Which Raleigh grocery stores have the cheapest egg (& butter) prices? We checked.

Brooke Cain, Kimberly Cataudella

Anyone who has bought groceries in the past four months has likely noticed the skyrocketing cost of eggs.

A dozen large, grade A eggs in the United States was about $1.93 at the start of 2022, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. By the end of the year, the price had jumped to $4.25 per dozen nationally — that’s more than a 120% increase.

The reason for the increase is attributed to the deadliest outbreak of bird flu (known as highly pathogenic avian influenza: HPAI) in U.S. history. As of last month, nearly 53 million birds had died from bird flu, NPR reported.

“It takes fewer egg-laying operations being affected by HPAI to drive up the price of eggs and egg products,” Amy Hagerman, Oklahoma State University extension specialist in agricultural and food policy, told NPR.

Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, told The New York Times that bird flu has played a role in more expensive (and sometimes, less available) eggs, but increasing costs of fuel, feed and packaging have also contributed.

On top of that, some regions are experiencing shortages, but it doesn’t appear to be as widespread as many national headlines suggest. Colorado has been hard hit, and shortages have been reported in California, New York, Arizona and Massachusetts.

A sign at Aldi grocery store in Raleigh, NC, on Jan. 12, 2023, apologizes to shoppers for the increase in egg prices. The cost of eggs has increased dramatically in the U.S. because of a deadly outbreak of bird flu.
A sign at Aldi grocery store in Raleigh, NC, on Jan. 12, 2023, apologizes to shoppers for the increase in egg prices. The cost of eggs has increased dramatically in the U.S. because of a deadly outbreak of bird flu.

What are the egg prices in Raleigh, NC?

We wanted to know about local egg prices — and if the “nationwide shortage” headlines are valid — so we checked in on a handful of Raleigh grocery stores from our previous grocery price surveys.

We checked on store-brand eggs only. For the record, we saw plenty of eggs at the stores we visited (though Harris Teeter has a three-package limit on egg purchases).

The stores we checked: When we last checked in November, just before Thanksgiving, the lowest egg prices in Raleigh were found at Aldi, Lidl, Walmart and Wegmans. The results from our comprehensive price check in July 2022 were similar. So we went back to those stores, plus Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Target.

The best — and worst — egg prices: We were a little surprised to find that Food Lion in Raleigh had the best egg prices when purchased in any combo — per dozen, per 18-count or when buying in bulk. A dozen eggs at Food Lion cost $2.49, half the price of a dozen eggs at Walmart. The 18-count carton is $3.59, which is close to the next-best dozen-egg prices at other stores. And if you buy in bulk, Food Lion offers 30 eggs for $6.99. That comes to about 20 cents per egg.

A sign advertises the price for a package of 3 dozen eggs at Wegmans grocery store in Raleigh, NC, on Jan. 12, 2023. The cost of eggs has increased dramatically in the U.S. because of a deadly outbreak of bird flu.
A sign advertises the price for a package of 3 dozen eggs at Wegmans grocery store in Raleigh, NC, on Jan. 12, 2023. The cost of eggs has increased dramatically in the U.S. because of a deadly outbreak of bird flu.

Here are some key takeaways:

  • Harris Teeter, Target and Wegmans had 1 dozen eggs for $3.29, the next lowest price after Food Lion.

  • Lidl was a close second with $3.52 for a dozen, with their German-grocer counterpart Aldi clocking in at $4.02.

  • Walmart was by far the most expensive, at $4.93 for 1 dozen. (They also didn’t have the price on the shelf, we had to find a clerk to get the price.)

  • Walmart’s bulk egg price also shocked us. They offered a box of 60 eggs for $23.74 —that’s about .40 per egg, twice the cost of the bulk option at Food Lion.

  • The next best bulk prices were at Harris Teeter — 23 cents per egg in their $6.99 30-pack — and Wegmans, with .25 per egg in their 36-pack for $9.

Where is the best deal on butter?

While we were checking on eggs, we checked store-brand butter prices, which have also increased significantly in the past year.

At some stores we checked on Thursday, butter prices were similar to what we saw in November 2022, but in some cases, the price has doubled since July 2022.

What we found:

  • The best deal on butter was at Lidl, with a one-pound box costing $3.64 — just a few cents behind Wegmans and Harris Teeter, who both had butter for $3.79 per pound. (Note: On the day we went, Lidl had butter on sale for $2 per pound through Jan. 17. No other store had a store-brand butter sale.)

  • Aldi and Walmart both had butter for $3.98 per pound.

  • Food Lion and Target were the most expensive, at $4.48 and $4.69 per pound, respectively.

  • When we checked butter prices in July 2022, you could get a pound at both Lidl and Aldi for $1.89, and at Wegmans for $2.09. Food Lion and Target were the most expensive even then, at $3.69 per pound.

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