Pricele

Ground beef prices by year

A pound of ground beef averaged $6.09 in U.S. cities in 2025, up from $1.29 in 1984. In minutes of work at the average wage it went from 9.1 to 12.

The chart

$0$2$4$6$81990200020102020$6.091984: $1.29, 9.1 min of work1985: $1.24, 8.5 min of work1986: $1.23, 8.3 min of work1987: $1.31, 8.6 min of work1988: $1.36, 8.6 min of work1989: $1.44, 8.8 min of work1990: $1.59, 9.4 min of work1991: $1.60, 9.1 min of work1992: $1.54, 8.6 min of work1993: $1.57, 8.5 min of work1994: $1.48, 7.8 min of work1995: $1.37, 7.1 min of work1996: $1.37, 6.8 min of work1997: $1.40, 6.7 min of work1998: $1.41, 6.5 min of work1999: $1.45, 6.4 min of work2000: $1.57, 6.7 min of work2001: $1.71, 7.1 min of work2002: $1.71, 6.9 min of work2003: $1.95, 7.6 min of work2004: $2.16, 8.3 min of work2005: $2.30, 8.6 min of work2006: $2.22, 8.0 min of work2007: $2.30, 7.9 min of work2008: $2.34, 7.8 min of work2009: $2.22, 7.2 min of work2010: $2.37, 7.5 min of work2011: $2.77, 8.5 min of work2012: $3.03, 9.2 min of work2013: $3.40, 10.1 min of work2014: $3.90, 11.4 min of work2015: $4.17, 11.9 min of work2016: $3.75, 10.4 min of work2017: $3.64, 9.9 min of work2018: $3.72, 9.8 min of work2019: $3.81, 9.7 min of work2020: $4.12, 10.0 min of work2021: $4.33, 10.0 min of work2022: $4.81, 10.5 min of work2023: $5.02, 10.4 min of work2024: $5.39, 10.7 min of work2025: $6.09, 11.7 min of work
Annual U.S. city average in the dollars of each year. Every year is in the table below.

Every year

YearPriceChangeWork
2025$6.09+13%12 min
2024$5.39+7%11 min
2023$5.02+4%10 min
2022$4.81+11%10 min
2021$4.33+5%10 min
2020$4.12+8%10 min
2019$3.81+2%9.7 min
2018$3.72+2%9.8 min
2017$3.64-3%9.9 min
2016$3.75-10%10 min
2015$4.17+7%12 min
2014$3.90+15%11 min
2013$3.40+12%10 min
2012$3.03+9%9.2 min
2011$2.77+17%8.5 min
2010$2.37+7%7.5 min
2009$2.22-5%7.2 min
2008$2.34+2%7.8 min
2007$2.30+4%7.9 min
2006$2.22-3%8.0 min
2005$2.30+6%8.6 min
2004$2.16+11%8.3 min
2003$1.95+14%7.6 min
2002$1.71+0%6.9 min
2001$1.71+9%7.1 min
2000$1.57+8%6.7 min
1999$1.45+3%6.4 min
1998$1.41+1%6.5 min
1997$1.40+2%6.7 min
1996$1.37+0%6.8 min
1995$1.37-7%7.1 min
1994$1.48-6%7.8 min
1993$1.57+2%8.5 min
1992$1.54-4%8.6 min
1991$1.60+1%9.1 min
1990$1.59+10%9.4 min
1989$1.44+6%8.8 min
1988$1.36+4%8.6 min
1987$1.31+7%8.6 min
1986$1.23-1%8.3 min
1985$1.24-4%8.5 min
1984$1.299.1 min

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data, series APU0000703112 (Ground beef, 100% beef, per lb. (453.6 gm), U.S. city average). Each year is the mean of its monthly averages; years with fewer than ten months published are left out. Work is minutes at the BLS average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory employees. Not adjusted for inflation.

Use this chart

Writing about ground beef prices? Paste this into your page. The chart updates when the data does and links back to the full table.

<iframe src="https://www.pricele.online/embed/history/ground-beef" title="Ground beef prices by year" width="100%" height="360" style="border:0;max-width:600px" loading="lazy"></iframe>

Answered

What year were ground beef prices highest?
2025, when a pound of ground beef averaged $6.09 in U.S. cities (per lb, 100% beef), counting the years shown on this page.
When was a pound of ground beef cheapest in work time?
1999. At $1.45 and that year's average hourly wage, it took about 6.4 minutes of work. It took the longest in 2015, about 12 minutes.
What was the biggest one-year jump?
2011, up +17% on the year before to $2.77.

Play with it

Then & Now asks what one of these items cost in an earlier year, and Price Year shows a receipt and asks for the year. For how this item compares with the rest, read only three groceries got harder to buy since 1980. Other items: egg, white bread, gas, bacon, banana, cheddar cheese, ice cream, coffee, potato chip, chicken, chocolate chip cookie, tomato, sugar, orange juice.