Key numbers
USDA egg market statistics, October 2026
The headline numbers, each written as one sentence you can quote, with the date its data runs through and a citation. Free to republish with attribution — see the methodology. The charts behind these numbers are one click away.
National large white benchmark #
The US national large white shell egg benchmark is 39.5¢/doz, loose, down 63% year over year (USDA 5-day weighted average).
About this data: USDA AMS Egg Market News, Daily National Shell Egg Index · White Large shell eggs, graded loose · Loose, FOB plant · National · through Oct 13, 2026
National extra large #
The national extra large white shell egg price is 33.1¢/doz, loose (USDA).
National medium #
The national medium white shell egg price is 27.4¢/doz, loose (USDA).
US shell egg inventory #
US shell egg inventory stands at 1,457 thousand 30-dozen cases, 1% above the 5-yr median for the week (USDA weekly).
About this data: USDA AMS Egg Market News, National Weekly Shell Egg Inventory · Graded shell egg inventory, conventional total · National · through Oct 5, 2026
Tightest region #
Northwest has the tightest shell egg inventory, 19% below its 5-yr median.
Highest regional price #
South Central has the highest delivered-warehouse price among USDA regions quoting that basis, 75.5-84.0¢/doz for large white (USDA).
Lowest regional price #
Midwest has the lowest delivered-warehouse price among USDA regions quoting that basis, 59.0-68.0¢/doz for large white (USDA).
California cage-free #
California cage-free large white shell eggs are 53.0¢/doz, loose, delivered basis (USDA Daily National Shell Egg Index).
About this data: USDA AMS Egg Market News, Daily National Shell Egg Index · California cage-free large white loose shell eggs, delivered · Delivered, loose · California · through Oct 8, 2026
Liquid whole egg (breaking market) #
The national caged liquid whole egg price is 14.3¢/lb, the downstream breaking-market read (USDA egg products report).
About this data: USDA AMS Egg Market News, Weekly National Egg Products · Liquid whole egg, caged, wholesale (chart); every liquid, frozen and dried line (table) · FOB · National · through Oct 5, 2026
Retail feature intensity #
2,091 stores featured national large white eggs in USDA's weekly grocery feature report.
HPAI-affected layers (YTD) #
16.1 million commercial egg-laying hens have been affected by HPAI so far in 2026, across 13 confirmed layer detections in 5 states (USDA APHIS).
HPAI-affected poultry (YTD) #
23.9 million commercial poultry birds of all types have been affected by HPAI so far in 2026 (USDA APHIS).
US retail egg price #
US shoppers paid an average of $2.27 for a dozen grade A large eggs (BLS average retail price, a mixed basket of conventional, cage-free and organic).
About this data: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data · Eggs, grade A, large, per dozen (APU0000708111); eggs CPI (CUUR0000SEFH) · Consumer retail, mixed basket (conventional/cage-free/organic), cartoned · US city average · through Aug 2026
Egg price inflation (YoY) #
US grocery egg prices were down 23.0% over the past year by the eggs Consumer Price Index, the measure BLS builds to gauge inflation (BLS CPI-U, NSA).
US laying flock #
The US table-egg laying flock stands at 318.7 million hens (USDA NASS Chickens and Eggs).
About this data: USDA NASS, Chickens and Eggs · Table-egg layers on hand, table eggs produced, eggs per 100 layers, layers in commercial flocks by state · National, by state · through Sep 2026