Jun 24, 2026
The national average cost of this year’s cookout for 10 people is $73.82. In Colorado, the average cost for the meal will be $73.93, which breaks down to $7.39 per person, down from 2025.
Families celebrating the 4th of July holiday will continue to find stubbornly high prices at the grocery store. An Independence Day cookout will cost, on average, $73.82 for 10 guests this year, based on the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual marketbasket survey, which is roughly $2.90 higher than 2025.
The national average cost of this year’s cookout for 10 people is $73.82. At $7.38 per person, 2026 will be the highest cost since the American Farm Bureau Federation began the survey in 2013. This year’s average is up from 2024’s record high of $71.22 and 2025’s average of $70.92.
In Colorado, the average cost for the meal will be $73.93, which breaks down to $7.39 per person, down from 2025’s average of $76.42 per meal, or $7.64 per person. The cookout favorites include cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, among other products.
The national average retail price for 2 pounds of ground beef increased 5.48% to $14.06. Pork and beans cost $3.06, up 37 cents from 2025. Potato salad is down 17.8% to $2.91.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “Higher prices at the grocery store don’t always translate to more money for farmers. The farmer’s share of the food dollar is around 6% after expenses. Farmers are dealing with natural disasters and higher supply costs while making the same - or sometimes less - money for the food they grow. Still, they’re committed to growing safe, affordable, sustainable and abundant food for our nation. Farmers represent less than 2% of the population, but they carry a great responsibility in providing nutrition for the remaining 98% of America.”
In the Northeast, Midwest, and South, the average ranges from $71.35 to $80.00 for 10 guests, which has increased since 2024, which was the second-highest year on record since 2013. In the West, the average is $80.00, which is $7.38 less than 2024 and $.88 less than 2025.
The July 4th cookout survey is part of the Farm Bureau marketbasket series, which also includes the popular annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey of common food staples Americans use to prepare a holiday meal at home.
Volunteer shoppers across the country, including Farm Bureau members and others, collected data from stores in every state and Puerto Rico.
Individual Prices in Colorado, Compared to (National Averages), per AFBF 2026 Summer Cookout Survey:
2 pounds of ground beef, $14.58 ($14.06)
2 pounds of chicken breasts, $8.00 ($8.06)
3 pounds of pork chops, $14.10 ($14.79)
1 pound of cheese, $3.64 ($3.60)
1 package of hamburger buns, $2.49 ($2.53)
2 ½ pounds of homemade potato salad, $1.97 ($2.91)
32 ounces of pork and beans, $3.70 ($3.06)
16 ounces of potato chips, $5.33 ($4.76)
13-ounce package of chocolate chip cookies, $4.46 ($4.25)
½ gallon of ice cream, $6.28 ($5.99)
2 pints of strawberries, $4.91 ($5.27)
2 ½ quarts of lemonade, $4.47 ($4.54)
To read the national release from the American Farm Bureau Federation, click here.
For Colorado’s averages since 2024, click here.