October 16, 2025 8:04 am
Clark County, 
Cows graze in a pasture near Amboy on Monday afternoon. Beef prices are at record highs nationally, costing local businesses that rely on selling it. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian files)
A sign on the outside of La Tapatia Mexican Super Market advertises steak. Although retail prices have risen, beef remains a staple of the American diet. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
Butcher Boys in Vancouver is just one of a number of small local businesses affected by rising beef prices. Ranchers trimmed their herds as their production costs rose, and beef imports are down. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
According to federal statistics, the retail price of ground beef rose more than 13 percent from August 2024 to July 2025. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
A sign on the outside of La Tapatia Mexican Super Market advertises steak. U.S. prices for beef steak rose more than 12 percent over the last year. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
Raul Rubero, lead butcher at Deep Cuts butcher shop in Dallas, cuts single portions of bone-in steaks as he breaks down a side of beef. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Historically high beef prices are pinching local small businesses as well as consumers.
A pound of all-beef ground chuck reached $6.63 on average in August, according to national data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It topped every average price for the past 20 years.
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