According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of butter fell 1%, from $4.07 per pound in 2018 to $4.02 in August 2026. Overall prices rose 33% over the same period, so butter got cheaper while most prices went up. This data is collected by a national survey and can vary from region to region.
● Price● Price, inflation-adjusted
Butter prices are 1,937.72% higher in 2026 versus 1939 (a $77.90 difference in value).
Between 1939 and 2026, Butter experienced an average inflation rate of 3.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, butter costing $4.02 in the year 1939 would cost $81.92 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.71% during this same period, inflation for butter was lower.
The average price for butter is calculated from a weighted average of retailer data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The table below shows the average U.S. price of butter, stick, per lb. (453.6 gm) each year, along with the same price adjusted for inflation. To understand how price levels differ from inflation rates, see this article published by the BLS.
| Year | Price (per pound) | Price, inflation-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | $4.11 | $4.11 |
| 2025 | $4.76 | $4.95 |
| 2024 | $4.74 | $5.06 |
| 2023 | $4.56 | $5.01 |
| 2022 | $4.38 | $5.02 |
| 2021 | $3.58 | $4.43 |
| 2020 | $3.62 | $4.69 |
| 2019 | $3.98 | $5.22 |
| 2018 | $4.07 | $5.43 |
Yearly averages; 2026 is through August. Inflation-adjusted to 2026 dollars.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Butter, over time, for $4.02 beginning in 1939. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | $4.02 | - |
| 1940 | $4.47 | 11.26% |
| 1941 | $5.12 | 14.40% |
| 1942 | $5.89 | 15.21% |
| 1943 | $6.49 | 10.14% |
| 1944 | $6.17 | -4.98% |
| 1945 | $6.25 | 1.27% |
| 1946 | $8.81 | 41.06% |
| 1947 | $10.00 | 13.44% |
| 1948 | $10.78 | 7.78% |
| 1949 | $9.01 | -16.41% |
| 1950 | $9.06 | 0.54% |
| 1951 | $10.17 | 12.26% |
| 1952 | $10.62 | 4.50% |
| 1953 | $9.86 | -7.15% |
| 1954 | $9.04 | -8.38% |
| 1955 | $8.86 | -1.97% |
| 1956 | $9.06 | 2.29% |
| 1957 | $9.34 | 3.01% |
| 1958 | $9.33 | -0.07% |
| 1959 | $9.46 | 1.46% |
| 1960 | $9.42 | -0.46% |
| 1961 | $9.62 | 2.13% |
| 1962 | $9.48 | -1.46% |
| 1963 | $9.46 | -0.17% |
| 1964 | $9.56 | 1.00% |
| 1965 | $9.71 | 1.62% |
| 1966 | $10.57 | 8.79% |
| 1967 | $10.86 | 2.75% |
| 1968 | $10.94 | 0.79% |
| 1969 | $11.08 | 1.27% |
| 1970 | $11.35 | 2.38% |
| 1971 | $11.49 | 1.24% |
| 1972 | $11.44 | -0.44% |
| 1973 | $12.02 | 5.13% |
| 1974 | $12.40 | 3.13% |
| 1975 | $13.49 | 8.81% |
| 1976 | $16.63 | 23.24% |
| 1977 | $17.57 | 5.69% |
| 1978 | $19.48 | 10.87% |
| 1979 | $22.04 | 13.14% |
| 1980 | $24.77 | 12.37% |
| 1981 | $26.66 | 7.64% |
| 1982 | $27.27 | 2.27% |
| 1983 | $27.59 | 1.17% |
| 1984 | $28.26 | 2.44% |
| 1985 | $28.56 | 1.08% |
| 1986 | $28.65 | 0.30% |
| 1987 | $29.16 | 1.79% |
| 1988 | $29.08 | -0.30% |
| 1989 | $29.08 | 0.02% |
| 1990 | $27.29 | -6.18% |
| 1991 | $26.55 | -2.71% |
| 1992 | $25.60 | -3.55% |
| 1993 | $24.04 | -6.11% |
| 1994 | $22.97 | -4.48% |
| 1995 | $23.74 | 3.38% |
| 1996 | $29.81 | 25.58% |
| 1997 | $31.80 | 6.64% |
| 1998 | $41.69 | 31.11% |
| 1999 | $40.38 | -3.12% |
| 2000 | $37.64 | -6.79% |
| 2001 | $47.55 | 26.32% |
| 2002 | $43.21 | -9.13% |
| 2003 | $40.14 | -7.10% |
| 2004 | $51.85 | 29.16% |
| 2005 | $51.15 | -1.35% |
| 2006 | $47.42 | -7.28% |
| 2007 | $47.29 | -0.28% |
| 2008 | $49.37 | 4.39% |
| 2009 | $45.83 | -7.17% |
| 2010 | $50.59 | 10.39% |
| 2011 | $58.41 | 15.45% |
| 2012 | $54.34 | -6.97% |
| 2013 | $54.98 | 1.18% |
| 2014 | $63.00 | 14.60% |
| 2015 | $64.51 | 2.40% |
| 2016 | $64.97 | 0.71% |
| 2017 | $66.61 | 2.53% |
| 2018 | $67.58 | 1.44% |
| 2019 | $68.33 | 1.12% |
| 2020 | $68.91 | 0.84% |
| 2021 | $68.84 | -0.10% |
| 2022 | $82.21 | 19.42% |
| 2023 | $84.77 | 3.11% |
| 2024 | $87.79 | 3.57% |
| 2025 | $87.74 | -0.06% |
| 2026 | $81.92 | -6.64%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Butter:
| Year | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 14.508 | 16.142 | 18.467 | 21.275 | 23.433 | 22.267 | 22.550 | 31.808 | 36.083 | 38.892 | 32.508 | 32.683 | 36.692 | 38.342 | 35.600 | 32.617 | 31.975 | 32.708 | 33.692 | 33.667 | 34.158 | 34.000 | 34.725 | 34.217 | 34.158 | 34.500 | 35.058 | 38.142 | 39.192 | 39.500 | 40.000 | 40.950 | 41.458 | 41.275 | 43.392 | 44.750 | 48.692 | 60.008 | 63.425 | 70.317 | 79.558 | 89.400 | 96.233 | 98.417 | 99.567 | 101.992 | 103.092 | 103.400 | 105.250 | 104.933 | 104.958 | 98.475 | 95.808 | 92.408 | 86.767 | 82.883 | 85.683 | 107.600 | 114.750 | 150.450 | 145.750 | 135.858 | 171.617 | 155.950 | 144.875 | 187.117 | 184.592 | 171.158 | 170.683 | 178.169 | 165.401 | 182.593 | 210.795 | 196.102 | 198.410 | 227.375 | 232.833 | 234.484 | 240.409 | 243.881 | 246.620 | 248.691 | 248.454 | 296.713 | 305.928 | 316.844 | 316.657 | 295.640 |