Grocery Price Check

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Milk prices this week

$3.51/gallon average advertised sale price

+$0.21 vs last week +2.5% vs a year ago

Gallon, conventional · USDA-reported store count 955 · ads for the week of Oct 19, 2026

Last 4 weeks of ads
$3.25
vs $3.17 in the same weeks a year earlier (Sep 28–Oct 19, 2026)
BLS average retail price (September 2026)
$4.11
−0.6% vs a year earlier · includes regular prices
52-week range in ads
$2.54–$3.90
lowest to highest weekly average

What this number means: the average advertised sale price in grocery-store weekly ads across the US, not the price at any one store, and not the everyday shelf price. Milk, gallon, conventional, per gallon; ads for the week of October 19, 2026.

Definition and sources
  • How it's averaged: each advertised price is weighted by the number of stores USDA reports running it. That store count is summed across qualifying ads, so a store running two qualifying ads may count twice.
  • USDA label: “MILK”.
  • Data week: ads for the week of October 19, 2026, published by USDA on October 23, 2026. USDA publishes these weekly, on Fridays; this site checks for new reports every 30 minutes.
  • Coverage: USDA-reported store count 955, 8 of 8 regions. History since 2014.
  • BLS comparison: an approximate match. BLS tracks whole milk; ads here are any fat level, per gallon. BLS averages include both sale and regular prices.
  • Sources: USDA AMS “Weekly Grocery Store Dairy Feature Activity” (report 2995); BLS series APU0000709112. How we check the data.
In the store?See whether the milk price in front of you is a good one.
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Milk prices by region

Week of Oct 19, 2026, cheapest first. Bar: price relative to the priciest region. Chip: last 4 weeks vs the same weeks a year earlier.

Southwest $2.72+6.6%
Northwest $3.13−15.2%
Midwest $3.49+32.3%
South central $4.89+5.6%
Alaska (few stores) $4.98−3.6%
Hawaii $8.36+7.8%
Southeast no ad this week (last: $2.67, week of Sep 28, 2026)
Northeast no ad this week (last: $4.99, week of Oct 12, 2026)
United States $3.51+2.5%

The US figure reflects both prices and which stores and regions advertised, so it can move differently from every region.

The last 52 weeks

Average ad price
$2.50 $3 $3.50 $4 10-2012-0801-2603-1605-0406-2208-1009-28

52-week low $2.54, high $3.90.

Milk prices since 2014

BLS average retail priceAverage ad price (USDA)
$2.50 $3 $3.50 $4 2014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026

Ad prices are sale prices, so they usually sit below the BLS average retail price, which includes both sale and regular prices. How closely the two track each other varies by item: see the checks.

Good time to buy?

Low line this season: $2.92 per gallon (US). The latest average ad price, $3.51, is above it. In past weeks at or below the line, the ad price fell more than 2% further within 4 weeks 46.3% of the time, compared with 74% of all weeks (134 weeks over 10 years). That isn't rare enough to call it a good price outright.

The line is set each week from the same season in the previous 3 years, scaled to recent prices; both results come from tests that only use data available at the time. Check a store price · How these are tested.

Best time of year to buy

Milk has been higher-priced in October (the method's picks came in above the trend in 7 of 8 years, by 5.4% on average).

−0.7%Jan−1.4%Feb+1.7%Mar−2.8%Apr−1.2%May−2.4%Jun−3.9%Jul0.0%Aug−1.4%Sep+6.0%Oct+1.8%Nov+2.8%Dec

Descriptive pattern, all years: each month's average advertised sale price compared with the item's average over the 13 months around it (so inflation and price spikes don't tilt it), 2014 through April 2026. Below zero = lower than the trend. Months less than 6 months old aren't measured yet. A month is named only if this method, picking from earlier years alone, came in below the trend in at least 80% of at least 8 later years, by at least 2% on average, with no more than 4 months picked (claims policy v1).Every year's picks and results.

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Weekly prices, US and regions (CSV) · Monthly ad and BLS prices (CSV) · Report a correction

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Free to use with a link back. The chart updates itself when new USDA data arrives.

