July 4 cookout costs 17 percent higher this year

Joseph Guzman | June 27, 2022
·2 min read

Story at a glance

  • Prices of ground beef, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork and beans, lemonade and other products have seen significant increases.

  • A new American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) survey found Americans will pay about $10 more than last year.

  • Economists from the AFBF attributed food and supply price hikes to ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.


Americans can expect to pay more for their Independence Day cookouts this year as soaring inflation and supply chain snags continue.

A new American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) survey found the average cost of a cookout is up 17 percent from 2021. Americans will pay about $69.68 for a cookout for 10 people, an increase of about $10 from the year prior.

Prices of ground beef, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork and beans, lemonade and other products have seen significant increases.

Economists from the AFBF attributed food and supply price hikes to ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Despite higher food prices, the supply chain disruptions and inflation have made farm supplies more expensive; like consumers, farmers are price-takers not price-makers,” American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist Roger Cryan said in a statement.

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“Bottom line, in many cases the higher prices farmers are being paid aren’t covering the increase in their farm expenses. The cost of fuel is up and fertilizer prices have tripled.”

The survey found the retail price for 2 pounds of ground beef increased by 36 percent from last year to about $11.12, while the average price of 2 pounds of chicken breasts increased 33 percent to $8.99. The price of three pounds of center cut pork chops increased 31 percent to $15.26. The cost of fresh-squeezed lemonade increased 22 percent from last year, while potato salad is 19 percent more expensive and hamburger buns about 16 percent more costly.

Some key cookout goods did see a drop in price from 2021. The cost of two pints of strawberries fell 16 percent, while a pound of sliced cheese fell 13 percent and a 16-ounce bag of potato chips fell 4 percent.

Meanwhile, a recent WalletHub survey found Americans are feeling the sting of inflation and are planning to spend less on July 4 celebrations this year. Two-thirds of Americans surveyed said they plan to spend less money this Fourth of July compared to last year, and 57 percent said inflation is affecting their holiday plans.

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