Bread Prices Today
The average price of a pound of white pan bread in US cities was $1.83 in September 2026, up 1 cent (0.4%) from August 2026, and 2.0% lower than a year earlier. That is the highest price since May 2026. The record is $2.03 a pound, set in January 2024. Five years earlier, in September 2021, it was $1.58 — an increase of 15.8% since then.
Bread: average US price per lb
Average Price: Bread, White, Pan (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average (APU0000702111). Monthly, not seasonally adjusted.
Average price by year
| Year | Average | vs prior year | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (9 mo) | $1.83 | — | $1.87 | $1.81 |
| 2025 (11 mo) | $1.87 | — | $1.93 | $1.79 |
| 2024 | $1.97 | +0.5% | $2.03 | $1.91 |
| 2023 | $1.96 | +15.3% | $2.02 | $1.89 |
| 2022 | $1.70 | +11.5% | $1.87 | $1.55 |
| 2021 | $1.52 | +5.0% | $1.58 | $1.47 |
| 2020 | $1.45 | +11.9% | $1.54 | $1.35 |
| 2019 | $1.30 | +0.9% | $1.36 | $1.26 |
| 2018 | $1.29 | -3.5% | $1.31 | $1.26 |
| 2017 | $1.33 | -2.8% | $1.36 | $1.29 |
| 2016 | $1.37 | -4.9% | $1.43 | $1.33 |
| 2015 | $1.44 | +2.9% | $1.48 | $1.41 |
| 2014 | $1.40 | -0.4% | $1.47 | $1.36 |
| 2013 | $1.41 | -0.8% | $1.44 | $1.36 |
| 2012 | $1.42 | -1.9% | $1.44 | $1.40 |
Show 2011 back to 1980
| 2011 | $1.45 | +5.2% | $1.51 | $1.40 |
| 2010 | $1.37 | -1.0% | $1.41 | $1.36 |
| 2009 | $1.39 | +1.5% | $1.41 | $1.34 |
| 2008 | $1.37 | +13.2% | $1.42 | $1.28 |
| 2007 | $1.21 | +11.7% | $1.28 | $1.15 |
| 2006 | $1.08 | +3.9% | $1.14 | $1.03 |
| 2005 | $1.04 | +7.3% | $1.09 | $0.98 |
| 2004 | $0.97 | -3.2% | $1.00 | $0.94 |
| 2003 | $1.00 | -1.5% | $1.05 | $0.95 |
| 2002 | $1.02 | +1.7% | $1.05 | $1.00 |
| 2001 | $1.00 | +7.4% | $1.02 | $0.98 |
| 2000 | $0.93 | +4.8% | $0.99 | $0.91 |
| 1999 | $0.89 | +3.1% | $0.90 | $0.87 |
| 1998 | $0.86 | -1.4% | $0.87 | $0.85 |
| 1997 | $0.87 | -0.5% | $0.90 | $0.85 |
| 1996 | $0.88 | +10.7% | $0.92 | $0.85 |
| 1995 | $0.79 | +3.9% | $0.84 | $0.77 |
| 1994 | $0.76 | +1.2% | $0.78 | $0.75 |
| 1993 | $0.75 | +0.3% | $0.77 | $0.74 |
| 1992 | $0.75 | +5.6% | $0.78 | $0.73 |
| 1991 | $0.71 | +2.2% | $0.73 | $0.70 |
| 1990 | $0.69 | +4.4% | $0.71 | $0.68 |
| 1989 | $0.67 | +8.6% | $0.69 | $0.65 |
| 1988 | $0.61 | +12.1% | $0.66 | $0.59 |
| 1987 | $0.55 | -3.2% | $0.57 | $0.53 |
| 1986 | $0.56 | +2.2% | $0.57 | $0.56 |
| 1985 | $0.55 | +2.2% | $0.57 | $0.54 |
| 1984 | $0.54 | -0.2% | $0.54 | $0.54 |
| 1983 | $0.54 | +1.9% | $0.55 | $0.54 |
| 1982 | $0.53 | +1.3% | $0.54 | $0.53 |
| 1981 | $0.53 | +3.1% | $0.54 | $0.52 |
| 1980 | $0.51 | — | $0.52 | $0.50 |
Average of the monthly prices in each calendar year. A year marked with a count is incomplete (the current year, or a month the agency did not publish), so it is not compared.
More breakfast & dairy prices
All prices →Frequently asked questions
How much does a loaf of bread cost?
The average price of a pound of white pan bread in US cities was $1.83 in September 2026, up 1 cent (0.4%) from August 2026, and 2.0% lower than a year earlier. That is the highest price since May 2026.
Is this the price of a whole loaf?
No — the Bureau of Labor Statistics quotes white pan bread per pound. Multiply by the loaf's weight in pounds (a 20 oz loaf is 1.25 lb) for the price of a loaf.
How much has the price of bread changed since 2000?
The average price of white pan bread was $0.93 a pound in 2000 and $1.97 a pound in 2024 (yearly averages), a change of +112%.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (series APU0000702111). The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects these prices every month in stores across the country while compiling the consumer price index, and publishes the U.S. city average about two weeks after the month ends. Average prices are not seasonally adjusted, and they track a fixed item definition, so they show what a typical shopper paid rather than the cheapest deal. Data checked Nov 6, 5:41 PM ET.