Produce
Lettuce, romaine, per lb

The price of romaine lettuce

A pound of romaine lettuce cost $1.34 in January 2006 and $3.31 in September 2026.

In Sep 2026 dollars it cost $2.28 in January 2006, so it is 45% more expensive now after inflation. The record is $4.02, in June 2026; the low was $1.24, in July 2006.

Download the data (CSV)See the BLS series
Jan 2006$1.34Sep 2026$3.31
$2.28

The Jan 2006 price in Sep 2026 dollars: what it cost then, in today’s money.

In one year
—No price a year earlier
In ten years
up 83.0%From $1.81 in Sep 2016
Record high
$4.02June 2026
Record low
$1.24July 2006

Romaine lettuce, per lb, every month since Jan 2006

Price at the timeIn Sep 2026 dollars
Lettuce, romaine: monthly U.S. average price, Jan 2006 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from $1.34 in January 2006 to $3.31 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $2.28 to $3.31. Record high $4.02 in June 2026.$0.00$1.00$2.00$3.00$4.00$5.0020102020$3.31Lettuce, romaine: monthly U.S. average price, Jan 2006 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from $1.34 in January 2006 to $3.31 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $2.28 to $3.31. Record high $4.02 in June 2026.$0.00$1.00$2.00$3.00$4.00$5.002010201520202025$3.31Lettuce, romaine: monthly U.S. average price, Jan 2006 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from $1.34 in January 2006 to $3.31 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $2.28 to $3.31. Record high $4.02 in June 2026.$0.00$1.00$2.00$3.00$4.00$5.0020062008201020122014201620182020202220242026$3.31

Solid 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 APU0000FL2101 (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.

Lettuce, romaine: January prices in past decades compared with September 2026
MonthPrice thenIn today’s $Now vs thenAfter inflation
Jan 2010$1.96$3.05up 69.1%up 8.7%
Jan 2020$2.16$2.82up 53.3%up 17.4%

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.

Lettuce, romaine: yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
20269 of 12 months$3.49up 15.0%$3.19 Apr$4.02 Jun
20259 of 12 months$3.04up 6.9%$2.83 Jan$3.47 Dec
2024$2.84up 2.7%$2.57 Feb$3.03 Nov
2023$2.77down 11.8%$2.55 Aug$3.06 Jan
2022$3.14—$2.84 Aug$3.57 Dec
2019$2.20up 5.1%$2.06 Sep$2.36 Mar
2018$2.10down 0.5%$1.94 Jun$2.35 Dec
2017$2.11up 9.6%$1.80 Jan$2.44 Apr
2016$1.92down 3.2%$1.79 Oct$2.06 Jan
2015$1.99up 17.3%$1.79 Aug$2.21 Dec
Every year back to 2006
Lettuce, romaine: yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
2014$1.69down 1.1%$1.51 Feb$1.94 Nov
2013$1.71up 12.8%$1.42 Jun$2.11 Feb
2012$1.52down 14.7%$1.42 May$1.67 Jan
2011$1.78down 0.7%$1.62 Jul$2.18 Mar
2010$1.79up 2.1%$1.67 Oct$1.96 Jan
2009$1.76up 2.6%$1.62 Oct$2.10 Dec
2008$1.71up 8.9%$1.56 Apr$1.91 Nov
2007$1.57up 12.7%$1.34 Jul$1.82 Feb
2006$1.39—$1.24 Jul$1.48 Apr

About this number

  • What this number is. The average price BLS records for “Lettuce, romaine, 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.
  • 23 other months without a price between Mar 2020 and Sep 2025. 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

Download CSV225 rows: month, price, and price in Sep 2026 dollars

More in Produce

8 itemsTable view