July 4th: Cost to celebrate Independence Day rises

The cost of freedom is high ... and so is the celebration.

The U.S. Farm Bureau, an advocacy group supporting farmers and ranchers, crunched the numbers and found that if you’re hosting 10 people for the July 4th holiday you can expect to spend $71.22 on average, Reuters reported.

Last year, a cookout for 10 cost about $67.73.

CNN reported that the amount has broken a record, climbing 5% since 2023 and 30% since 2019.

The cost of meat is the main reason for the higher cost, accounting for about half of the $71.

The federation said that the price of 2 pounds of ground beef costs about $12.77 this year, or 11% more than last year.

Pork is up about 8% compared to last year, costing about $15.49 for three pounds.

But all is not sour. There is a glimmer of good news. Chicken is about 4% lower than last year at about $7.83 for two pounds.

Homemade potato salad is a bit cheaper too, with ingredients about 4% lower than in 2023.

Cheese and strawberries were pretty stable, only rising about 1% each year.

Here’s the complete list as compiled by the U.S. Farm Bureau:

2 pounds of ground beef, $12.77 (+11%)
2 pounds of chicken breasts, $7.83 (-4%)
3 pounds of pork chops, $15.49 (+8%)
1 pound of cheese, $3.57 (+1%)
1 package of hamburger buns, $2.41 (+7%)
2 ½ pounds of homemade potato salad, $3.32 (-4%)
32 ounces of pork and beans, $2.49 (+2%)
16 ounces of potato chips, $4.90 (+8%)
13-ounce package of chocolate chip cookies, $3.99 (+2%)
½ gallon of ice cream, $5.65 (+7%)
2 pints of strawberries, $4.61 (+1%)
2 ½ quarts of lemonade, $4.19 (+12%)

Depending on where you live, the price of your July 4 barbecue may be cheaper or more expensive. The Farm Bureau said it will cost $63.54 in the Northeast, while the South will see a $68.33 bill and the Midwest will spend about $68.26.

The most expensive region is the West at $80.88.

Not everyone agrees on the rising cost of barbecues. International bank Rabobank said the cost to host 10 people for a barbecue was significantly higher than what was found by the U.S. Farm Bureau, coming in at $99, or $2 more than last year’s average, Reuters reported.

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