How Much Does a Dozen Eggs Cost?

Updated on July 19, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 6 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

A dozen Grade A large eggs currently costs about $2 to $5 at many U.S. supermarkets, while cage-free, free-range, organic, pasture-raised, omega-3, and premium branded cartons often cost $4 to $9 or more. The U.S. city average for Grade A large eggs was $2.14 per dozen in May 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but shelf prices can move quickly when bird flu reduces laying flocks or when a store runs a promotion.

The carton price does not tell the whole story. Package size, egg grade, shell size, production label, store location, delivery markup, and sales tax where applicable can all change the final cost. A cheap 18-count carton may beat a dozen on a per-egg basis, while premium pasture-raised eggs can cost more than twice as much per egg as a conventional store brand.

A dozen means 12 eggs, but price comparisons should still match the same size and grade. A dozen medium eggs is not the same product as a dozen large Grade A eggs, and wholesale case prices should not be compared directly with supermarket checkout prices.

Article Highlights

• The May 2026 U.S. city average for Grade A large eggs was $2.14 per dozen.
• Many conventional store-brand cartons fall near $2 to $3.50.
• Cage-free and free-range eggs commonly cost about $3.50 to $6.50.
• Organic and pasture-raised cartons often cost $5 to $9 or more.
• An 18-count carton at $4.50 equals $3 per dozen.
• A $7.49 premium dozen costs about 62 cents per egg.
• Bird flu can raise prices quickly by reducing the number of productive laying hens.

How Much Does a Dozen Eggs Cost?

Egg category	Current planning range per dozen	Typical price driver
Conventional store brand	$2 to $3.50	Local supply, promotions, flock losses, store pricing
Cage-free	$3 to $5.50	Housing system, retailer policy, regional mandates
Free-range	$4 to $6.50	Outdoor access, lower production density, brand
Certified organic	$5 to $8	Organic feed, certification, outdoor-access rules
Pasture-raised	$6 to $9+	Space claims, third-party certification, premium brand
Omega-3 or specialty eggs	$4.50 to $8	Hen diet, branding, added certification
Farmers’ market eggs	$4 to $10+ (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 8 to 20 minutes, before taxes)	Local feed cost, flock scale, packaging, direct sale

These ranges are shopping estimates rather than fixed national prices. The BLS average-price series tracks only one defined product: a dozen Grade A large eggs. It excludes six-count and 18-count cartons and does not represent every organic, specialty, or delivery-app listing.

What Grade, Size, and Color Mean

USDA egg grades describe quality, including the condition of the shell, white, and yolk. Grade AA and Grade A eggs are the grades shoppers most often see. Grade is separate from shell size, production method, and organic status.

Egg size is based on the minimum net weight of a dozen. Medium, large, extra-large, and jumbo cartons contain different total amounts of food, so the lowest carton price may not be the lowest price by weight. Recipes in the United States commonly assume large eggs unless they specify another size.

Brown and white shells do not indicate different grades or guaranteed nutrition. USDA states that shell color does not affect egg quality. Brown eggs can cost more because the breeds that lay them may require more feed. The USDA shell-egg questions and answers also distinguishes free-range from cage-free production.

Why Egg Prices Change So Fast

Egg prices react strongly when laying flocks shrink because supply cannot be restored immediately. Highly pathogenic avian influenza has affected U.S. commercial and backyard poultry since 2022. When an infected commercial flock is depopulated, replacement pullets must mature before production returns.

USDA reported that farm-level egg prices rose 163.1% in 2022, fell 28.3% in 2023, increased 43.1% in 2024, and rose another 31.6% in 2025, primarily because HPAI reduced laying flocks and production. The current USDA Food Price Outlook shows why a price from one year should not be reused as a permanent average.

Wholesale prices can also fall faster than retail prices. In 2025, USDA reported that average wholesale prices dropped from $8.20 per dozen in February to $3.74 in April, while retail prices moved down more slowly. Stores may still be selling inventory bought under earlier contracts or smoothing prices across several weeks.

Wholesale and Retail Prices

USDA egg reports may quote prices by region, size, production method, delivery point, or 30-dozen case. A wholesale quote does not include every supermarket expense, such as distribution, breakage, store labor, refrigeration, packaging, shrink, and retail margin.

The USDA Egg Market News collection publishes weekly regional prices, California reports, cage-free reports, organic reports, inventories, and retail activity. Those reports are useful for detecting market direction, but a shopper should not expect the quoted wholesale number to match a shelf label exactly.

Delivery platforms create another layer. An online price may include a platform markup, membership requirement, minimum order, delivery charge, service fee, or tip. A carton advertised at $3.49 can cost much more when ordered by itself.

A Worked Carton Comparison

Suppose a shopper is comparing three packages:

• A conventional dozen at $3.49
• An 18-count conventional carton at $4.50
• A pasture-raised dozen at $7.49

The $3.49 dozen costs about 29 cents per egg. The 18-count carton costs 25 cents per egg. Multiplying 25 cents by 12 gives an equivalent price of $3 per dozen, so the larger carton saves about 49 cents per dozen.

The pasture-raised carton costs about 62 cents per egg. Compared with the conventional dozen at 29 cents per egg, the specialty premium is about 33 cents per egg, or $3.96 per dozen. A household using two dozen eggs each month would spend about $95 (about 3.2 hours of work at $30 per hour) more per year at that premium.

