Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Short answer: Mostly no — but it's a mixed picture

Overall, prices are not lower than a year ago — but some specific items have gotten cheaper while others have gotten more expensive.

Overall inflation

The average price of food in the United States rose by 2.5% in the 12 months ending September, after posting an annual increase of 2.7% for August. More broadly, the all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of economy-wide inflation, increased 0.6 percent from August 2026 to September 2026 and was up 3.7 percent from September 2025.

What's actually cheaper right now

Eggs are the standout bargain: egg prices plummeted more than 20% over the year ending in September, indicating continued recovery from a shortage caused by an outbreak of bird flu. Other grocery items have also cooled off:

•Meat prices dipped 0.9% in September, putting them 1.3% higher than a year earlier — the cooldown hit a range of products, including bacon, which costs 3.3% less than it did a year ago.

•Butter prices plunged 10.3% last month compared to a year earlier, while prices for ice cream, milk and cheese each fell more than 2%.

•Milk fell 2.9% from August to September to $4.106 per gallon, and is down 4.8% since July.

What's gotten more expensive

Beef is a major exception and is near record highs: beef and veal prices increased 5.9% and fish and seafood prices increased 6.5% over the past year. The reason comes down to supply — the national cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest size in 75 years, the result of years of drought, high feed costs, and ranchers holding back on rebuilding their herds, and with fewer cattle available, prices have surged.

Produce has also climbed: apple prices climbed 7.5% from a year prior, while tomatoes surged 6.8%, partly because weather-related damage in Mexico has slashed tomato output and a resulting dearth of supply has failed to keep up with demand.

Bottom line

Grocery prices overall were 1.8% higher than a year earlier, though that year-over-year figure came in well below the overall inflation rate of 3.7%, making grocery prices a relative bright spot. So while a few items (especially eggs, dairy, and some meats) are cheaper than last year, overall store prices are still running higher — just rising more slowly than the broader economy.

Citations (10)

1usinflationcalculator.comData and tools
Food Inflation in the United States (1968-2026)
Source excerpt: “The average price of food in the United States rose by 2.5% in the 12 months ending September, after posting an annual increase of 2.7% for August, ac...”
2usda.govGovernment
Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
Source excerpt: “The all-items Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of economy-wide inflation, increased 0.6 percent from August 2026 to September 2026. It was up 3.7...”
3abcnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.67
Which grocery prices are rising the fastest and which are falling? - ABC News
Source excerpt: “Egg prices plummeted more than 20% over the year ending in September, indicating continued recovery from a shortage caused by an outbreak of bird flu....”
4yahoo.comNews and mediaquality 0.69
Some grocery prices are soaring, while others are plunging. Here's what to know
Source excerpt: “Meat prices, for instance, dipped 0.9% in September, putting them 1.3% higher than a year earlier. The cooldown in meat prices hit a range of products...”
5abcnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.67
Which grocery prices are rising the fastest and which are falling? - ABC News
Source excerpt: “Butter prices plunged 10.3% last month compared to a year earlier, while prices for ice cream, milk and cheese each fell more than 2% over th”
6summitplate.comNot yet classified
October 2026 Grocery Price Index: Bread $1.83, Milk Falls, Takeout Climbs | SummitPlate Blog
Source excerpt: “Milk fell 2.9% from August to September to $4.106 per gallon, and is down 4.8% since the July data in the last report. ”
7illinois.eduAcademic
Food Inflation and the Outlook for Beef Prices - farmdoc daily
Source excerpt: “Notably, beef and veal prices increased 5.9% and fish and seafood prices increased 6.5%, while egg prices declined 23.0%. ”
8govtschemes.orgLow provenance
Grocery Prices Could Drop in 2026: Here's What's Actually Getting Cheaper (And What Isn't) - Govtschemes.org
Source excerpt: “The national cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest size in 75 years, the result of years of drought, high feed costs, and ranchers holding back on re...”
9abcnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.67
Which grocery prices are rising the fastest and which are falling? - ABC News
Source excerpt: “Apple prices climbed 7.5% in September from a year prior, while tomatoes surged 6.8%, according to the BLS. Grocers in the U.S. import a large share o...”
10yahoo.comNews and mediaquality 0.69
Some grocery prices are soaring, while others are plunging. Here's what to know
Source excerpt: “Overall, grocery prices dropped 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis last month, leaving them 1.8% higher than a year earlier, U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta...”