Beef prices, May 2026
Ground beef $6.745/lb · up 12.8% YoY
- U.S. retail ground beef averaged $6.745 per pound in — +12.8% year over year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 3 of the tracked retail series set a record high that month.
- The Choice boxed beef cutout averaged $391.00/cwt at wholesale (USDA AMS).
- Fed steers averaged $259.48/cwt in the 5-area market (USDA AMS).
- The composite Beef Price Index read 152.1 (2020=100).
Retail beef prices, May 2026
| Cut | $/lb | MoM | YoY | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground chuck, 100% beef | $6.718 | −0.203 | +11.6% | |
| Ground beef, 100% beef | $6.745 | −0.154 | +12.8% | |
| All uncooked ground beef | $7.064 | +0.008 | +13.1% | ✓ |
| All other uncooked beef and veal | $8.013 | +0.097 | +9.0% | |
| Ground beef, lean and extra-lean | $8.624 | +0.112 | +12.2% | ✓ |
| Round roast, USDA Choice, boneless | $8.615 | −0.368 | +13.8% | |
| All uncooked beef roasts | $9.286 | −0.122 | +17.0% | |
| Beef for stew, boneless | $9.607 | +0.112 | +22.0% | ✓ |
| Round steak, USDA Choice, boneless | $9.789 | −0.036 | +16.5% | |
| All uncooked beef steaks | $12.802 | −0.222 | +16.0% | |
| Sirloin steak, USDA Choice, boneless | $14.274 | −0.453 | +16.9% |
Data month: May 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.