Potatoes, chicken, and other groceries that dropped in price in September

Published 8:00 pm Monday, October 16, 2023

Potatoes, chicken, and other groceries that dropped in price in September

Grocery shoppers felt a slight reprieve this spring as grocery prices fell after a run of increases dating to September 2020.

So far since then, grocery prices have remained relatively steady, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In September, prices inflated by 0.1% compared to August, and were up 2.4% from September 2022. Prices have fallen in many grocery categories, including eggs, meats, vegetables, grains, and dairy products. Overall inflation is cooling after a series of interest rate hikes by the Fed to temper the record inflation plaguing Americans over the past two years.

While costs remain high overall, the decreases mean dollars can stretch a bit further at the grocery store. Stacker used monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the grocery items that experienced the largest price decreases in September, using year-over-year changes as a tiebreaker where needed. Stacker excluded some hyper-specific meat categories in order to better understand grocery price fluctuations more broadly.

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Ham on platter.

Brent Hofacker // Shutterstock

#10. Ham (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -0.1%
– Annual change in cost: +5.2%
– September 2023 cost: $4.56

A spoonful of ground coffee.

Canva

#9. Ground coffee (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -0.1%
– Annual change in cost: -1.4%
– September 2023 cost: $6.09

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A wooden scoop in white flour.

Canva

#8. All-purpose white flour (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -0.2%
– Annual change in cost: +1.6%
– September 2023 cost: $0.57

A display of lemons at a grocery store.

Canva

#7. Lemons (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -0.2%
– Annual change in cost: -0.7%
– September 2023 cost: $2.07

Grocery shelves stocked with various cheeses.

Stefan Malloch // Shutterstock

#6. Cheddar cheese, natural (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -0.9%
– Annual change in cost: -3.9%
– September 2023 cost: $5.85

Bananas in a pile.

Canva

#5. Bananas (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -1%
– Annual change in cost: -2.8%
– September 2023 cost: $0.63

Uncooked white rice spilling out of a burlap sack on a wooden table.

Jiri Hera // Shutterstock

#4. Long-grain white rice (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -1.6%
– Annual change in cost: +4.5%
– September 2023 cost: $0.98

Bright red tomatoes with green tops.

Canva

#3. Tomatoes (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -1.8%
– Annual change in cost: -3%
– September 2023 cost: $1.84

A whole cooked chicken with lemon slices.

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

#2. Whole chicken (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -2.9%
– Annual change in cost: +0.5%
– September 2023 cost: $1.90

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Person picking up potato in supermarket.

Suriyawut Suriya // Shutterstock

#1. White potatoes (per lb.)

– One-month decrease in cost: -4.3%
– Annual change in cost: +2.7%
– September 2023 cost: $1.05

Data reporting by Paxtyn Merten.