Protein Prices Outpace Inflation, Reshaping Grocery Spending Across the US

Eggs, meat, and poultry prices rose over 9% in most major U.S. cities — nearly triple the overall inflation rate. A new report shows how sharply food inflation is diverging from the broader economy, reshaping grocery habits across the country.

According to a SmartAsset analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, price increases for essential proteins like eggs and chicken far outpaced the national inflation average of just 3.5%. The report ranked the cities where grocery costs have climbed most dramatically, pointing to regional pressures like transportation, labor, and supply chain constraints as key drivers.

While overall grocery inflation varied from city to city, one pattern stood out: the sharp, sustained rise in prices for protein staples. Across nearly all the metros in the study, meat, poultry, eggs, and fish outpaced other food categories — even in cities where total grocery costs held steady or declined.

Because these staples anchor so many weeknight meals, price hikes tend to hit shoppers where it counts most: everyday routines. Analysts say protein prices tend to respond more dramatically to supply chain stress, labor shortages, and animal feed costs — all of which remain volatile even as general inflation cools.

Grocery prices increased most dramatically in the Honolulu metro area, where geographic isolation often contributes to higher food costs. According to the report, prices rose 5.3% year-over-year, led by a 6.5% spike in cereals and bakery products and a 6.4% rise in fruits and vegetables. Protein staples were up a modest 4.9% in the region.

Los Angeles, by contrast, saw the sharpest increases in protein-heavy categories. Prices for eggs, meat, poultry, and fish jumped 9.8% — more than double the city’s overall grocery inflation rate of 4.1%. A few metros bucked the trend — Dallas-Fort Worth, for example, saw a 0.1% overall drop in grocery prices, with protein prices remaining relatively stable and notable declines in produce costs.

While egg prices are finally easing, broader food inflation is far from settled. Meat and poultry remain higher in many cities, and recent tariff expansions — targeting imports from China, Canada, and Mexico — are expected to push up prices on grocery staples like fruits, vegetables, and packaged goods in the months ahead. Relief at the checkout counter may be category-specific and depend on location, and for now, many shoppers will continue adjusting their habits as they navigate rising costs and shifting availability.