US Beef Prices Are at All-Time Highs But Americans Keep Eating Steak
Beef prices are at an-all time high. New budget-friendly cuts are meeting demand.
by bloomberg
21 Comments
bloomberg
*Ilena Peng for Bloomberg News*
Like many protein-obsessed Americans, Mesa Khalil is constantly calculating the best way to reach her 130-gram-a-day target. She’ll eat ground beef over rice or pasta throughout the week, but it’s a steak that both sates her cravings and helps her reach her goals. It’s “not a cheap diet to have. I feel like it’s definitely gotten more expensive,” says the 25-year-old hairstylist from Chicago, who once a week shells out $15 for a New York strip to sear at home on a cast-iron pan. “But honestly, same with everything else in this world, sometimes you just kind of have to bite the bullet.”
Many Americans are coping in their own way with the rising cost of beef—and yet they’re mostly unwilling to give up red meat altogether. Even though prices are at an all-time high, with beef and veal costs up 15% in January from a year earlier, US consumers are nonetheless projected in 2026 to eat the most beef per capita in more than 15 years, estimates from the US Department of Agriculture show. To help square those two seemingly at-odds facts, shoppers are looking for cheaper options in restaurants and at the store—and butchers, grocers and chefs are finding creative ways to oblige.
They’re mostly rising at the floor, which is detrimental because this is where the majority of consumers are going to be… Top cuts are not changing dramatically either that or the steakhouse purveyors are absorbing the cost rather than passing it on to premium customers. So the costs are being passed on to the customers who can barely afford to absorb them.
I’ve been paying $60/lb for several years and it’s still $60/lb, for 48-day dry aged USDA Prime.
zevans08
Nope. Steak is now a 2-3 tine a year thing. I can make great chicken all day for next to nothing
NewHampshireWoodsman
Haven’t consistently bought steak or red meat in years. Most professionals i know with k9ds are in a similar boat. We couldn’t afford it 3 years ago. Lmao
ParForTheCourse26
I enjoy driving, and I don’t bitch about gas prices. I eat beef all the time, and I don’t bitch about prices. Do I notice when costs increase? Of course. But, it’s not going to stop me from doing what I enjoy. If people think beef prices have increased, they should see what’s happened to golf! (Not cutting back on that, either)
LoveisBaconisLove
This trend has caused the price of the venison I shoot to drop from “obscenely stupidly expensive” to “ridiculously stupidly expensive.” I call that a win.
JackieDaytona77
I bought $300 worth of steaks at Costco yesterday. Wasn’t even a good deal but the display was almost empty and I bulk shop every 2 months. I told my wife people don’t give a shit about prices and prices won’t come down as long as these displays are constantly empty. Skirt steak? SIXTY dollars for 1.5lbs at the local supermarket. Skirt steak used to be the cheapest cut of meat 20 years ago. I hate you all for ruining something so good 🤣🤣
Midzotics
Glad I can shoot a half dozen deer a year.
AdSevere1274
We Vegans are not unhappy about this but the cost vegan foods have been going up steadily as well. But of course it is still much less if one avoid ready made stuff but not otherwise.
P.S. You can count the number if angry meat eaters relative to the net consumers by looking at my down-votes.. I would estimate 6%.. They are getting more angry.. 2 hours later; it is about 10% now. Some of them are going to kill and eat deer instead.
Paraskeets
What’s the best place to buy bulk?! I feel like Costco has definitely been a noticeable increase obviously some of the smaller grocery stores as well. How good of deal are the online subscription services like butcher box. Never considered them until now, but that seems to be an option at least
I literally have 12+ grocery stores within a 15 minute drive. If I’m in the mood for a steak, I’ll take a few minutes to go online and see who has them on sale. I can also usually find ground beef at $4.50 a lbs. at one of these stores
Trix4Treats
We also keep eating gas prices!!
NotRyanDunn
It’s the only thing I enjoy cooking, lol
Dry_Jellyfish641
I eat steak, but I have a stupid cheap hook up or else I wouldn’t be eating it
No_Kangaroo_8713
Here in Nebraska our ground beef is between $5.79 – $6.99 per pound. I purchased ribeye last month and paid $22.99 per pound.
polishbrucelee
Americans will go into crippling debt to sustain any kind of lifestyle they had or appear to have. It’s what we do best!
LucasL-L
Its not that now the price is “high” it simply was too cheap before and unsustainable to producers.
drrednirgskizif
Maybe I am crazy but I don’t think hamburger meat isTHAT much higher
Islandlyfe32
I’ve been buying a full or 1/2 a cow for a few years now and have noticed I saved a lot of money by not Including beef in my monthly grocery budget. It usually lasts me 12-18 months, better tasting beef straight from the farm, you are supporting your local farmer (money goes back to the local economy)…there are so many benefits.
mparks37
Over time, people will change their eating habits. I’ve read articles that beyond the issues such as drought, etc., over the last few years, that many ranchers don’t want to increase herds, because they like the high prices they are getting. This will hurt the industry in the long run.
