Dairy & eggs
American processed cheese, per lb
The price of American cheese
A pound of American cheese cost $2.48 in January 1984 and $4.74 in September 2026.
In Sep 2026 dollars it cost $8.22 in January 1984, so it is 42% cheaper now after inflation. The record is $5.06, in May 2025; the low was $2.47, in May 1984.
The Jan 1984 price in Sep 2026 dollars: what it cost then, in today’s money.
- In one year
- down 3.8%From $4.92 in Sep 2025
- In ten years
- up 7.8%From $4.40 in Sep 2016
- Record high
- $5.06May 2025
- Record low
- $2.47May 1984
American cheese, per lb, every month since Jan 1984
Price at the timeIn Sep 2026 dollarsSolid line, yellow area: the average price in each month, in the dollars of that month. Dashed blue line: the same price restated in Sep 2026 dollars using the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U). Where the dashed line falls, the item got cheaper compared with everything else. Months with no published price are left as gaps when they are long, and bridged when they are a single month. Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read any month.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average price series APU0000710211 (U.S. city average); CPI-U CUUR0000SA0.
A January in every decade
“Now vs then” is the plain change on the shelf. “After inflation” compares the old price in Sep 2026 dollars with today’s: negative means it takes less of today’s money than it did.
| Month | Price then | In today’s $ | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2000 | $3.84 | $7.67 | up 23.3% | down 38.2% |
| Jan 2010 | $3.88 | $6.03 | up 22.2% | down 21.4% |
| Jan 2020 | $3.85 | $5.03 | up 23.1% | down 5.7% |
Year by year
Averages of the monthly prices in each calendar year, newest first. Years with fewer than nine published months are left out; partial years are marked.
| Year | Average | vs year before | Lowest month | Highest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20269 of 12 months | $4.71 | down 4.7% | $4.57 May | $4.84 Jan |
| 202511 of 12 months | $4.95 | up 1.1% | $4.72 Nov | $5.06 May |
| 2024 | $4.89 | up 2.9% | $4.77 Feb | $5.06 Oct |
| 2023 | $4.76 | up 8.1% | $4.63 Feb | $4.96 Dec |
| 2022 | $4.40 | up 9.0% | $3.95 Jan | $4.84 Nov |
| 2021 | $4.04 | down 1.7% | $3.89 Dec | $4.19 Jan |
| 2020 | $4.10 | up 5.9% | $3.85 Jan | $4.29 Aug |
| 2019 | $3.88 | down 3.3% | $3.77 Jul | $3.93 Apr |
| 201811 of 12 months | $4.01 | down 5.7% | $3.94 Dec | $4.11 Mar |
| 2017 | $4.25 | down 2.7% | $4.09 Oct | $4.39 May |
Every year back to 1984
| Year | Average | vs year before | Lowest month | Highest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $4.37 | down 2.0% | $4.21 Dec | $4.48 Oct |
| 2015 | $4.46 | down 0.8% | $4.26 Jun | $4.94 Jan |
| 2014 | $4.49 | up 7.6% | $4.29 Jan | $4.87 Nov |
| 2013 | $4.17 | down 0.3% | $4.07 May | $4.34 Dec |
| 2012 | $4.19 | up 3.0% | $4.03 Jun | $4.40 Jan |
| 2011 | $4.07 | up 4.0% | $3.73 Feb | $4.37 Nov |
| 2010 | $3.91 | up 0.2% | $3.80 Dec | $4.07 Jun |
| 2009 | $3.90 | down 3.4% | $3.78 Apr | $4.12 Jan |
| 2008 | $4.04 | up 5.3% | $3.88 Apr | $4.19 Aug |
| 2007 | $3.84 | up 3.2% | $3.63 Jun | $4.16 Oct |
| 2006 | $3.72 | down 4.1% | $3.53 Jun | $3.94 Jan |
| 2005 | $3.88 | down 2.6% | $3.78 May | $3.95 Sep |
| 2004 | $3.98 | up 5.6% | $3.81 Jan | $4.11 Aug |
| 2003 | $3.77 | down 2.8% | $3.59 May | $3.90 Nov |
| 2002 | $3.88 | up 0.2% | $3.78 Jul | $3.94 Nov |
| 2001 | $3.87 | up 4.7% | $3.67 Jan | $4.02 Oct |
| 2000 | $3.70 | down 3.0% | $3.62 Jun | $3.85 Mar |
| 1999 | $3.81 | up 6.2% | $3.72 Feb | $3.88 Sep |
| 1998 | $3.59 | up 4.1% | $3.48 Feb | $3.80 Nov |
| 1997 | $3.45 | up 3.4% | $3.34 Jul | $3.54 Jan |
| 1996 | $3.34 | up 8.8% | $3.11 Jan | $3.65 Nov |
| 1995 | $3.07 | down 0.1% | $2.98 Aug | $3.15 Dec |
| 1994 | $3.07 | down 0.8% | $3.00 Oct | $3.13 Mar |
| 1993 | $3.09 | down 6.7% | $2.99 Dec | $3.16 Feb |
| 1992 | $3.32 | down 3.4% | $3.10 Dec | $3.45 Feb |
| 1991 | $3.44 | — | $3.38 Jun | $3.49 Jan |
| 1988 | $2.78 | up 3.2% | $2.67 Jan | $2.89 Nov |
| 198711 of 12 months | $2.69 | up 3.3% | $2.66 Apr | $2.72 Aug |
| 1986 | $2.60 | up 2.7% | $2.54 May | $2.67 Dec |
| 1985 | $2.53 | up 1.1% | $2.50 Jun | $2.57 Nov |
| 1984 | $2.51 | — | $2.47 May | $2.55 Nov |
About this number
- What this number is. The average price BLS records for “American processed cheese, per lb. (453.6 gm)” across U.S. cities, collected for the Consumer Price Index. It is an average across many stores and brands, not a price at any one store.
- No price for October 2025. BLS did not publish one: data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.
- 20 other months without a price between Feb 1987 and Nov 2018. BLS publishes an average only when it has enough price quotes; the yearly table skips thin years.
- Today’s dollars. Prices are restated in Sep 2026 dollars by multiplying by CPI-U for Sep 2026 (336.94) and dividing by CPI-U for the month in question.
Sources
- BLS series APU0000710211: American processed cheese, per lb. (453.6 gm)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. city average, monthly
- Average price data: what it is and how it is collectedU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Average price data filesdownload.bls.gov, files updated Oct 14, 2026
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