6% |
| Russet potatoes per 5 lb bag | $2.97 | $3.00 | $2.80 | +7.0% |
| Sirloin steak per lb | $8.55 | $9.57 | $10.33 | −7.4% |
| Spiral ham per lb | $2.99 | – | – | – |
| Strawberries per 1 lb pack | $3.22 | $3.13 | $3.09 | +1.3% |
| Tomatoes per lb | $1.73 | $1.84 | $1.85 | −0.4% |
| Whole chicken per lb | $1.41 | $1.44 | $1.47 | −2.2% |
| Whole turkey per lb | $1.30 | – | – | – |
| Yellow onions per 3 lb bag | $3.12 | $2.66 | $2.86 | −7.0% |
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Method
Prices are average advertised sale prices in US grocery-store weekly ads, weighted by the number of stores USDA reports running each price (USDA Agricultural Marketing Service grocery feature reports). They're not the price at any one store or the everyday shelf price. "Change" compares the average of the last 4 weekly reports with the same 4 weeks 52 weeks earlier; items need all 4 weeks on both sides, and findings only use items with at least 100 store ads reported, at most one per category. The brief for each week is computed from the data as it stood that week; USDA can revise later.