MISSOURI, USA — Over the past few years, Missouri has seen one of the sharpest increases in egg prices compared to the rest of the country, according to Datasembly.
The data shows that from Oct. 6, 2019, to Sept. 14, 2024, there has been a 123% increase in the price of eggs for consumers in Missouri.
Kansas City has the biggest increase in the state with a 127% jump.
Minnesota is the only state that outranked Missouri with a 138% increase since 2019.
The data also named Iowa(+116%), Oklahoma (+109%), and Alabama (+109%) named in the top five states that saw the most increase.
Even though Missouri has seen a sharp increase the state also has the cheapest eggs in the country averaging at $4.24, according to World Population Review's data. On the other hand, Hawaii's eggs are costing consumers $9.73 and Florida's eggs are costing consumers $6.36.
The culprits of the recent spike for Missourians include a host of problems from the bird flu to higher costs for feed, labor fuel and packaging, according to Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board.
The data also shows that the sharp spike has greatly impacted low-income shoppers.
“Going from $2 per dozen eggs to $4 or $5 is a big jump on a tight budget,” said Phil Lempert, a grocery industry analyst and editor of SuperMarketGuru.com to CNN. “When prices are high, I worry this population may not be getting enough protein."
Egg prices may not be going down any time soon, either.
The CDC reported that 18.68 million birds contracted the Bird Flu since April. Lempert believes this is the main reason for the sharp increase.
