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Who doesn't like a burger and fries?

About 40 years ago the answer might have been everyone loves a burger. But today with a greater understanding of healthy eating that is not a unanimous answer. But there is now a sub-text to those who don't indulge and that is cost.

[You can stop here as no ham hardware or software has been developed over the last couple of days as my attention has been focused on getting the Windows 11 computer working on WSJTX. But today's topic is right on your dinner table.]

I am starting to think about the kids coming over for Christmas and what would that holiday be (in an Italian home) without spaghetti and meatballs. The plan involves cooking the meatballs and freezing them. The principal ingredient is ground beef. That is when sticker shock set in about the cost of ground beef. A quick chat with copilot produced the following.

Here’s the graph of the average monthly price of ground beef per pound in the U.S. for 2025. It shows how costs steadily climbed throughout the year, hitting record highs in the summer and continuing upward into the fall and winter.

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Key Highlights from 2025 📈

  • January 2025: $5.72 per pound

  • May 2025: $5.98 per pound (16% higher than May 2024)

  • June 2025: $6.12 per pound (first time breaking $6)

  • July 2025: $6.25 per pound (new record high)

  • September 2025: $6.32 per pound

  • End of 2025 (estimates): Prices projected to reach around $6.55 per pound

What Drove Prices Higher?

  • Drought conditions reducing cattle supplies

  • Rising feed costs and high interest rates

  • Cyclical herd contraction tightening supply

This visualization makes it clear: 2025 was a year of historic beef price inflation, with costs climbing month after month and little relief for consumers.

Would you like me to also compare this with previous years (like 2024) so you can see how steep the increase really was?

Yes

Here’s the comparison chart of monthly ground beef prices for 2024 vs. 2025. It clearly shows how prices surged in 2025 compared to the previous year, with costs breaking past $6 per pound for the first time.

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Key Insights 🥩

  • 2024: Prices averaged around $5.35 per pound, with a peak near $5.55 in December.

  • 2025: Prices jumped to an average of $6.12 per pound by mid-year, reaching $6.32 in September and projected to hit $6.55 by December.

  • Year-over-year inflation: Ground beef rose 8.4% from 2024 to 2025, far outpacing general inflation.

Why the Increase?

  • Supply constraints: Drought and herd contraction reduced cattle numbers.

  • Higher feed and input costs: Rising grain and energy prices pushed production costs up.

  • Consumer demand: Despite higher prices, demand remained strong, keeping upward pressure on retail costs.

This side-by-side view makes it clear: 2025 was a historic year for beef inflation, with prices consistently higher than 2024 across every month. Would you like me to extend this comparison back to 2020–2023 so you can see the longer-term trend?

yes long term trend

Here’s the long-term trend of U.S. ground beef prices from 2020 through 2025. Prices rose steadily each year, with 2025 marking the sharpest increase yet.

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📊 Key Data (Average Price per Pound)

  • 2020: $4.10

  • 2021: $4.27

  • 2022: $4.53

  • 2023: $4.94

  • 2024: $5.35

  • 2025: $6.32 (through September, projected $6.55 by December)

🔎 What the Trend Shows

  • Steady climb: Ground beef prices have increased every year since 2020, reflecting both inflation and supply constraints.

  • Acceleration in 2025: The jump from $5.35 in 2024 to over $6.30 in 2025 represents the fastest rise in recent years.

  • Drivers of cost: Drought, reduced cattle herds, higher feed costs, and strong consumer demand all contributed to the surge.

🌐 Context

Compared to overall inflation, beef prices have risen faster, highlighting how food costs—especially protein staples—are under unique pressure. The chart makes clear that what was once a $4 staple in 2020 is now pushing past $6.50 in 2025, a ~60% increase in just five years.

So now we have to go back a year ago when a person promised that inflation would be over literally overnight. The jump in price for the cheapest cut of meat is historic, and it happened literally overnight. For those who made that choice a year ago, your decision came with a price.

Them that know, do know meatballs made out of turkey meat or tofu is not Italian! My magic meatball recipe is posted on https://www.pastapete.com



73's
Pete N6QW

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