21 Comments
*Ilena Peng for Bloomberg News*
Like many protein-obsessed Americans, Mesa Khalil is constantly calculating the best way to reach her 130-gram-a-day target. She’ll eat ground beef over rice or pasta throughout the week, but it’s a steak that both sates her cravings and helps her reach her goals. It’s “not a cheap diet to have. I feel like it’s definitely gotten more expensive,” says the 25-year-old hairstylist from Chicago, who once a week shells out $15 for a New York strip to sear at home on a cast-iron pan. “But honestly, same with everything else in this world, sometimes you just kind of have to bite the bullet.”
Many Americans are coping in their own way with the rising cost of beef—and yet they’re mostly unwilling to give up red meat altogether. Even though prices are at an all-time high, with beef and veal costs up 15% in January from a year earlier, US consumers are nonetheless projected in 2026 to eat the most beef per capita in more than 15 years, estimates from the US Department of Agriculture show. To help square those two seemingly at-odds facts, shoppers are looking for cheaper options in restaurants and at the store—and butchers, grocers and chefs are finding creative ways to oblige.
[Read the full story here.](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-23/us-beef-prices-are-at-all-time-highs-but-americans-keep-eating-steak?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3MTg1MTIxMCwiZXhwIjoxNzcyNDU2MDEwLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUQVdSVzVLR0NUS0YwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJEMzU0MUJFQjhBQUY0QkUwQkFBOUQzNkI3QjlCRjI4OCJ9.NFfE6VcmDB3-d_PiNMlHGel7Zd-Xpye2ryJ8SWxRjzg)
They’re mostly rising at the floor, which is detrimental because this is where the majority of consumers are going to be… Top cuts are not changing dramatically either that or the steakhouse purveyors are absorbing the cost rather than passing it on to premium customers. So the costs are being passed on to the customers who can barely afford to absorb them.
I’ve been paying $60/lb for several years and it’s still $60/lb, for 48-day dry aged USDA Prime.
Nope. Steak is now a 2-3 tine a year thing. I can make great chicken all day for next to nothing
Haven’t consistently bought steak or red meat in years. Most professionals i know with k9ds are in a similar boat. We couldn’t afford it 3 years ago. Lmao
I enjoy driving, and I don’t bitch about gas prices. I eat beef all the time, and I don’t bitch about prices. Do I notice when costs increase? Of course. But, it’s not going to stop me from doing what I enjoy. If people think beef prices have increased, they should see what’s happened to golf! (Not cutting back on that, either)
This trend has caused the price of the venison I shoot to drop from “obscenely stupidly expensive” to “ridiculously stupidly expensive.” I call that a win.
I bought $300 worth of steaks at Costco yesterday. Wasn’t even a good deal but the display was almost empty and I bulk shop every 2 months. I told my wife people don’t give a shit about prices and prices won’t come down as long as these displays are constantly empty. Skirt steak? SIXTY dollars for 1.5lbs at the local supermarket. Skirt steak used to be the cheapest cut of meat 20 years ago. I hate you all for ruining something so good 🤣🤣
Glad I can shoot a half dozen deer a year.
We Vegans are not unhappy about this but the cost vegan foods have been going up steadily as well. But of course it is still much less if one avoid ready made stuff but not otherwise.
P.S. You can count the number if angry meat eaters relative to the net consumers by looking at my down-votes.. I would estimate 6%.. They are getting more angry.. 2 hours later; it is about 10% now. Some of them are going to kill and eat deer instead.
What’s the best place to buy bulk?! I feel like Costco has definitely been a noticeable increase obviously some of the smaller grocery stores as well. How good of deal are the online subscription services like butcher box. Never considered them until now, but that seems to be an option at least
https://preview.redd.it/fswjazwzaumg1.jpeg?width=856&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5353ea6b337acd086cdbd24b71e6f1f43d3a6d3a
I literally have 12+ grocery stores within a 15 minute drive. If I’m in the mood for a steak, I’ll take a few minutes to go online and see who has them on sale. I can also usually find ground beef at $4.50 a lbs. at one of these stores
We also keep eating gas prices!!
It’s the only thing I enjoy cooking, lol
I eat steak, but I have a stupid cheap hook up or else I wouldn’t be eating it
Here in Nebraska our ground beef is between $5.79 – $6.99 per pound. I purchased ribeye last month and paid $22.99 per pound.
Americans will go into crippling debt to sustain any kind of lifestyle they had or appear to have. It’s what we do best!
Its not that now the price is “high” it simply was too cheap before and unsustainable to producers.
Maybe I am crazy but I don’t think hamburger meat isTHAT much higher
I’ve been buying a full or 1/2 a cow for a few years now and have noticed I saved a lot of money by not Including beef in my monthly grocery budget. It usually lasts me 12-18 months, better tasting beef straight from the farm, you are supporting your local farmer (money goes back to the local economy)…there are so many benefits.
Over time, people will change their eating habits. I’ve read articles that beyond the issues such as drought, etc., over the last few years, that many ranchers don’t want to increase herds, because they like the high prices they are getting. This will hurt the industry in the long run.