Hoosiers stocking up for the Fourth of July should see a little relief at the checkout line this year. The Indiana Farm Bureau’s summer cookout market-basket survey puts the cost to feed 10 people at $66.73, or about $6.67 per person, a drop of roughly 7% from last year’s $71.49. The biggest bargains are hiding in the sides and frozen treats, even as some protein prices creep higher. For anyone feeding a crowd, that small percentage cut can translate into real savings on a full backyard spread.
How much you'll spend
The figures come from Indiana Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers who checked local grocery prices in early June, according to WLKI. WLKI reports that Indiana’s projected cookout cost is now below the national average of roughly $7.38 per person, putting Hoosiers about 10% under the U.S. figure.
What fell — and why
The release highlights one dramatic drop: potato salad prices slid 56% to $1.59 for a 2.5-pound tub. Other crowd-pleasers also eased up, including one pound of cheese at $3.12 and a half-gallon of ice cream at $4.33, according to Indiana Farm Bureau numbers reported by FOX59. Not everything is on sale, though. The same survey lists two pounds of ground beef at $13.05 and two pounds of chicken breast at $8.88, a reminder that the meat case is still a mixed bag.
Indiana Farm Bureau Chief Economist Todd Davis told FOX59 that egg prices were "way above average" this time last year, likely because of avian influenza. As supplies recovered, egg-heavy staples such as potato salad came back down. That reset on egg prices is a big part of why several classic sides are suddenly pulling their weight in the savings column.
Nationally, the grocery story is still uneven. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the food-at-home Consumer Price Index rose 2.7% for the 12 months ending in May 2026, meaning some categories remain elevated while others cool off, according to the BLS. That broader backdrop helps explain how a handful of cookout items can swing sharply in either direction from one year to the next.
Indiana Farm Bureau and local reporters also point out that the survey was completed before most Fourth of July promotions hit stores, and volunteer shoppers were told to record regular, non-promotional prices. In other words, last-minute sales could carve those holiday tabs down even further, WLKI notes. For Hoosiers planning a backyard barbecue, the takeaway is straightforward: lean into the discounted sides, watch for meat specials, and a little smart shopping could stretch that cookout budget a lot farther this year.
