Beef prices, August 2026
Ground beef $6.923/lb · up 9.6% YoY
- U.S. retail ground beef averaged $6.923 per pound in - +9.6% year over year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 2 of the tracked retail series set a record high that month.
- The Choice boxed beef cutout averaged $377.76/cwt at wholesale (USDA AMS).
- Fed steers averaged $228.23/cwt in the 5-area market (USDA AMS).
- The composite Beef Price Index read 153.5 (2020=100).
Retail beef prices, August 2026
| Cut | $/lb | MoM | YoY | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground chuck, 100% beef | $6.774 | −0.076 | +2.2% | |
| Ground beef, 100% beef | $6.923 | +0.038 | +9.6% | ✓ |
| All uncooked ground beef | $7.158 | +0.042 | +7.9% | ✓ |
| All other uncooked beef and veal | $8.135 | +0.126 | +3.3% | |
| Ground beef, lean and extra-lean | $8.573 | +0.159 | +7.8% | |
| Round roast, USDA Choice, boneless | $8.959 | −0.196 | +10.2% | |
| All uncooked beef roasts | $9.368 | −0.203 | +7.4% | |
| Beef for stew, boneless | $9.448 | −0.183 | +6.8% | |
| Round steak, USDA Choice, boneless | $9.692 | −0.344 | +6.8% | |
| All uncooked beef steaks | $12.813 | −0.251 | +4.8% | |
| Sirloin steak, USDA Choice, boneless | $14.357 | −0.235 | +0.3% |
Data month: August 2026 (BLS publishes each month's average prices with the following month's CPI release). MoM is shown only when the adjacent month was published. Wholesale figures are calendar-month averages of daily/weekly USDA data.