Beef prices are the lowest they’ve been since the start of 2026, but still far higher than they were a year ago.
The elevated beef prices have not slowed Wisconsin consumers, who are putting more value into ground beef and steaks than the national average.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported all fresh beef retailed at $9.51 a pound in May. That’s the lowest beef prices have been since January, when it retailed for $9.46 a pound. In April, beef prices rose to $9.46 a pound, its highest peak so far in 2026.
In May 2025, all beef retailed for an average of $8.40 a pound, according to the bureau.
While Wisconsin tends to follow the same beef trends as the rest of the country, industry data from the National Cattleman’s Beef Association drills down into how Wisconsin residents buy beef.
Overall, beef is just as popular in Wisconsin as it is across the rest of the country. Nationwide and statewide, beef of all cuts accounted for 35% of the entire fresh meat market in the past year.
Wisconsin beef popularity has also increased at the same rate as the nation. In the past year, beef moved 3% more total poundage in Wisconsin and across the United States than the year before.
Wisconsin residents also tend to save on beef compared to the national price. As of December 2025, the beef association’s latest comparison date, overall beef retailed at $6.96 a pound in Wisconsin versus $7.22 nationally.
What cuts of beef are most popular in Wisconsin?
While Wisconsin holds far more dairy cows than beef cattle, the state’s residents will not be denied their love for burgers.
Steaks garnered about $200 million in sales in Wisconsin in the past year, according to National Cattleman’s Beef Association data. Ground beef brought in $290 million in sales, moving even more in pounds with a lower price value attached.
In Wisconsin, ground beef accounted for 20% of total fresh meat pounds sold in the state from May 2025 to May 2026. That same figure nationwide was 16.8%.
For April and May, the association listed beef steak at $11.66 a pound in Wisconsin and $11.46 a pound for the nation.
Since consumer behavior didn’t change, the value of steaks went higher in Wisconsin than the rest of the United States. The entire country saw a 5.3% increase in total value for steaks, while Wisconsin saw a 7% increase.
“Demand on the consumer side is really strong right now,” Tammy Vaassen, director of the Wisconsin Beef Council told the Journal Sentinel. “We just can’t respond to that because we don’t have the right growing and feed conditions here in the U.S. to be able to produce more cattle.”
The National Cattleman’s Beef Association reports that beef roasts and value-added beef are also pushing the poundage sold on shelves. Nationally, roasts and value-added beef saw the biggest increases in pounds sold, 5.7% and 7.1% higher than the year before, respectively.
How did Midwest beef prices compare to national prices in May?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the same positive consumptions trends for the nation and Midwest as the beef association, but higher overall prices.
The Midwest includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin in BLS reporting.
In the bureau’s report, steaks clocked in at $12.80 a pound nationwide and $13.65 in the Midwest. Despite the difference, prices have increased at a slower rate in the Midwest than the whole United States. In the past year, beef steak prices rose by 16% for the country and 13.8% for the Midwest.
Here’s how other cuts of meat stack up nationwide compared to the Midwest region, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Are Wisconsin residents paying higher prices for beef? See a cost comparison
Reporting by Caden Perry, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Caden Perry, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
