🍔 Pound of ground beef by Year (1950–2025)
In 1950 it cost 57¢ (per pound). In 2025 it was $6.09, and the latest figure (Sep 2026) is $6.79. Adjusted for inflation, it was cheapest in 1998 and most expensive in 1950.
| Year | Price then | In today's money |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6.09 | $6.37 |
| 2024 | $5.39 | $5.79 |
| 2023 | $5.02 | $5.55 |
| 2022 | $4.81 | $5.54 |
| 2021 | $4.33 | $5.38 |
| 2020 | $4.12 | $5.36 |
| 2019 | $3.81 | $5.02 |
| 2018 | $3.71 | $4.98 |
| 2017 | $3.64 | $5.01 |
| 2016 | $3.75 | $5.26 |
| 2015 | $4.17 | $5.92 |
| 2014 | $3.90 | $5.55 |
| 2013 | $3.40 | $4.92 |
| 2012 | $3.03 | $4.45 |
| 2011 | $2.77 | $4.16 |
| 2010 | $2.37 | $3.66 |
| 2009 | $2.22 | $3.49 |
| 2008 | $2.34 | $3.67 |
| 2007 | $2.30 | $3.74 |
| 2006 | $2.22 | $3.71 |
| 2005 | $2.30 | $3.96 |
| 2004 | $2.16 | $3.85 |
| 2003 | $1.95 | $3.57 |
| 2002 | $1.71 | $3.21 |
| 2001 | $1.71 | $3.26 |
| 2000 | $1.57 | $3.07 |
| 1999 | $1.45 | $2.94 |
| 1998 | $1.41 | $2.92 |
| 1997 | $1.40 | $2.93 |
| 1996 | $1.37 | $2.94 |
| 1995 | $1.37 | $3.03 |
| 1994 | $1.48 | $3.36 |
| 1993 | $1.57 | $3.66 |
| 1992 | $1.54 | $3.70 |
| 1991 | $1.59 | $3.95 |
| 1990 | $1.59 | $4.09 |
| 1989 | $1.44 | $3.91 |
| 1988 | $1.36 | $3.89 |
| 1987 | $1.31 | $3.88 |
| 1986 | $1.23 | $3.79 |
| 1985 | $1.24 | $3.88 |
| 1984 | $1.29 | $4.17 |
| 1977 | 85¢ | $4.75 |
| 1976 | 88¢ | $5.19 |
| 1975 | 88¢ | $5.50 |
| 1974 | 97¢ | $6.64 |
| 1973 | 96¢ | $7.26 |
| 1972 | 74¢ | $5.99 |
| 1971 | 68¢ | $5.67 |
| 1970 | 66¢ | $5.75 |
| 1969 | 62¢ | $5.73 |
| 1968 | 56¢ | $5.43 |
| 1967 | 55¢ | $5.51 |
| 1966 | 54¢ | $5.63 |
| 1965 | 51¢ | $5.43 |
| 1964 | 50¢ | $5.38 |
| 1963 | 51¢ | $5.64 |
| 1962 | 52¢ | $5.80 |
| 1961 | 51¢ | $5.77 |
| 1960 | 52¢ | $5.97 |
| 1959 | 55¢ | $6.35 |
| 1958 | 53¢ | $6.18 |
| 1957 | 42¢ | $5.04 |
| 1955 | 40¢ | $4.97 |
| 1950 | 57¢ | $7.92 |
How to read this
“Price then” is the average for that year. “In today's money” converts it to Sep 2026 dollars with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), so you can see whether ground beef really got pricier or the dollar just shrank.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data (U.S. city average) (from 1980); Before 1980: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics retail food prices as published by the U.S. Census Bureau (Historical Statistics of the United States, Series E 187–202, and the Statistical Abstract of the United States) (series APU0000703112). Yearly figures are averages of the monthly or quarterly data.
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