New Yorkers planning a Fourth of July cookout will pay an average of $67.55 to feed 10 people this year, a nearly 14% increase from 2025, according to New York Farm Bureau.
The state average remains below the national average of $73.82 and the Northeast regional average of $71.35, but Farm Bureau said the year-over-year jump reflects broader inflation pressures in the region.
The figures come from an annual marketbasket survey conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The survey tracks 12 items commonly served at Independence Day cookouts, including ground beef, chicken breasts, pork chops, hamburger buns, potato salad, pork and beans, potato chips, cookies, ice cream, strawberries and lemonade.
Nationally, the average cookout cost is up $2.90 from last year, a 4% increase. Farm Bureau said the overall U.S. inflation rate was 4.2% for the 12 months ending in May, while food prices increased 3.1% from a year earlier.
In New York, the average cost rose from $59.36 in 2025 to $67.55 this year. Farm Bureau economists attributed the increase to several factors, including U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing the Northeast had the largest regional inflation increase in 2026. The consumer price index in the Northeast was 5%, compared with 4.2% nationally.
"Families across the country are dealing with higher prices for many essential expenses like groceries, and New York families are no exception," said Amanda Powers, New York Farm Bureau's director of communications.
Powers said higher grocery prices do not mean farmers are making more money, noting that farmers receive less than 6 cents of every food dollar after expenses.
Several New York items saw sharp increases from last year, according to the survey. Chicken breasts averaged $8.91, up 49%; cheese slices averaged $4.17, up 65%; and ice cream averaged $5.67, up 58%. Ground beef averaged $13.10, up 23%, while pork chops averaged $13.02, up 14%.
Some items were cheaper in New York than last year. Potato salad averaged $3.60, down 5%; pork and beans averaged $3.46, down 7%; and chocolate chip cookies averaged $3.45, down 18%.
Farm Bureau said severe weather and higher production, transportation and labor costs contributed to price increases for many items. Healthy potato harvests and lower egg prices as avian influenza recedes helped lower the cost of potato salad.
The national cost of $7.38 per person, or $6.76 in New York, is the highest Fourth of July cookout price since Farm Bureau began the survey in 2016. Adjusted for inflation, Farm Bureau said cookout costs have remained relatively stable in recent years and remain below the previous peak reached in 2022.
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