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A $73.82 Fourth of July cookout: the priciest since 2016, but nearly flat after inflation

A Fourth of July cookout for 10 people costs $73.82 this year, about $7.38 a person, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual survey, Fox 2 Detroit reported on June 30. That is $2.90, or 4%, more than last year. Two pounds of ground beef cost $14.06, up 5.5%; three pounds of pork chops $14.79, up 4.7%; and two pounds of chicken breasts $8.06, up 3.5%. The biggest jumps were pork and beans, up 13.8%, and strawberries, up 12.4%, while potato salad fell 17.8% to $2.91 and potato chips slipped 0.8%. The West is the dearest region at $80, and the Northeast the cheapest at $71.35. Fox 2 Detroit noted the holiday marks America's 250th birthday this year.

"the increase closely reflects broader inflation" — American Farm Bureau Federation, via Fox 2 Detroit

The Farm Bureau set the rise against overall US inflation of 4.2% in the 12 months to May. Measured in 1982–84 dollars, the basket costs $22.03, against $22.06 last year, which the group described as nearly flat purchasing-power cost. Quartz led instead with the headline record, calling the total "the steepest tab recorded since the survey launched in 2016".

How each outlet framed it

• Fox 2 Detroit — the full shopping list, regional costs and the inflation adjustment.
• Quartz — the record bill, framed as the highest in the survey's history.

Where the numbers differ: Both are right. In dollars the cookout is the most expensive yet, while adjusted for inflation it costs slightly less than last year. The Farm Bureau still said "families are seeing higher prices at the grocery store".