Costco, Walmart, Whole Foods... Which grocery stores have the cheapest egg prices?
Amid rocketing egg prices in the U.S., here are some leads on the retailers with the best prices and how to spot them.
As supply struggles to keep up with demand amid a major egg shortage in the United States, consumers are being left with skyrocketing prices.
Shoppers around the country are even reporting having to pay prices climbing towards the $10 mark for a dozen regular eggs at some stores, sparking a nationwide scramble to find the most affordable deals.
According to the U.S.’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs in America increased by nearly 100% between January and December 2024, from $2.14 to $4.15. And as 2025 progresses, this upward curve appears to show few signs of flattening out - the average price is now reported to have surpassed $5 - amid warnings that there won’t be a quick fix to the U.S.’s supply-demand issue. In addition to grocery store shoppers, diners at restaurants in the U.S. are also feeling the impact of higher egg prices. For example, the popular chain Waffle House has announced a 50-cent per-egg surcharge on all egg dishes.
Those hoping relief is on the way will find little comfort in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s price forecasts for 2025, which estimate that egg prices could jump an additional 20.3% by the end of the year.
Where might you find cheaper eggs in the U.S.?
The price will vary from city to city. Many major supermarket chains allow customers to place orders online. This service can double as a mechanism to compare prices in your area.
On the East Coast, the Democrat and Chronicle compared prices in Rochester, New York, where a dozen eggs can cost anywhere between $3.49 and $8.49, with Trader Joe’s on Monroe Ave in Pittsford selling them at the best price.
Consumers are also being urged to join a food co-op - a grocery store owned and operated by its customers - to get lower prices. Epicenter NYC notes that New York’s Park Slope Food Co-op has been selling certain eggs at as low as a third of their price in other establishments, highlighting the direct benefit for their members as this price crunch continues. One must consider these possible savings against the initial cost of joining such co-ops. Members of the Park Slope co-op, for example, are charged a $25 joining fee plus a $100 equity investment.
NJ.com, meanwhile, says East Coasters should try the grocery chain Wegmans as a place to pick up more affordable eggs.
In California, the Los Angeles media outlet KTLA5 has cited Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Trader Joe’s as stores where Americans have been able to get a dozen eggs for under $4.
For families that consume a large amount of eggs, Tasting Table’s Darkish Cosby recommends seeking out savings by taking advantage of bulk deals on offer at major chains such as Costco and Walmart. In the case of Costco, shoppers will have to decide whether they can afford the annual membership fee, which is $65.
What has caused the supply-demand rise in egg prices?
Egg supply in the U.S. has been severely impacted by an outbreak of bird flu, which has decimated the country’s populations of egg-laying chickens.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Egg Markets Overview, bird flu led to the nationwide loss of 13.2 million egg-laying chickens in December 2024 and was set to continue killing at a breakneck rate in January. In total, per CBS, around 145 million birds have died since the outbreak began last year. Such a reduction in egg-laying chicken populations has made it much harder for the industry to keep up with the demand for eggs among U.S. consumers. As the Investopedia finance journalist Leslie Kramer notes: “When demand is greater than supply, prices rise.”
The close proximity of birds in hen houses can increase the risk of a major outbreak, leading to the culling of so many hens. Canada, on the other hand, has not faced the same price increases as their eggs, with their egg farms housing far fewer birds. Though production costs in the Canadian system may be higher, the supply chain is better able to maintain production during supply chain shocks like the avian flu.
Industry leaders are warning that consumers could face higher egg prices “for a while,” as explained by the president and CEO of the American Egg Board, Emily Metz. Metz told CNN late last month that prices would remain elevated “until we have time without a detection” of bird flu.
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