Produce
Potatoes, white, per lb

The price of potatoes

A pound of potatoes cost 20.7¢ in March 1986 and 98.9¢ in September 2026.

In Sep 2026 dollars it cost 64.1¢ in March 1986, so it is 54% more expensive now after inflation. The record is $1.09, in August 2023; the low was 20.7¢, in March 1986.

Download the data (CSV)See the BLS series
Mar 198620.7¢Sep 202698.9¢
64.1¢

The Mar 1986 price in Sep 2026 dollars: what it cost then, in today’s money.

In one year
down 2.5%From $1.01 in Sep 2025
In ten years
up 40.9%From 70.2¢ in Sep 2016
Record high
$1.09August 2023
Record low
20.7¢March 1986

Potatoes, per lb, every month since Mar 1986

Price at the timeIn Sep 2026 dollars
Potatoes, white: monthly U.S. average price, Mar 1986 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 20.7¢ in March 1986 to 98.9¢ in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from 64.1¢ to 98.9¢. Record high $1.09 in August 2023.$0.00$0.20$0.40$0.60$0.80$1.00$1.20$1.4020002020$1.09, 202398.9¢Potatoes, white: monthly U.S. average price, Mar 1986 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 20.7¢ in March 1986 to 98.9¢ in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from 64.1¢ to 98.9¢. Record high $1.09 in August 2023.$0.00$0.20$0.40$0.60$0.80$1.00$1.20$1.401990200020102020Record $1.09, 202398.9¢Potatoes, white: monthly U.S. average price, Mar 1986 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 20.7¢ in March 1986 to 98.9¢ in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from 64.1¢ to 98.9¢. Record high $1.09 in August 2023.$0.00$0.20$0.40$0.60$0.80$1.00$1.20$1.4019901995200020052010201520202025Record $1.09, 202398.9¢

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 APU0000712112 (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.

Potatoes, white: January prices in past decades compared with September 2026
MonthPrice thenIn today’s $Now vs thenAfter inflation
Jan 199033.3¢88.1¢up 197.0%up 12.3%
Jan 200039.2¢78.2¢up 152.3%up 26.5%
Jan 201056.3¢87.5¢up 75.7%up 13.0%
Jan 202080.2¢$1.05up 23.3%down 5.6%

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.

Potatoes, white: yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
20269 of 12 months90.8¢down 5.7%84.7¢ Mar98.9¢ Sep
202510 of 12 months96.3¢down 2.0%84.7¢ Dec$1.01 Sep
202498.2¢down 2.2%94.9¢ Dec$1.02 Jul
2023$1.00up 10.8%95.3¢ Jan$1.09 Aug
202290.6¢up 16.2%79.2¢ Jan$1.02 Sep
202178.0¢down 3.8%76.2¢ Feb80.8¢ Oct
202010 of 12 months81.1¢up 5.7%74.9¢ Dec85.6¢ Aug
201976.7¢up 3.7%74.3¢ Jun79.4¢ Sep
201874.0¢up 2.2%71.8¢ Dec76.8¢ Aug
201772.4¢up 6.2%68.9¢ Mar75.2¢ Jul
Every year back to 1986
Potatoes, white: yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
201668.1¢up 4.9%65.2¢ Mar71.1¢ Aug
201565.0¢down 3.6%63.3¢ Nov66.8¢ Jan
201467.4¢up 0.9%63.6¢ Dec69.6¢ Jul
201366.8¢up 1.3%61.1¢ Mar75.6¢ Aug
201265.9¢down 2.6%62.1¢ Dec69.0¢ Apr
201167.7¢up 17.3%60.3¢ Jan75.5¢ Aug
201057.7¢down 7.2%55.3¢ Apr62.1¢ Aug
200962.2¢down 1.4%56.0¢ Dec67.6¢ Jan
200863.1¢up 20.2%52.5¢ Jan76.3¢ Sep
200752.5¢down 1.7%51.4¢ Feb54.5¢ Jul
200653.4¢up 13.2%50.4¢ Jan57.2¢ Aug
200547.1¢up 3.9%44.0¢ Mar50.5¢ Oct
200445.4¢down 1.1%43.5¢ May47.1¢ Jul
200345.8¢down 7.0%43.8¢ Nov48.3¢ Jan
200249.3¢up 26.5%42.6¢ Jan55.9¢ Aug
200139.0¢up 2.7%34.8¢ Feb43.9¢ Aug
200038.0¢down 3.7%34.7¢ Dec40.1¢ Feb
199939.4¢up 5.0%38.0¢ Apr42.9¢ Aug
199837.5¢up 5.6%36.2¢ Jan39.2¢ Jul
199735.6¢down 6.7%33.0¢ Mar38.8¢ Aug
199638.1¢up 0.4%33.5¢ Dec40.8¢ Jul
199537.9¢up 1.4%33.7¢ Feb43.9¢ Jul
199437.4¢up 7.3%33.5¢ Dec41.3¢ Apr
199334.8¢up 14.4%31.1¢ Jan37.9¢ Jun
199230.4¢down 7.7%28.0¢ Mar35.2¢ Aug
199133.0¢down 11.0%28.3¢ Dec38.6¢ Jun
199037.1¢up 8.5%31.5¢ Nov43.4¢ Apr
198934.2¢up 31.1%29.4¢ Jan39.2¢ Jul
198826.1¢down 5.7%24.0¢ Mar29.5¢ Dec
198710 of 12 months27.6¢up 9.5%24.4¢ Oct32.3¢ Jul
198610 of 12 months25.2¢—20.7¢ Mar29.1¢ Aug

About this number

  • What this number is. The average price BLS records for “Potatoes, white, 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.
  • 5 other months without a price between Jan 1987 and Nov 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 CSV481 rows: month, price, and price in Sep 2026 dollars

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