The price to light the grill and serve up some bbq this Fourth of July is up from last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2026 Summer Cookout Survey.
The survey shows the cost of an Independence Day cookout for a party of 10 is now $84.36, or $8.44 per person.
The average cost per cookout in Florida is more than one dollar higher than the national average, according to the survey.
“But if you look regionally at that cost, it is very similar across the country for what the Fourth of July cookout cost will be. So nationwide it's a very similar cost, which is interesting, because [the] cost of living in Florida is much different than maybe the cost of living in the Midwest,” said Jamie Geralds, senior director of policy and outreach at the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.
Although it’s costing Floridians more to put food on the table for Independence Day, local farmers are not seeing an increase in revenue.
The increase in costs has followed the rise in inflation, Geralds said, but those elevated prices do not necessarily mean higher profits for local farmers and ranchers.
“After expenses are paid for the farmer or rancher, they receive less than six cents for every food dollar,” she said. “Really, most of what the consumer's price is paying for is a reflection of the costs that come after the product leaves the farm gate.”
Geralds adds that hurricanes in 2023 and 2024, along with the winter freeze the state experienced earlier this year, are decreasing supply, and adding to the increased cost for farmers and ranchers.
She encourages shoppers to purchase local goods by searching for the Fresh From Florida or USA grown labels on items at the store.
