Cheese Prices Today
The average price of a pound of natural cheddar cheese in US cities was $6.13 in September 2026, up 15 cents (2.5%) from August 2026, and 1.4% higher than a year earlier. That is the highest price in data going back to January 1984. Five years earlier, in September 2021, it was $5.39 — an increase of 13.8% since then.
Cheddar cheese: average US price per lb
Average Price: Cheddar Cheese, Natural (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average (APU0000710212). Monthly, not seasonally adjusted.
Average price by year
| Year | Average | vs prior year | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (9 mo) | $5.94 | — | $6.13 | $5.68 |
| 2025 (11 mo) | $5.84 | — | $6.12 | $5.54 |
| 2024 | $5.66 | -2.7% | $5.84 | $5.51 |
| 2023 | $5.82 | +1.1% | $5.95 | $5.54 |
| 2022 | $5.76 | +5.9% | $6.08 | $5.32 |
| 2021 | $5.44 | -1.0% | $5.68 | $5.26 |
| 2020 | $5.50 | +3.5% | $5.62 | $5.20 |
| 2019 | $5.31 | +3.4% | $5.41 | $5.19 |
| 2018 | $5.13 | +4.9% | $5.36 | $5.02 |
| 2017 | $4.89 | -6.5% | $5.03 | $4.75 |
| 2016 | $5.24 | -2.7% | $5.41 | $4.89 |
| 2015 | $5.38 | -3.0% | $5.48 | $5.26 |
| 2014 | $5.54 | -0.3% | $5.73 | $5.38 |
| 2013 | $5.56 | -1.2% | $5.94 | $5.39 |
| 2012 | $5.62 | +3.8% | $5.87 | $5.46 |
Show 2011 back to 1984
| 2011 | $5.42 | +15.1% | $5.71 | $5.02 |
| 2010 | $4.71 | +0.9% | $5.00 | $4.53 |
| 2009 | $4.67 | -1.2% | $5.01 | $4.42 |
| 2008 | $4.72 | +11.7% | $5.10 | $4.40 |
| 2007 | $4.23 | -0.6% | $4.52 | $3.98 |
| 2006 | $4.25 | -2.9% | $4.44 | $3.99 |
| 2005 | $4.38 | +2.5% | $4.45 | $4.21 |
| 2004 | $4.27 | +8.2% | $4.56 | $3.97 |
| 2003 | $3.95 | -6.4% | $4.10 | $3.74 |
| 2002 | $4.22 | +4.7% | $4.38 | $4.11 |
| 2001 | $4.03 | +5.1% | $4.24 | $3.85 |
| 2000 | $3.83 | +1.6% | $3.95 | $3.74 |
| 1999 | $3.77 | +6.3% | $4.01 | $3.60 |
| 1998 | $3.55 | +10.2% | $3.76 | $3.43 |
| 1997 | $3.22 | -0.9% | $3.50 | $3.07 |
| 1996 | $3.25 | -4.2% | $3.58 | $2.92 |
| 1995 | $3.39 | +1.1% | $3.46 | $3.34 |
| 1994 | $3.35 | +0.3% | $3.41 | $3.27 |
| 1993 | $3.34 | -6.4% | $3.40 | $3.30 |
| 1992 | $3.57 | +0.5% | $3.66 | $3.40 |
| 1991 | $3.55 | — | $3.60 | $3.48 |
| 1989 (9 mo) | $3.20 | — | $3.34 | $3.13 |
| 1988 | $3.17 | +3.6% | $3.21 | $3.12 |
| 1987 | $3.06 | +0.2% | $3.10 | $3.03 |
| 1986 | $3.05 | -1.5% | $3.07 | $3.00 |
| 1985 | $3.09 | +0.9% | $3.13 | $3.06 |
| 1984 | $3.06 | — | $3.12 | $3.03 |
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 pound of cheddar cheese cost?
The average price of a pound of natural cheddar cheese in US cities was $6.13 in September 2026, up 15 cents (2.5%) from August 2026, and 1.4% higher than a year earlier. That is the highest price in data going back to January 1984.
How much has the price of cheddar cheese changed since 2000?
The average price of natural cheddar cheese was $3.83 a pound in 2000 and $5.66 a pound in 2024 (yearly averages), a change of +48%.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (series APU0000710212). 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.