Meat Prices This Week: Retail vs Wholesale
What meat actually costs this week – straight from USDA data, updated nightly. Retail is the average advertised grocery feature price across U.S. stores (8 regions); wholesale is the national boxed value that restaurants and caterers buy against. Every guide linked below carries the full multi-year retail-vs-wholesale trend chart for its cut.
| Cut | Retail (grocery ads) | Cheapest region | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisket | $7.66/lb | South Central $4.99 | Brisket Smoking Calculator – Times by Weight, Planned Backward → |
| Chuck Roast | $7.41/lb | South West $6.65 | Smoked Chuck Roast → |
| Prime Rib / Standing Rib Roast | $9.99/lb | South East $9.99 | Smoked Rib Roast → |
| Ribeye Steak | $17.34/lb | South East $10.52 | Smoked Ribeye → |
| NY Strip Steak | $20.50/lb | South West $11.49 | Smoked Ny Strip → |
| Filet Mignon | $16.96/lb | South East $16.88 | Smoked Filet Mignon → |
| Tri-Tip | $13.49/lb | South Central $5.99 | The Best Smoked Tri-Tip – Time and Temp → |
| Burgers (Ground Beef) | $7.29/lb | Midwest $5.54 | Smoked Burger Calculator – Times, Temps & the Bacon Blend → |
| Beef Ribs | $3.99/lb | North West $3.99 | Smoked Beef Ribs – Time and Temp → |
| Beef Short Ribs (Plate) | $12.44/lb | South East $12.44 | Smoked Beef Short Ribs → |
| Pork Butt / Shoulder | $3.99/lb | Hawaii $3.14 | Pork Butt Smoking Calculator – Pulled Pork, Planned Backward → |
| Pork Loin | $2.48/lb | South East $1.92 | Smoked Pork Loin – Time and Temp → |
| Pork Tenderloin | $4.47/lb | North West $3.49 | Smoked Pork Tenderloin → |
| Spare Ribs | $3.41/lb | North West $2.89 | Smoking Spare Ribs – Time and Temp → |
| Baby Back Ribs | $2.99/lb | Hawaii $2.99 | Ribs Smoking Calculator – 3-2-1, Competition & Fall-Off-The-Bone → |
| Pork Belly | $3.98/lb | South East $3.98 | Smoked Pork Belly → |
| Double-Smoked Ham | $6.36/lb | South Central $5.62 | Smoked Double Smoked Ham → |
| Whole Chicken | $3.97/lb | North East $3.55 | Smoking Whole Chicken – Time and Temp → |
| Chicken Breast | $5.18/lb | Alaska $4.44 | Juicy Smoked Chicken Breast – Time and Temp → |
| Chicken Thighs | $2.57/lb | North East $2.18 | Tender and Tasty Smoked Chicken Thighs – Time and Temp → |
| Chicken Wings | $3.50/lb | South East $2.22 | Smoked Chicken Wings – Time and Temp → |
| Chicken Quarters | $1.00/lb | North West $0.79 | Smoked Chicken Quarters – Time and Temp → |
| Whole Turkey | $1.97/lb | Midwest $1.97 | Turkey Smoking Calculator & Planner – Finish On Time → |
| Turkey Breast | $6.44/lb | South Central $5.99 | Smoked Turkey Breast – Time and Temp → |
| Leg of Lamb | $8.99/lb | North East $8.99 | Smoked Leg Of Lamb → |
Source: USDA AMS Market News (weekly grocery feature prices, 8 regions). Updated nightly. Each guide page carries the full price trend chart for its cut. Sign in to My Pit for the wholesale view caterers price against.
How to read these numbers
The gap between wholesale and retail is the story: when it widens, retailers are holding margin; when it snaps shut, ad features and holiday sales are doing the work. Wholesale moves daily and leads; retail follows in weekly steps. If you cook for money, our catering calculator lets you price jobs from your real supplier costs – these numbers tell you when to lock them in.