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Russet potato prices this week

$2.97/5 lb bag average advertised sale price

−$0.29 vs last week +7.0% vs a year ago

5 lb bag · USDA-reported store count 5,651 · ads for the week of Oct 17, 2026

Last 4 weeks of ads
$3.00
vs $2.80 in the same weeks a year earlier (Sep 26–Oct 17, 2026)
52-week range in ads
$2.04–$3.41
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. Russet potatoes, 5 lb bag, per 5 lb bag; ads for the week of October 17, 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: “POTATOES” / “RUSSET”.
  • Data week: ads for the week of October 17, 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 5,651, 8 of 8 regions. History since 2014.
  • BLS comparison: we don’t show a closely matching BLS average-price series for this item.
  • Sources: USDA AMS “Weekly Grocery Store Specialty Crops Feature Activity” (report 3324). How we check the data.
In the store?See whether the russet potatoes price in front of you is a good one.
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Russet potato prices by region

Week of Oct 17, 2026, cheapest first. Bar: price relative to the priciest region. Chip: last 4 weeks vs the same weeks a year earlier.

Alaska (few stores) $1.67−52.4%
South central $2.29+12.0%
Midwest $2.54+2.0%
Southwest $2.94−4.7%
Northeast $2.96+16.7%
Southeast $3.40+9.7%
Northwest (few stores) $3.49+39.6%
Hawaii $5.54–
United States $2.97+7.0%

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 $2.50 $3 $3.50 10-1812-0601-2403-1405-0206-2008-0809-26

52-week low $2.04, high $3.41.

Russet potato prices since 2014

Average ad price (USDA)
$2 $2.50 $3 $3.50 $4 2014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026

Good time to buy?

Low line this season: $2.55 per 5 lb bag (US). The latest average ad price, $2.97, is above it. In past weeks at or below the line, the ad price fell more than 2% further within 4 weeks 43.8% of the time, compared with 76% of all weeks (144 weeks over 10 years). That isn't rare enough to call it a good price outright.

In October, neither buying now nor waiting a week has had a dependable edge for russet potatoes (tested over 10 years).

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

Russet potatoes have been higher-priced in July and August (the method's picks came in above the trend in 7 of 8 years, by 4.0% on average).

−2.6%Jan+0.9%Feb−2.1%Mar−1.6%Apr+2.4%May+2.6%Jun+6.5%Jul+4.6%Aug−0.8%Sep−3.3%Oct−4.4%Nov−2.5%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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Monthly data table
MonthAd price
2026-10$2.99
2026-09$2.94
2026-08$2.86
2026-07$3.02
2026-06$3.06
2026-05$2.78
2026-04$2.67
2026-03$2.91
2026-02$2.93
2026-01$2.82
2025-12$2.47
2025-11$2.84
2025-10$2.97
2025-09$2.81
2025-08$2.84
2025-07$3.15
2025-06$2.78
2025-05$3.04
2025-04$2.82
2025-03$2.97
2025-02$3.00
2025-01$2.76
2024-12$2.71
2024-11$2.92
2024-10$2.68
2024-09$2.85
2024-08$2.90
2024-07$2.97
2024-06$3.03
2024-05$3.07
2024-04$2.81
2024-03$2.81
2024-02$2.83
2024-01$2.82
2023-12$2.89
2023-11$2.62
2023-10$3.04
2023-09$3.17
2023-08$3.42
2023-07$3.91
2023-06$3.25
2023-05$3.19
2023-04$2.96
2023-03$3.13
2023-02$3.23
2023-01$3.15
2022-12$3.17
2022-11$2.93
2022-10$3.16
2022-09$3.05
2022-08$3.52
2022-07$3.28
2022-06$2.95
2022-05$2.97
2022-04$2.88
2022-03$2.67
2022-02$2.75
2022-01$2.68
2021-12$2.68
2021-11$2.39
2021-10$2.29
2021-09$2.54
2021-08$2.62
2021-07$2.67
2021-06$2.45
2021-05$2.44
2021-04$2.35
2021-03$2.53
2021-02$2.40
2021-01$2.44
2020-12$2.52
2020-11$2.47
2020-10$2.25
2020-09$2.37
2020-08$2.65
2020-07$2.56
2020-06$2.73
2020-05$2.47
2020-04$2.54
2020-03$2.39
2020-02$2.52
2020-01$2.49
2019-12$2.37
2019-11$2.54
2019-10$2.53
2019-09$2.58
2019-08$2.55
2019-07$2.60
2019-06$2.64
2019-05$2.57
2019-04$2.73
2019-03$2.70
2019-02$2.50
2019-01$2.53
2018-12$2.77
2018-11$2.34
2018-10$2.48
2018-09$2.50
2018-08$2.50
2018-07$2.53
2018-06$2.51
2018-05$2.57
2018-04$2.39
2018-03$2.34
2018-02$2.80
2018-01$2.33
2017-12$2.45
2017-11$2.12
2017-10$2.23
2017-09$2.35
2017-08$2.20
2017-07$2.17
2017-06$2.35
2017-05$2.39
2017-04$2.19
2017-03$2.03
2017-02$2.31
2017-01$2.22
2016-12$2.22
2016-11$2.23
2016-10$2.19
2016-09$2.12
2016-08$2.53
2016-07$2.31
2016-06$2.34
2016-05$2.27
2016-04$2.24
2016-03$2.06
2016-02$2.26
2016-01$2.15
2015-12$2.12
2015-11$2.21
2015-10$2.25
2015-09$2.27
2015-08$2.27
2015-07$2.33
2015-06$2.29
2015-05$2.24
2015-04$2.21
2015-03$2.17
2015-02$2.15
2015-01$2.22
2014-12$2.13
2014-11$2.22
2014-10$2.08
2014-09$2.23
2014-08$2.58
2014-07$2.64
2014-06$2.50
2014-05$2.43
2014-04$2.34
2014-03$2.19
2014-02$2.21
2014-01$2.33