CostInflation Burger Index July 2026: Jackson Stayed High
CostInflation Burger Index July 2026 kept North Jackson at the top of the 12-city burger basket. The ingredients for one double-patty burger cost $6.68 there on July 5, while San Jose’s Blossom Valley came in at $4.88.
That put Jackson $1.80 above San Jose, wider than the $1.55 difference in the June report. The burger basket rose in almost every city from June 13, but San Jose edged lower, so the July table split into a clear top tier and a softer bottom.
Buns, lettuce, and beef carried most of that distance. Those three ingredients added about $1.69 of the Jackson-San Jose gap.
Jackson stayed first while East St. Louis moved closer
Jackson remained the expensive outlier, but East St. Louis narrowed the distance. The July 5 basket put East St. Louis at $6.46, only 22 cents below Jackson, after sitting about 40 cents behind it in the June 13 report.
| Rank | City | Postal code | July basket | Price observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson, MS - North Jackson | 39206 | $6.68 | 670 |
| 2 | East St. Louis, IL | 62201 | $6.46 | 674 |
| 3 | Clayton, MO | 63105 | $6.06 | 675 |
| 4 | New York, NY - Ridgewood/Glendale | 11385 | $5.65 | 742 |
| 5 | Jacksonville, FL - Westside | 32210 | $5.51 | 744 |
| 6 | San Antonio, TX - West San Antonio | 78228 | $5.39 | 764 |
| 7 | Houston, TX - Midtown | 77004 | $5.33 | 750 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA - South Philadelphia | 19145 | $5.11 | 744 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL - North Center/Avondale | 60618 | $5.10 | 759 |
| 10 | Seattle, WA - Rainier Valley | 98118 | $4.99 | 771 |
| 11 | Los Angeles, CA - Mid-City | 90019 | $4.92 | 765 |
| 12 | San Jose, CA - Blossom Valley | 95123 | $4.88 | 769 |
The July 5 comparison contains 8,827 price observations across 12 cities. New York, East St. Louis, San Antonio, and Houston rose most; San Jose was the only city that moved lower.
Buns and lettuce made the city gap visible
Buns and lettuce did most of the visible work in the July gap, with beef adding a smaller third contribution.
| Ingredient | Jackson | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburger buns | $1.62 | $0.77 | +$0.85 |
| Lettuce | $0.93 | $0.33 | +$0.60 |
| Beef patties | $2.81 | $2.58 | +$0.24 |
Those three components added about $1.69 of the $1.80 city gap. The smaller condiments and toppings barely changed the ranking by themselves.
The hamburger bun, lettuce, and beef patties pages show the ingredient histories directly.
How to cite the July report
Citation:
CostInflation, “CostInflation Burger Index, July 2026,” CostInflation data for July 5, 2026, https://costinflation.com/blog/costinflation-burger-index-july-2026.
The Burger Index covers the ingredients for one double-patty burger: buns, beef, American cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and relish across 12 cities.
The latest city prices are on the Burger Cost by City history. To request the next monthly issue by email, use Get the monthly Burger Index report. For media questions about this report, email media@costinflation.com.