Holiday cookout costs hit record high as July 4th nears

Stew Leonard Jr., chief executive of Stew Leonard’s, joined CBS News 24/7 Mornings on Thursday to discuss grocery prices and swim safety as the July 4 holiday weekend approached. The conversation came as shoppers in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York prepared for Independence Day gatherings that are getting more expensive at the register and carrying more risk around the pool.

The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2026 market basket survey puts a classic Fourth of July cookout for 10 people at $73.82, or $7.38 per person. That is up $2.90, or 4%, from last year and marks the highest cookout cost since the survey began in 2013. For families planning burgers, hot dogs, salad and side dishes, the increase adds up fast across a holiday table built for a crowd.

Consumers are still expected to show up. The National Retail Federation says 87% of consumers plan to celebrate the Fourth of July in 2026, and they expect to spend a record average of $94.41 on food items. That spending points to a holiday where households are still prioritizing cookouts and backyard gatherings even as food bills move higher.

The cost pressure arrives alongside a more sobering warning from federal health agencies: drowning remains one of the most serious threats for young children around summer water activities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more children ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than from any other cause of death, and drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5 to 14.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says an average of 376 children under age 15 fatally drowned in pool- or spa-related incidents each year from 2021 to 2023, and nearly 80% of those victims were under age 5. The CDC and Pool Safely both recommend constant supervision, swimming lessons, proper pool fencing and life jackets, a checklist that matters most when families are busy grilling, greeting guests and moving between the house and the water.