May is recognized as Beef Month. This celebration is important to all American beef producers.  The start of grilling season is celebrated in May.  Also, it is an opportunity to honor beef producers who work hard to produce food while managing land and cattle.  

American consumers’ appetite for beef deserves further attention:  prices for beef increased rapidly and reached highs not ever seen before.   As cattle markets reach new highs, most reports addressing cattle prices and market trends include a comment warning of an imminent slowing of consumer desire to pay high prices for beef cattle.  Yet, we have all been surprised at the continued appetite for beef demonstrated by the American consumer.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (US-BLA) maintains survey data on retail food prices and consumer expenditures in America.  A review of these data helps demonstrate new trends by American consumers.

Between 2016 and 2025, the average price of all uncooked ground beef, roasts, and steaks increased from 50% to 54%.  (If anyone suspects that retail beef is resistant to negative trends in beef cattle prices, it is worthwhile noting that retail beef prices decreased up to 3% during 2017 to 2019).  

The most recent consumer expenditure survey in 2024 (surveying over 100 million households) by US-BLA demonstrated that the average American household (2.4 people) spent $408 a year on beef.  This is an increase of 67% in beef expenditure over 2016 when the average household spent $244 a year for a household of 2.5 people.  Incidentally, in 2024, ground beef, roasts and steaks sold at prices 34%, 37% and 42% greater, respectively, than in 2016.  

A few considerations:

• In 2024, the average American household spent 67% ($164) more money on beef than in 2016.  
• Similarly, the average American household spent 54% and 55% more money on pork and poultry, respectively, than in 2016.  
• During the same period, expenditures by the average American household for cheese, yogurt and ice cream increased 81%.

One might ask why the increase in beef expenditures is 67% when the retail beef price increase should only account for 56% of that increase?  

The reader should be pleased to know that the answer lies in greater beef consumption.  The composite price made up from average retail prices of roasts, steaks and ground beef was $5.74/lb and $7.97/lb, respectively, in 2016 and 2024.  Dividing the beef expenditures from each year by this composite results in average household consumption by Americans of 42 lb in 2016 and 51 lb in 2024.  

This represents a 1-lb increase in household consumption of beef every year since 2016.  This is despite increasing beef prices particularly in the most recent years.

Although greater price pressure is expected due to tightening supplies in 2026, the trend for the American consumer to desire and pay for beef is clear. This provides sufficient reason to go into the summer grilling season with a positive outlook.  

Also, this provides impetus for this author to refrain from commenting on whether future trends in cattle prices will slow down beef consumption.