🍗 Pound of whole chicken by Year (1950–2025)
In 1950 it cost 60¢ (per pound). In 2025 it was $2.06, and the latest figure (Sep 2026) is $2.06. Adjusted for inflation, it was cheapest in 2006 and most expensive in 1950.
| Year | Price then | In today's money |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2.06 | $2.16 |
| 2024 | $2.00 | $2.15 |
| 2023 | $1.91 | $2.12 |
| 2022 | $1.80 | $2.07 |
| 2021 | $1.53 | $1.90 |
| 2020 | $1.56 | $2.03 |
| 2019 | $1.50 | $1.97 |
| 2018 | $1.50 | $2.01 |
| 2017 | $1.47 | $2.02 |
| 2016 | $1.46 | $2.06 |
| 2015 | $1.49 | $2.12 |
| 2014 | $1.53 | $2.18 |
| 2013 | $1.50 | $2.16 |
| 2012 | $1.42 | $2.09 |
| 2011 | $1.29 | $1.93 |
| 2010 | $1.26 | $1.95 |
| 2009 | $1.28 | $2.01 |
| 2008 | $1.21 | $1.89 |
| 2007 | $1.11 | $1.81 |
| 2006 | $1.05 | $1.75 |
| 2005 | $1.06 | $1.82 |
| 2004 | $1.07 | $1.91 |
| 2003 | $1.03 | $1.89 |
| 2002 | $1.07 | $2.01 |
| 2001 | $1.10 | $2.10 |
| 2000 | $1.07 | $2.10 |
| 1999 | $1.06 | $2.14 |
| 1998 | $1.04 | $2.16 |
| 1997 | $1.00 | $2.10 |
| 1996 | 97¢ | $2.09 |
| 1995 | 92¢ | $2.03 |
| 1994 | 90¢ | $2.05 |
| 1993 | 89¢ | $2.08 |
| 1992 | 87¢ | $2.09 |
| 1991 | 88¢ | $2.18 |
| 1990 | 90¢ | $2.32 |
| 1989 | 93¢ | $2.52 |
| 1988 | 85¢ | $2.43 |
| 1987 | 79¢ | $2.33 |
| 1986 | 84¢ | $2.57 |
| 1985 | 76¢ | $2.39 |
| 1984 | 81¢ | $2.63 |
| 1983 | 73¢ | $2.45 |
| 1982 | 71¢ | $2.49 |
| 1981 | 73¢ | $2.71 |
| 1980 | 71¢ | $2.90 |
| 1977 | 60¢ | $3.34 |
| 1976 | 60¢ | $3.53 |
| 1975 | 63¢ | $3.96 |
| 1974 | 56¢ | $3.83 |
| 1973 | 60¢ | $4.52 |
| 1972 | 41¢ | $3.34 |
| 1971 | 41¢ | $3.41 |
| 1970 | 41¢ | $3.54 |
| 1969 | 42¢ | $3.88 |
| 1968 | 40¢ | $3.86 |
| 1967 | 38¢ | $3.85 |
| 1966 | 41¢ | $4.29 |
| 1965 | 39¢ | $4.17 |
| 1964 | 38¢ | $4.11 |
| 1963 | 40¢ | $4.41 |
| 1962 | 41¢ | $4.53 |
| 1961 | 39¢ | $4.34 |
| 1960 | 43¢ | $4.86 |
| 1959 | 42¢ | $4.85 |
| 1958 | 47¢ | $5.43 |
| 1957 | 47¢ | $5.63 |
| 1955 | 57¢ | $7.22 |
| 1954 | 54¢ | $6.75 |
| 1953 | 60¢ | $7.51 |
| 1952 | 61¢ | $7.70 |
| 1951 | 62¢ | $8.02 |
| 1950 | 60¢ | $8.33 |
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 chicken 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 APU0000706111). Yearly figures are averages of the monthly or quarterly data.
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