Egg Index: How Much Eggs Cost in Supermarkets This Week

As American consumers lament rising food costs, egg prices have become the latest focus of the national conversation surrounding rising grocery prices. From January 2024 to February 2025, the cost of a dozen eggs has shot up 134% according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, largely due to an ongoing bird flu outbreak affecting U.S. supply. The FDA predicts egg prices may continue to rise more than 40% in 2025.

To help consumers address rising egg costs in the U.S., our team at FinanceBuzz is collecting real-time egg prices from around the country to understand what consumers are actually paying at the grocery store.

How we collect egg pricing data

To make our eggflation index, we collect real-time pricing data from 8 of the largest supermarket chains across the country.

This real-time data is intended to supplement official reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI), but is different in a few ways:

1. It's updated biweekly, with current pricing data. The BLS updates monthly, and pricing data is ~6 weeks delayed.
2. It includes only store brand or generic white eggs. The BLS's data includes all types of eggs (cage-free, organic, etc.), which can inflate pricing estimates.
3. It comes directly from grocery stores. BLS data comes from a monthly consumer survey.

We collect egg prices from at least 10 of each grocery chain we consider, and don't collect data on any other egg varieties (like cage-free) or quantities (packs of 18). 

 

Are egg prices the same everywhere?

The price of eggs can vary largely depending on where you shop and where in the country you live. While some national retailers (like Target) keep egg prices consistent, others in our data vary from store to store.

The cost of a dozen eggs also depends on the types of eggs you're buying. Cage-free, organic, or free-range eggs, for instance, are universally more expensive and range from $1-$3 more expensive per dozen. Some states, including California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Washington, Nevada, and Oregon require eggs in the state to be sourced from free-range facilities, adding some additional cost to shoppers in those states.

Why are eggs so expensive right now?

Egg prices have steadily risen since mid-2024 due to an outbreak of a bird flu (avian influenza) strain affecting commercial chicken flocks across the country.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 45 million chickens were affected with this particular strain in January and February alone, causing supply shortages for egg-laying hens at major egg producers. In total, more than 166 million chickens have been slaughtered to prevent the virus' spread.

As of March, 2025, the USDA reports the prices for wholesale eggs are beginning to fall, which may have a downstream impact on in-store pricing. They caution, however, that there remains uncertainty given demand spikes around the Easter season.

When will egg prices drop again?

It remains unclear when egg prices will return to normal, but it's expected that prices will remain high for a number of months. Earlier this year, the USDA predicted that egg prices would begin to fall in the 2nd quarter of 2025, and resume a downward trend into the third quarter. In late February 2025, the USDA predicted that prices could jump another 41% in 2025, though they also reported that wholesale egg prices were beginning to fall in March 2025. 

With these price fluctuations, supply remains an issue for many grocery chains, so consumers should expect to see limits to the number of eggs they're able to purchase at a time from some retailers. For instance, some Costco, Aldi, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Target stores have instituted limits on the number of cartons of eggs shoppers are able to buy.

Tips for saving on groceries

While the price of eggs isn't expected to go down anytime soon, that doesn't mean you can't save at the grocery store (even on eggs).

• Earn credit card rewards on your grocery. It's not likely you're going to stop spending entirely at the grocery store, but you may as well maximize your return on your weekly grocery haul. Use one of the best credit cards to buy groceries and earn rewards on your grocery purchases to get the most out of everyday shopping.
• Use helpful grocery hacks at the store. Groceries are a significant expense for every family, but finding ways to save can make a huge impact on your overall budget. Getting some insider tips on how to spend less on groceries can help reduce the overall cost of your essentials.