Cage-Free, Free-Range, and Organic

Cage-free hens can move vertically and horizontally within an indoor housing area and have access to food and water, but the claim does not necessarily mean they go outdoors. Free-range claims add continuous access to an outdoor area during the laying cycle, subject to temporary restrictions for animal health, weather, or emergencies.

Certified organic eggs follow a separate USDA program. Organic poultry must receive organic agricultural feed, be managed under organic rules, and have outdoor access, with temporary confinement allowed for documented health or environmental reasons. The current organic poultry standards also address indoor and outdoor space and production practices.

Pasture-raised is not one single federal grade. Brands may use private certification programs with their own outdoor-space rules. Shoppers paying a premium should check the certifier, not only the front-of-carton phrase.

Does a Premium Egg Have More Nutrition?

Eggs provide protein, fat, choline, vitamins, minerals, and dietary cholesterol. The nutrient profile can change with hen diet, but an organic, brown, free-range, or pasture-raised label does not guarantee that every nutrient is higher than in a conventional white egg.

Specialty eggs may carry a specific nutrient claim, such as added omega-3 fatty acids, when the hens receive a formulated diet. That is different from assuming all premium labels produce the same nutritional result.

The useful price question is whether the buyer values the production system, certification, brand, traceability, or a documented nutrient claim enough to pay the premium. Shell color alone is not a reason to expect higher nutritional quality.

The Hidden Cost of Buying in Bulk

An 18-, 24-, or 30-count package can reduce the cost per egg, but savings disappear when eggs are wasted. FDA recommends using refrigerated shell eggs within about three weeks for best quality after purchase. A one-person household buying 30 eggs only saves money if they are used in time.

Bulk shopping also needs a true unit conversion. A 24-count carton at $6.40 equals $3.20 per dozen. An 18-count carton at $5.25 equals $3.50 per dozen. The larger package has the higher total price but the lower unit cost.

Comparing less common eggs can require different math. A dozen duck eggs may cost more because production volume is smaller, while an ostrich egg is sold as a single large specialty item rather than a normal dozen.

How to Buy and Store Eggs

Fresh commercial eggs can carry Salmonella even when the shell looks clean and unbroken, but that does not mean most eggs are contaminated. The old claim that more than 90% of eggs contain harmful bacteria is false and should not be used.

FDA advises buying refrigerated eggs with clean, uncracked shells, storing them promptly at 40°F or below, and keeping them in the original carton. The agency’s egg-safety guidance also recommends washing hands, utensils, equipment, and work surfaces after contact with raw eggs.

Consumers should not wash commercially processed eggs before storing them. Household washing can spread contamination around the sink and kitchen. Cook eggs until the white and yolk are firm unless a recipe uses pasteurized eggs or another approved safety method.

The float test indicates age, not safety. Older eggs have larger air cells and may float, but a sinking egg is not proof that it is free of bacteria. Crack questionable eggs into a separate bowl and discard any with an unusual odor or appearance.

Three Egg-Buying Scenarios

Budget household: Two conventional dozens per month at $2.75 each cost $66 (about 2.2 hours of work at $30 per hour) per year. Buying 18-count cartons at an equivalent $2.50 per dozen would lower the annual cost to about $60.

Organic household: Two certified organic dozens per month at $6.50 cost $156 per year. The premium above the $66 conventional scenario is $90 annually.

Large family: Four dozen eggs per week at $3.25 per dozen cost about $676 per year. A 50-cent increase per dozen adds approximately $104 annually, showing why short-term market changes matter more to high-use households.

When Paying More Makes Sense

Makes sense if:

• The household wants a specific certified production system.
• A specialty carton carries a documented nutrient claim the buyer values.
• The farm or brand provides traceability, freshness, or animal-care certification.
• The premium package has a lower unit price during a sale.

Does not make sense if:

• The buyer assumes brown shells are automatically healthier.
• The carton uses vague outdoor or farm imagery without a clear claim.
• A larger package will not be used before quality declines.
• A delivery markup wipes out the supermarket discount.

Egg pricing also connects with the wider poultry market. Feed, flock health, processing, and retail demand affect the price of a whole chicken, though meat chickens and laying hens follow different production cycles.

What We Verified

• Checked: BLS reported $2.14 per dozen for Grade A large eggs in May 2026.
• Confirmed: USDA separates grade, size, shell color, cage-free, and free-range claims.
• Cross-referenced: USDA attributes large recent farm-level egg-price changes primarily to HPAI-related flock and production losses.
• Verified: Organic poultry must receive organic feed and have outdoor access under USDA rules, subject to allowed temporary confinement.
• Checked: FDA advises refrigeration at 40°F or below and does not tell consumers to wash commercial eggs before storage.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does a dozen eggs cost in 2026?

Many conventional Grade A large cartons cost about $2 to $5. Organic, pasture-raised, and premium specialty dozens often cost $4 to $9 or more.

How much does one egg cost?

A $3 dozen costs 25 cents per egg. A $6 dozen costs 50 cents per egg, and a $9 dozen costs 75 cents per egg.

Are 18-count cartons cheaper?

Sometimes. Divide the package price by 18, then multiply by 12. An 18-count carton at $4.50 equals $3 per dozen.

Why are organic eggs more expensive?

Certified organic eggs carry costs tied to organic feed, certification, outdoor access, housing rules, and separate handling. The label does not guarantee that every nutrient is higher.

Should eggs be washed before refrigeration?

No. Commercial eggs are already processed before sale. Store them refrigerated in their original carton and wash hands and kitchen surfaces after handling raw eggs.