Where are the cheapest eggs in Boise? We visited 5 grocery stores to compare
The price of eggs and other grocery items were a hot political talking point during the 2024 presidential election, with President Trump even crediting his win to promises to bring down prices during a December interview.
It’s been months since the election, so has the cost of groceries — more specifically eggs — gone down yet?
Research from Clarify Capital found that 95% of Americans have noticed a significant increase in egg prices. As a result, 1 in 3 Americans have opted to stop buying eggs altogether until prices come down closer to $5. About 34% have been spending extra time and effort to find stores with the lowest prices.
To help Treasure Valley consumers who might be shell-shocked by egg prices, the Idaho Statesman visited five grocery stores on May 8 to find the best prices for a carton of a dozen large eggs.
Boise grocery stores
First things first, where did we go? We avoided stores that require memberships like Costco or Sam’s Club. We visited Trader Joe’s, Walmart Supercenter, WinCo, Fred Meyer and Albertsons - all in the Boise area. Here’s a map of the stores we visited:
Which Treasure Valley grocery store had the best egg prices?
Each store’s price for a carton of a dozen large eggs were below $5 without tax. The higher-priced eggs could be found at WinCo at $4.44 and Albertsons at $4.49. Trader Joe’s came next, priced at $3.99, while Walmart was at $3.94. Fred Meyer eggs were the cheapest, at $3.09.
Cost and availability of eggs
At some of the stores we noticed either a limit on the number of cartons a consumer could buy (usually two) or notices about low supply with a promise to stock up once more became more available.
What’s the hard-boiled truth? The U.S. Department of Agriculture has pointed to recent outbreaks of the avian flu as the main cause of escalating egg prices. An outbreak in 2022 caused a supply shortage and sticker prices to jump in Jan. 2023 to $4.82, the most recent outbreak prompted another jump, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On the bright side, the Department of Justice began an investigation into major egg producers over rising prices in March, according to ABC News. That investigation was applauded by Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Republican Sen. Jim Banks in a letter to Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater on Thursday, May 8.
“The sustained increase in egg prices has placed a significant financial strain on American families, particularly working class households,” the letter states. “Eggs have long been an affordable staple in Americans’ diets. Yet, the cost of eggs reached an unprecedented high this year.”