Monthly data table
MonthAd priceBLS average
2026-10$3.39–
2026-09$2.98$4.11
2026-08$3.29$4.23
2026-07$3.16$4.31
2026-06$3.19$4.32
2026-05$3.10$4.22
2026-04$3.01$4.14
2026-03$2.85$4.07
2026-02$2.66$4.03
2026-01$2.72$4.10
2025-12$2.93$4.05
2025-11$2.83$4.00
2025-10$3.11–
2025-09$3.11$4.13
2025-08$3.35$4.17
2025-07$3.52$4.16
2025-06$3.04$4.03
2025-05$2.98$4.02
2025-04$3.59$4.07
2025-03$3.77$4.05
2025-02$3.38$4.03
2025-01$3.19$4.03
2024-12$3.39$4.10
2024-11$3.46$4.14
2024-10$3.54$4.04
2024-09$3.34$4.02
2024-08$3.34$4.04
2024-07$3.33$3.98
2024-06$3.48$3.96
2024-05$3.24$3.86
2024-04$3.39$3.87
2024-03$3.46$3.89
2024-02$3.55$3.94
2024-01$3.43$3.96
2023-12$3.26$4.01
2023-11$3.41$4.00
2023-10$3.65$3.93
2023-09$3.38$3.96
2023-08$3.63$3.93
2023-07$3.38$3.97
2023-06$3.86$3.98
2023-05$3.57$4.04
2023-04$3.40$4.04
2023-03$3.41$4.10
2023-02$3.47$4.16
2023-01$3.16$4.20
2022-12$3.49$4.21
2022-11$3.27$4.22
2022-10$3.59$4.18
2022-09$3.24$4.18
2022-08$3.53$4.19
2022-07$3.40$4.16
2022-06$3.35$4.15
2022-05$3.78$4.20
2022-04$3.51$4.01
2022-03$3.34$3.92
2022-02$3.00$3.88
2022-01$3.36$3.79
2021-12$3.49$3.74
2021-11$3.38$3.67
2021-10$3.32$3.66
2021-09$2.99$3.58
2021-08$2.92$3.56
2021-07$2.96$3.63
2021-06$2.53$3.56
2021-05$3.78$3.50
2021-04$2.83$3.45
2021-03$2.67$3.35
2021-02$3.02$3.37
2021-01$3.05$3.47
2020-12$3.21$3.54
2020-11$3.27$3.42
2020-10$3.40$3.38
2020-09$3.04$3.45
2020-08$2.89$3.41
2020-07$2.50$3.25
2020-06$2.58$3.20
2020-05$2.24$3.21
2020-04$2.48$3.27
2020-03$3.55$3.25
2020-02$2.94$3.20
2020-01$3.10$3.25
2019-12$3.12$3.19
2019-11$2.95$3.19
2019-10$3.03$3.12
2019-09$2.71$3.10
2019-08$2.93$3.04
2019-07$2.47$3.03
2019-06$2.72$3.05
2019-05$2.63$2.96
2019-04$2.69$2.98
2019-03$2.69$2.94
2019-02$2.72$2.90
2019-01$2.72$2.91
2018-12$2.83$2.85
2018-11$2.46$2.88
2018-10$2.83$2.91
2018-09$2.77$2.89
2018-08$2.90$2.87
2018-07$2.75$2.84
2018-06$2.97$2.88
2018-05$2.59$2.92
2018-04$2.40$2.92
2018-03$2.87$2.90
2018-02$2.73$2.92
2018-01$2.72$2.96
2017-12$2.74$3.15
2017-11$3.02$3.15
2017-10$2.75$3.16
2017-09$2.62$3.21
2017-08$2.60$3.17
2017-07$2.38$3.22
2017-06$2.90$3.21
2017-05$2.78$3.24
2017-04$2.76$3.26
2017-03$2.66$3.31
2017-02$2.62$3.30
2017-01$2.69$3.32
2016-12$2.58$3.29
2016-11$2.53$3.28
2016-10$2.62$3.29
2016-09$2.83$3.23
2016-08$2.50$3.14
2016-07$2.48$3.06
2016-06$2.37$3.12
2016-05$2.46$3.16
2016-04$2.41$3.15
2016-03$2.42$3.19
2016-02$2.38$3.23
2016-01$2.48$3.31
2015-12$2.63$3.31
2015-11$2.52$3.30
2015-10$2.50$3.34
2015-09$2.54$3.39
2015-08$2.40$3.39
2015-07$2.55$3.43
2015-06$2.45$3.37
2015-05$2.66$3.39
2015-04$2.78$3.40
2015-03$2.94$3.46
2015-02$3.10$3.50
2015-01$2.98$3.76
2014-12$3.27$3.82
2014-11$3.56$3.86
2014-10$3.83$3.77
2014-09$2.95$3.73
2014-08$3.07$3.67
2014-07$3.04$3.65
2014-06$3.16$3.63
2014-05$2.92$3.73
2014-04$3.08$3.69
2014-03$3.22$3.67
2014-02$2.93$3.56
2014-01$3.04$3.55