Rising grocery prices cause concern for some Central Oregon shoppers
KTVZ – News Team
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Keeping the fridge full is becoming costly. According to Nielsen IQ, food costs are rising across the board.
When comparing the price of eggs, between this July and last July, the price has risen 60 percent. The price of eggs hit a record high in 2025, due to the bird flu outbreak. Some places reported prices as high as $6 a dozen in March of this year.
Chicken is also up 80 cents, peaking at over $6 a pound. Ground beef is nearly 70 cents per pound. Orange juice is up 40 cents, and bacon is up to 17 cents a pound.
The smallest increase has been for a loaf of bread. Now that’s up 5 cents, at just over $3 a loaf.
KTVZ News went out to local markets on Wednesday and asked grocery shoppers for their thoughts.
“I think prices in general keep rising almost every time I come, I would say,” Michael Paulson said as he left a grocery store. Paulson mentioned the price of beef, and wondered why we are importing meat when we could be raising it here in the U.S.
In the parking lot of another store, Michael Coe was picking up some food on his lunch break. When asked about how prices had impacted him, he said: “It takes probably a little bit more thinking now than it used to. I find that my wife and I have to spend more time navigating kind of what possible options are, instead of just showing up at a store and buying something. “
Conversely, Linda Brant seemed less burdened by prices as she headed into a market: “You just have to be a really smart shopper and know how to get good quality protein and good fats and things like that, nutritionally. “ Brant praised Grocery Outlet’s prices, but said she did spend more time seeking out less-expensive products.
Many of the people we spoke to also said housing prices and rent were a major concern for them.
Lastly, according to the latest Consumer Price Index, food prices have climbed 3% over the past year.