Milk Prices: What a Gallon Costs Now
How much is a gallon of milk right now?
The U.S. average price for a gallon of whole milk was $4.11 in September 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Average Price series, almost unchanged from $4.13 a year earlier. Store brands at the big chains run well under the average: in early November 2026 we verified $3.29 a gallon at Kroger and $3.69 to $3.99 at Target for their own brands.
Milk is the staple that barely moves. We track the federal average monthly so you can see the rare months when it actually does.
The trend, month by month
The Bureau of Labor Statistics prices milk in stores across the country every month. Here is the recent arc of that series, retrieved November 10, 2026:
| Month | Average price per gallon | Note |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | $4.11 | Down 0.6% from a year earlier |
| August 2026 | $4.23 | |
| June 2026 | $4.32 | Highest month of the year |
| March 2026 | $4.07 | |
| December 2025 | $4.05 | |
| September 2025 | $4.13 |
October 2025 has no published value in the BLS series. Prices are U.S. city averages for fresh whole milk, not seasonally adjusted.
What changed
Very little, and that is the story. While eggs swung by dollars, milk spent the year in a band about 30 cents wide. The average firmed into the summer (the June figure, $4.32, was the year's high) and eased again into the fall, ending September almost exactly where it was a year before. For a family budget, milk is the definition of a predictable line: the risk is not the price per gallon, it is the number of gallons, because a toddler's milk habit arrives on top of the cereal-and-coffee baseline the household already had.
What families actually pay
Store-brand gallons at the big chains are priced as traffic builders and usually sit well under the national average. These are online list prices we could verify in early November 2026; shelf prices vary by store and week, and Aldi does not publish prices online, so it cannot be included honestly.
| Store brand | Price per gallon | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Kroger (whole milk, 1 gal) | $3.29 | Early November 2026, retailer listing |
| Target (Good & Gather, 1 gal) | $3.69 to $3.99 | Early November 2026, retailer listing |
| U.S. average, all stores (BLS) | $4.11 | September 2026 |
What this means for your budget
At two gallons a week, a family spends about $35.60 a month at the national average, or about $28.50 at the Kroger price we verified: roughly $7 a month, $85 a year, for buying the same milk at a chain that treats it as a loss leader. With a toddler on whole milk, budget for one extra gallon a week at peak habit (about $17.80 a month at the average) and expect the line to fall away on its own as cups replace bottles. To see milk inside the whole cart, run your weekly total through the grocery budget calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Why does milk cost less at Kroger or Target than the national average?
The BLS average blends every kind of store, including convenience stores and premium grocers, and every brand. Big chains sell their own store-brand gallon as a traffic builder, often priced to bring families in weekly, so it usually runs under the national average. The gap between the chain price and the average is normal, not a data error.
Is a gallon of milk cheaper than it was a year ago?
Almost exactly the same. The BLS average was $4.11 a gallon in September 2026 against $4.13 in September 2025, a dip of about half a percent. Within the year it ranged from about $4.03 to $4.32, firming into the summer months.
How often is this page updated?
Monthly, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes each month's average prices. Store spot checks are refreshed when we re-verify them, and the page shows the date they were checked.
Keep exploring
Other trackers: Egg prices · Bread prices · Diaper prices
All trackers: price trackers · Costs by state: grocery costs by state and family size · Tools: Grocery budget calculator · Family budget planner
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price data, series APU0000709112 (milk, fresh, whole, per gallon, U.S. city average), retrieved November 10, 2026. Store prices: Kroger and Target online listings, early November 2026. Tracker method: how we check our prices. Last updated November 10, 2026.