Business
Milk price goes up, bread falls among consumer grocery staples
A look at recent grocery price fluctuations in Raleigh, comparing local staples like milk, bread, and eggs against national averages and inflation data.
By Alan Wooten · 2026-09-07T01:40:14.979Z
The Center Square – Milk rose 8.1%, bread fell by 6 cents and prices for eggs and beef remained unchanged in comparison to a month ago among consumer grocery staples in North Carolina’s capital city.
Milk is $3.44 a gallon, up from $3.18, according to Numbeo, a crowd sourced database with costs of living and other factors for cities and countries globally. A loaf of fresh white bread fell from $3.59 to $3.53, eggs remained $4.65 for a dozen large and 1 pound of beef round stayed at $8.04.
For context, across the country just as in Raleigh, different areas could be experiencing fluctuations and not across the board increases or decreases.
Compared to Inauguration Day https://www.thecentersquare.com/north carolina/article 2c74db6e d751 11ef a0f1 03427b8eb48e.html for second term President Donald Trump, eggs are up 59 cents, beef has risen 34 cents, milk is up 6 cents and bread has fallen 8 cents.
Consumer prices have been a focus of the Trump administration, and predictably, the economy and family costs are pivotal to a number of campaigns in the 2026 midterms. Notable among those is U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper’s “make stuff cost less” tour of towns and cities.
There have been tariff battles and new trade agreements, all part of the president’s desire to fulfill campaign promises on the economy. The Center Square monitors consumer staples as part of its mission in government accountability.
The Center Square analyzes this market monthly as part of its mission for reporting of government accountability, what taxpayers are spending and where, and how it translates for the businesses and communities throughout the state.
Here’s a look at some measures of consumer prices for Raleigh and the nation:
• Milk regular, 1 gallon : $3.44, on a range of $1.82 to $5.49. The national average is $4.01, on a range of $2.80 to $8.67.
• Eggs regular, large, dozen : $4.65, on a range of $1.96 to $6.50. The national average is $4.32, on a range of $1.99 to $8.072.
• Beef round 1 pound, equivalent back leg red meat : $8.04, on a range of $6 to $9.85. The national average is $7.80, on a range of $4.97 to $12.
• Bread load, fresh white, 1 pound : $3.53, on a range of https://www.numbeo.com/cost of living/in/Raleigh $1.99 to $6.99. The national average is https://www.numbeo.com/cost of living/country result.jsp?country=United+States $3.30, on a range of $1.81 to $6.98.
The latest rate of inflation https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current inflation rates/ released in August for July is 3.4%, down 0.8% from May. The next release is Sept. 11 for the August period.
Managing Editor
This story originally appeared on thecentersquare.com https://www.thecentersquare.com/north carolina/article 97db5ec6 7980 4972 a80d f83ff8aeb7b6.html .