How Much More Are Families Paying for Five Grocery Staples
We hear about rising prices in the news, but that can feel hard to picture in real life. A simpler way to understand the pressure is to look at a few everyday grocery staples and see how much they’ve changed in a short time.
Below are five common items many families buy, and how their prices changed over the last two years. These figures come from Federal Reserve Economic Data, a free online database from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources. The information is based on national averages, not a specific region:
- Coffee (ground roast), per pound: up 48.6% (from $6.09 to $9.05)
- Orange juice (frozen concentrate), per 16 ounces: up 29.7% (from $3.72 to $4.82)
- Ground beef (one hundred percent beef), per pound: up 28.3%(from $5.21 to $6.69)
- Rice (white, long grain, uncooked), per pound: up 8.7% (from $0.99 to $1.08)
- Eggs (Grade A, large), per dozen: up 8.2% (from $2.51 to $2.71)
These price changes matter because families don’t buy these items once in a while. They buy them again and again. So even a small increase can stack up fast, and a big increase can break a tight budget.
It’s important to note that not every grocery item rose at these high rates. Some items may not have seen increases, or may have come down in price. Still, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest report states that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food rose 3.1% over the last twelve months (ending December 2025). Over that same period, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) was 2.7%. This means food costs rose faster than prices overall.
Food is only one part of the squeeze. Families also face high costs for housing, transportation, and other basics. The latest United Way report on Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) households in Miami-Dade County shows that:
- These households increased by nearly 40,000 in just two years.
- The median household income in Miami-Dade County is $72,311, which is far below the $89,844 Household Survival Budget for a family of four to live and work in the area.
- The Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed threshold is the lowest income level a household needs to cover essential expenses.
This is why Bridge To Hope matters. Thanks to your support, we’re able to step into the gap for families who need help right now. We help with basic needs, but we also help people move from simply surviving to building a stable path toward thriving. We’re not just a food pantry—we’re a bridge to opportunities for many people.
What grocery item has surprised you most by how much its price has risen?
Sources:
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/APU0000717311
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/APU0000713111
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/APU0000703112
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/APU0000701312
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/APU0000708111
CPI Report
ALICE Report
