Wisconsinites to See 7.5% Cost Increase for Average 4th of July Cookout

Wednesday, July 1st, 2026 -- 9:00 AM

(Colleen Kottke, Wisconsin State Farmer) While both national and state data show that Fourth of July cookouts are getting more expensive, Wisconsin shoppers are feeling a sharper pinch than the country as a whole.

According to Colleen Kottke with the Wisconsin State Farmer, the American Farm Bureau Federation puts this year’s average cookout cost at $73.82 for 10 people, a 4% increase from last year.

In Wisconsin, however, the Farm Bureau’s Marketbasket survey found the same meal will cost $75.50, up 7.5%. That’s not just a slightly higher total, it’s a faster rate of increase.

“Wisconsinites can expect to see a higher total when shopping for their Fourth of July barbeque,” said WFBF Senior Director of Public Relations Cassie Sonnentag. “From availability to inflation, we are seeing increases across many of the food items on the shopping list.”

The sticker price of a cookout is higher this year, but inflation-adjusted figures provide perspective, says AFBF economist Faith Parum. "When deflating the value using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the cost of the basket is $22.03 in 1982-84 dollars, slightly lower than the $22.06 observed in 2025. On a per-person basis, the inflation-adjusted cost is $2.20, compared to $2.21 last year," Parum said.

"In other words, while families are paying more dollars at checkout, the purchasing-power cost of the basket is nearly flat from last year. Inflation-adjusted cookout costs have also remained relatively stable over the last several years and remain below the peak of $23.84 reached in 2022."

A big part of the difference comes down to what’s happening on the grill. Nationally, ground beef prices rose about 5.5%, reflecting tight cattle supplies after years of drought and high production costs.

In Wisconsin, those pressures are being felt even more intensely. Ground beef jumped 23.3% to $7.30 per pound, making it the single largest driver behind the state’s higher overall cost.

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