Ground Coffee Prices: What BLS Data Shows and Practical Ways to Pay Less
Ground coffee remains a daily staple for millions of households, but supermarket price tags have shifted dramatically over recent years. According to federal retail price tracking, ground coffee costs remain elevated near historical highs, even after easing slightly from peaks seen earlier this year. For grocery shoppers trying to protect their monthly budget, understanding official pricing trends and standard retail measurement methods can help uncover clear opportunities to reduce checkout costs.
Recent Price Movements Through September 2026
According to the latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Average Price Data, ground coffee stood at $9.33 per pound in September 2026 (raw value 9.332). That represents a month-over-month increase of +0.4% from August 2026, when the average price was $9.30 per pound.
Across the last 13 published months, prices have hovered well above the levels seen in previous years. The data series shows that in August 2025, ground coffee averaged $8.87 per pound before rising to $9.14 in September 2025. Following an unpublished gap for October 2025, prices registered at $9.26 in November 2025 and $9.05 in December 2025.
Prices escalated further at the start of 2026, recording $9.37 in January, $9.46 in February, and $9.61 in March. In April 2026, ground coffee hit $9.72 per pound (raw 9.723), marking the highest monthly value recorded across the entire data window from January 2016 to September 2026. Following that peak, prices cooled to $9.51 in May, $9.46 in June, $9.32 in July, and $9.30 in August, leaving the September 2026 price of $9.33 down -4.0% versus the April peak.
Multi-Year Trends: A Look Back at Earlier Baselines
While the September 2026 price of $9.33 is up +2.1% compared to September 2025 ($9.14), longer-term comparisons show a much wider divide. Two years earlier, in September 2024, a pound of ground roast coffee averaged $6.47 (raw 6.470), meaning September 2026 prices are +44.2% higher.
Looking back five years to September 2021, the average price was $4.73 per pound (raw 4.733), reflecting a +97.2% surge to current levels. Compared to the pre-pandemic benchmark of January 2020, when the average price stood at $4.17 (raw 4.174), the September 2026 price represents an increase of +123.6%. The lowest monthly point in the entire January 2016 to September 2026 window occurred in December 2019, when coffee fell to $4.05 per pound (raw 4.053).
The annual averages computed by the agency illustrate this upward path:
- 2016: $4.39
- 2017: $4.45
- 2018: $4.30 (based on 6 published months)
- 2019: $4.14 (based on 3 published months)
- 2020: $4.43
- 2021: $4.71
- 2022: $5.89
- 2023: $6.16
- 2024: $6.32
- 2025: $8.18 (based on 11 published months)
- 2026: $9.45 (calculated across January through September)
Key Ground Coffee Price Benchmarks
The table below summarizes official government benchmarks from the monthly series tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Timeframe | Average Price (Per Lb.) | Change to September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 (Latest) | $9.33 | Baseline |
| September 2025 (One Year Earlier) | $9.14 | +2.1% |
| September 2021 (Five Years Earlier) | $4.73 | +97.2% |
| January 2020 (Pre-Pandemic Baseline) | $4.17 | +123.6% |
| April 2026 (Window High) | $9.72 | -4.0% |
How Government Data Tracks Coffee Costs
The government collects prices across a variety of product specifications to calculate these figures. For food data, data collectors log prices for eligible items across different package sizes. Each retail quote is converted into an effective price per standard unit of measure—typically an effective price per ounce—before being multiplied out to a standardized one-pound (453.6 gram) reference size.
Because the ground coffee series covers all package sizes, it includes both small containers and bulk bags. Furthermore, the sampling captures regular prices, promotional sale prices, and clearance markdowns, as well as organic and non-organic products.
Practical Ways to Spend Less on Ground Coffee
Understanding the pricing mechanics behind supermarket coffee displays points directly to several practical money-saving tactics:
- Calculate the unit cost: Because packages come in varying weights, the sticker price alone does not indicate the best value. By practicing basic unit pricing math and evaluating the shelf price per ounce, you can identify whether a larger container genuinely costs less per pound than smaller canisters.
- Watch for subtle package reductions: Manufacturers frequently alter container volumes to maintain a consistent shelf price. Checking package net weight helps protect you from hidden shrinkflation that inflates your actual cost per ounce.
- Target clearance and promotional price tags: Government data collectors include sale and clearance pricing alongside regular prices because deep markdowns occur frequently in grocery aisles. Timing coffee purchases around periodic store sales or clearance markdowns avoids paying full shelf price.
- Compare organic and non-organic selections: Because the official series combines organic and non-organic coffee, standardizing on non-organic varieties can offer immediate per-pound savings over premium-labeled bags.
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Series APU0000717311
Published October 28, 2026. No affiliate links on this page. Facts come from the sources linked above; check them for updates.