How much do fruits and vegetables cost? USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) estimated average prices for more than 150 commonly consumed fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. ERS reports average prices per edible cup equivalent to inform policymakers and nutritionists about how much money it costs U.S. households to eat a sufficient quantity and variety of fruits and vegetables. This dataset supports research on the affordability of a healthy diet.
Reported estimates include each product's average retail price and price per edible cup equivalent (i.e., the unit of measurement for Federal recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption). Average retail prices are reported per pound or per pint. For many fruits and vegetables, a 1-cup equivalent equals the weight of enough edible food to fill a measuring cup.
ERS calculated average prices at retail stores using 2013, 2016, 2020, 2022, and 2023 retail scanner data from Circana. A selection of retail establishments—grocery stores, supermarkets, supercenters, convenience stores, drug stores, and liquor stores—across the United States provide Circana with weekly retail sales data (revenue and quantity). A subset of these stores agree to release their information to ERS.
Every 5 years USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services release a new version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans with information about how individuals can achieve a healthy diet. However, the average U.S. consumer falls short in meeting these recommendations. Many people consume too many calories from refined grains, solid fats, and added sugars, and do not eat enough whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Are food prices a barrier to eating a healthy diet? The following ERS publications provide examples of ERS analysis of fruit and vegetable prices and trends in consumption.
- Satisfying Fruit and Vegetable Recommendations Possible for Under $3 a Day, Data Analysis Shows
- The Cost of Satisfying Fruit and Vegetable Recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines
- For Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Households, Fruit and Vegetable Affordability Is Partly a Question of Budgeting
- Americans Still Can Meet Fruit and Vegetable Dietary Guidelines for $2.10-$2.60 per Day
ERS fruit and vegetable prices will be updated each year, subject to data availability. When generating estimates using 2013, 2016, 2020, 2022, and 2023 data, ERS researchers priced similar fruit and vegetable products. However, because of different methods for coding the underlying Circana data, the entry of new products into the market, the exit of old products from the market, and other factors, the data are not suitable for making year-to-year comparisons. These data should not be used for making inferences about price changes over time. The Related Data section of the Documentation page provides information on additional ERS data products with other types of food price data.
Disclaimer: The findings in this data product or stated on this page should not be attributed to Circana.