Fourth of July cookout prices see slight decrease
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Hoosiers shopping for their Fourth of July cookout will see slightly lower prices this year, according to the Indiana Farm Bureau.
The organization’s annual summer cookout market basket shows residents are paying an average of $68.33 for a cookout feeding 10 people this summer, a 2% decrease from last year.
The INFB summer cookout market basket survey was conducted in early June by volunteer shoppers across the state who collected prices on specific food items from one of their local grocery stores. They were tasked with looking for the best possible prices without the use of special coupons or deals.
The total market basket price includes summer staples such as ground beef, cheese, hamburger buns, pork chops, chicken breasts, pork and beans, potato salad, strawberries, chips, ice cream, cookies and lemonade.
The 2024 average equates to $6.83 per person, which is 4% less than the national average of $7.12 per person.
“Inflation is slowing slightly and supply chain issues that have been prevalent for the last few years are slowly getting worked out, so we are seeing a slight decrease in prices compared to last year here in Indiana,” INFB Chief Economist Todd Davis said in a news release. “Our location in the central part of the country–closer to where most food is produced–also plays a role in Indiana and other Midwest states coming in lower than the national average.”
The bureau said the item that saw the largest increase was ground beef at 14% to $13.88 for two pounds, citing declining cattle herds and higher feeding and operating costs for farmers.
However, items such as cookies, chicken breasts, cheese, ice cream and chips are more affordable in Indiana than last year, according to the survey. Strawberries in particular were 16% cheaper in Indiana than nationally.
“We’ve heard from specialty growers in central Indiana who had a large early crop this year around the end of May and beginning of June when this survey was conducted, which may have resulted in more affordable strawberries in the state compared to other regions,” Davis said.
The bureau noted that while food prices have slightly decreased this year, overall food casts are still high compared to two or three years ago, primarily due to inflation.