How Much Does Ground Beef Cost in the US?
Short answer: on October 19, 2026, 80% lean ground beef cost $5.99 a pound at H-E-B (Hill Country Fare, 1 lb pack) and $7.39 a pound at Target (Good & Gather 80/20), checked on the retailers' online listings.
The national benchmark sits between them: BLS average price data put ground beef at $6.79 a pound in September 2026, up from $6.32 in September 2025. Note that the BLS series covers 100% beef ground beef, while the common store product is an 80/20 grind, so treat it as a benchmark, not the same package.
The prices we verified
H-E-B, Hill Country Fare ground beef, 80% lean: $5.99 a pound. H-E-B also listed its 80% chuck grind at $6.49 a pound, and its weekly ad for October 14 to 20, 2026 priced a Texas-Size Pack at $4.49 a pound. Target, Good & Gather 80/20: $7.39 for a 1 lb pack.
The week's best verified beef price was an ad price: Albertsons and Safeway listed Signature Select 80/20 value packs at $3.99 a pound with a digital coupon, limit 2 (October 14 to 20, 2026). A third-party in-store check by FinanceBuzz in mid-October found Aldi 80/20 at $5.29 a pound. We could not verify a current Walmart ground beef price.
What is a good deal on ground beef?
Our guidance: at or below $4.50 a pound for 80/20 is a stock-up price in the current market, and $5 to $6 a pound is a fair regular range. Above $6.79, the BLS average, you are paying a premium for that store or that week, and the freezer math says wait for an ad if you can.
Ground beef freezes well in flat, portioned bags for three to four months. In a rising market, a freezer bought at ad prices is worth more than any coupon.
Why beef prices keep rising
The BLS index for uncooked ground beef rose 5.4% year over year in September 2026, and beef and veal overall rose 3.5%, although beef prices dipped 1.0% in September itself. The USDA forecasts beef and veal up 9.4% across 2026, because federally inspected beef production was about 2% lower year over year and is expected to remain below year-ago levels through the end of 2026.
Cattle herds rebuild slowly, in years, so beef is the one protein where both the data and the forecast say pressure continues into 2027. This is the category where buying strategy matters most right now.
How to pay less for ground beef
Buy beef on ads and freeze it flat. This week's spread between the ad price ($3.99 with a digital coupon) and the highest regular price ($7.39) was $3.40 a pound, the widest gap in our whole basket.
Compare grinds honestly: a cheaper 73/27 grind loses more weight in the pan than 80/20, so the per-pound sticker overstates the saving. Compare cooked cost, and check the per-pound price on family packs, which carried this week's best H-E-B price.
Check ground beef against our weekly tracker and deals watch before a big shop. Beef is the item most likely to justify changing which store gets this week's trip.
Beef is forecast up 9.4% this year, so the price you locked in matters. Track what you actually pay per pound with free receipt scans, and Premium will flag when your regular items change price.