President Donald Trump took office less than a month later, but the costs of some consumer goods and services are trending.
At nearly $5 per dozen, egg prices exceeded record highs, with bread, electricity, gasoline and natural gas also rising to a fairly moderate rate, according to the latest data from the consumer price index. There was also a slight increase over several months. .
But before reworking your budget, it’s important to note that not all grocery prices are skyrocketing to offer Grade A. In January, milk, oranges, tomatoes and ground beef all saw a minimal cost reduction, but prices for bananas and chicken remained more or less the same.
Many of these month’s changes are not directly related to the White House, but soon, new tariffs and possible international trade wars could affect the average price of grocery stores and pumps.
The Tribune tracks these 11-day costs for Americans, including eggs, milk, bread, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, chicken, beef, gasoline, electricity, natural gas, and more. This tracker is updated monthly using CPI data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To see the average US price for a particular profit, click the drop-down arrow below and select the items you want to view.
egg
Egg prices don’t seem to fall anytime soon, thanks to the massive outbreak of bird flu.
In January, egg costs rose by about 20% from the previous month. The average cost of many large Grade A eggs is currently $4.95 nationwide. This is the highest ever, according to CPI data. However, at Chicago-area grocery stores, egg prices are well above the national average, with some locations over $7/dozen.
It was the winter of 2023 that the egg hit its record high at the time, at the last price to rise to similar heights. These prices were driven by avian flu tensions, like this year, that led to shortages in store supply and increased consumer costs.
milk
According to the national average, fresh whole milk retreates by around $4.03 per gallon. This has been down by about 2% since December 2024.
The price has been covered by around $4 over the past three years or so, and has not fallen below $3.50 since April 2021.
bread
Another pantry staple that saw a minimal increase over several months was bread. According to the national average, white bread was around $1.93 per pound in January. Prices have only seen minimal changes in the past 12 months, but bread costs are higher than just 2-3 years ago, about 43% higher than five years ago.
banana
One advantage that has not fluctuated much in recent years: bananas. Banana costs remained low for sure, hovering at $0.62 per pound as of January. Prices have not changed more than 5 cents, going back to January 2018.
orange
US consumers are happy to know that orange prices have collapsed once again, falling more than 15% from their record highs in October. Prices are higher than normal, but this trend coincides with the typical seasonality of the fruit market, with orange prices lowest in the winter months, increasing over spring and summer, and ultimately nine years of annual It peaks in the month or October.
The average cost per pound of navel orange is $1.53 nationwide.
tomato
While it may not be the first thing you think about when you hear the term “staple food,” tomatoes are an essential ingredient in all kinds of dishes, from pasta and pizza to soups, salads and BLT sandwiches.
In the US, as of January, the average price of outdoor-grown tomatoes was $2.05 per pound. Although it is far below the highs seen in the early 2000s and early 2016, the average cost of tomatoes has been steadily increasing, about 30 cents above the 2020 average.
chicken
Chicken prices also suffer from bird flu, but not as much as egg prices. The national average, which last year, exceeds $2 per pound for the entire fresh chicken for the first time, hit a record high of $2.08 in November.
In January, the average price went slightly soaking to $2.06 per pound.
Ground beef
The cost of ground beef has also risen steadily, with an average price of $5.50 per pound last month. This is 40 cents more than last year’s this, a 34% change over five years.
Still, prices have fallen about 1.4% since December. This is an 8-cent difference.
electricity
In January, electricity prices across the country were around 18 cents per kilowatt-hour. That average has remained more or less the same as the costs of many other goods and services since May last year, but since 2020, electricity prices have been steadily rising. This is about 1 cent per year.
gasoline
One of the places Americans feel a bit more at ease in their pocketbook? Gas station.
Despite a small increase from December to January, gasoline costs have been declining in recent months, with the average price per gallon being the usual $3.21 free lead. The average price at the pump has not been that low since June 2021.
Meanwhile, Chicago’s prices are around 12 cents higher, with the average price being $3.33 per gallon, according to the US Energy Information Agency.
Natural gas
Piped utility gas, or natural gas, is another cost that has reduced costs from the historic highs observed two years ago.
Currently, the average national price is $1.55 per surfer. Although it is relatively lower than the price spikes from mid-2022 to early 2023 to early 2023, natural gas costs are almost 40 cents higher than the 20-year average, with only a few months between December and January. has increased to.
Original issue: February 17, 2025, 12:36pm EST
