Beef prices, February 2026
Ground beef $6.739/lb · up 19.8% YoY
- U.S. retail ground beef averaged $6.739 per pound in — +19.8% year over year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 5 of the tracked retail series set a record high that month.
- The Choice boxed beef cutout averaged $369.29/cwt at wholesale (USDA AMS).
- Fed steers averaged $243.05/cwt in the 5-area market (USDA AMS).
- The composite Beef Price Index read 148.1 (2020=100).
Retail beef prices, February 2026
| Cut | $/lb | MoM | YoY | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground chuck, 100% beef | $6.703 | +0.010 | +16.7% | ✓ |
| Ground beef, 100% beef | $6.739 | −0.013 | +19.8% | |
| All uncooked ground beef | $6.895 | +0.027 | +15.7% | ✓ |
| All other uncooked beef and veal | $7.713 | −0.136 | +7.6% | |
| Ground beef, lean and extra-lean | $8.338 | +0.147 | +15.1% | ✓ |
| Round roast, USDA Choice, boneless | $8.587 | +0.041 | +14.6% | |
| All uncooked beef roasts | $8.926 | +0.102 | +11.6% | |
| Beef for stew, boneless | $8.957 | +0.248 | +10.5% | |
| Round steak, USDA Choice, boneless | $10.095 | +0.259 | +19.0% | ✓ |
| All uncooked beef steaks | $12.739 | +0.437 | +17.2% | ✓ |
| Sirloin steak, USDA Choice, boneless | $14.191 | +0.354 | +19.3% |
Data month: February 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.