TAMPA, Fla. — Following the COVID-19 pandemic's empty shelves and product shortages, buyers are now getting their feathers ruffled by the rising price of eggs.
Higher pricing on such a kitchen staple can be especially difficult because eggs are not the type of item that can be simply replaced.
Instacart compared the average spent on a dozen eggs from December 2021 through December 2022 and found some price spikes around the country, especially in Florida. Overall, the price Instacart customers spent on a dozen eggs has increased 54% year-over-year.
Top 5 States Spending the Most on one Dozen Eggs
(Florida has the highest cost per dozen eggs on the U.S. mainland, averaging $6.36. Hawaii has the highest cost per dozen eggs at $9.73 a carton.)
- Hawaii - $9.73 average (**53% more than runner up Florida**)
- Florida - $6.36 average
- Alabama - $6.12 average
- Nevada - $6.07 average
- California - $6.05 average
Top 10 areas where Instacart customers are spending - on average - the most on one dozen eggs, along with the year-over-year price increase:
(Washington has the lowest egg-flation rate at 15% year over year. Iowa has the largest egg-fla0tion rate at 153% year over year.)
- Southeast Florida (Miami) - $6.67 average/ +48% increase
- San Francisco Bay Area, California - $6.27 average/ +18% increase
- Tampa, Florida - $6.23 average/ +60% increase
- Orlando, Florida - $6.03 average/ 65% increase
- Phoenix, Arizona - $6.03 average/ 71% increase
- Orange County, California - $6.01 average/ +31% increase
- San Diego, California - $5.87 average/ +30% increase
- Charlotte, North Carolina - $5.84 average/ +68% increase
- Nashville, Tennessee - $5.63 average/ +60% increase
- Portland, Oregon - $4.93 average/ +13% increase
Inflation is not the only reason why egg pricing is up, eggs are currently more expensive due to a record-breaking outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu), which is primarily spread by migrating wild birds. The last time avian flu hit this hard was in 2015 when egg prices also soared.
As inflation and the avian flu begin to ease over the next year, egg consumers may finally get a break on the prices.
