🥩 Ground Beef Price History: 1984–Today
Complete price timeline for Ground Beef (per lb) from 1984 to 2024.
The Bottom Line
In 1984, ground beef cost $1.29. Today it costs $5.39. That's a 4.2x increase — but wages only grew 3.7x.
1984 Price
$1.29
Today's Price
$5.39
Price Growth
4.2x
Wage Growth
3.7x
📊 Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Nominal Price | Inflation-Adjusted | Actual Today | Labor Hours | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | $1.29 | $3.89 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.12x |
| 1985 | $1.24 | $3.61 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.23x |
| 1986 | $1.23 | $3.52 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.30x |
| 1987 | $1.31 | $3.62 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.28x |
| 1988 | $1.36 | $3.62 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.29x |
| 1989 | $1.44 | $3.64 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.29x |
| 1990 | $1.59 | $3.81 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.21x |
| 1991 | $1.60 | $3.67 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.22x |
| 1992 | $1.54 | $3.45 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.28x |
| 1993 | $1.57 | $3.41 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.28x |
| 1994 | $1.48 | $3.13 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.41x |
| 1995 | $1.37 | $2.82 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.60x |
| 1996 | $1.37 | $2.74 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.67x |
| 1997 | $1.40 | $2.73 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.71x |
| 1998 | $1.41 | $2.72 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.77x |
| 1999 | $1.45 | $2.74 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.80x |
| 2000 | $1.57 | $2.86 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.72x |
| 2001 | $1.71 | $3.04 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.59x |
| 2002 | $1.71 | $2.99 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.59x |
| 2003 | $1.95 | $3.33 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.43x |
| 2004 | $2.16 | $3.59 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.32x |
| 2005 | $2.30 | $3.69 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.30x |
| 2006 | $2.22 | $3.46 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.40x |
| 2007 | $2.30 | $3.48 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.41x |
| 2008 | $2.34 | $3.42 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.38x |
| 2009 | $2.22 | $3.25 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.44x |
| 2010 | $2.37 | $3.40 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.34x |
| 2011 | $2.77 | $3.87 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.16x |
| 2012 | $3.03 | $4.14 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.08x |
| 2013 | $3.40 | $4.58 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.01x |
| 2014 | $3.90 | $5.16 | $5.39 | 0.2h | 0.89x |
| 2015 | $4.17 | $5.52 | $5.39 | 0.2h | 0.87x |
| 2016 | $3.75 | $4.90 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.01x |
| 2017 | $3.64 | $4.66 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.08x |
| 2018 | $3.72 | $4.64 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.10x |
| 2019 | $3.81 | $4.67 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.16x |
| 2020 | $4.12 | $4.99 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.06x |
| 2021 | $4.33 | $5.01 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.05x |
| 2022 | $4.81 | $5.16 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.00x |
| 2023 | $5.02 | $5.17 | $5.39 | 0.1h | 1.03x |
📈 Labor Multiplier Trend
How many times harder (or easier) it is to earn ground beef compared to each year. >1x = harder, <1x = easier.
1984
1.12x
1985
1.23x
1986
1.30x
1987
1.28x
1988
1.29x
1989
1.29x
1990
1.21x
1991
1.22x
1992
1.28x
1993
1.28x
1994
1.41x
1995
1.60x
1996
1.67x
1997
1.71x
1998
1.77x
1999
1.80x
2000
1.72x
2001
1.59x
2002
1.59x
2003
1.43x
2004
1.32x
2005
1.30x
2006
1.40x
2007
1.41x
2008
1.38x
2009
1.44x
2010
1.34x
2011
1.16x
2012
1.08x
2013
1.01x
2014
0.89x
2015
0.87x
2016
1.01x
2017
1.08x
2018
1.10x
2019
1.16x
2020
1.06x
2021
1.05x
2022
1.00x
2023
1.03x
🔗 Explore Ground Beef by Year
Category
🛒 Food & Groceries