Scoop shock: Ice cream costs soar in the Twin Cities
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
I scream, you scream, we all scream ... at the cost of ice cream this summer.
State of scoops: Prices for America's go-to frozen treat are hitting new highs according to federal data, making it harder to find a sweet treat for under $6 in the Twin Cities.
The big picture: The average price of a half gallon of ice cream was $6.49 in June, up nearly 6% from June 2024, per the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED released last month.
- The price of a half gallon is up nearly 33% since June 2021.
By the numbers: Axios Twin Cities recently checked the prices at eight cold treat shops we first surveyed in 2022.
- We found the average cost of a single scoop has spiked 24% since that time — from $4.58 before tax and tip in 2022 to $5.67 today.
Zoom in: At four of the local shops we checked — Bebe Zito, Milkjam, Grand Ole Creamery and La La Homemade Ice Cream — a small will set you back $6 or more.
Worth noting: Portion sizes weren't consistent across the shops.
What they're saying: Axios reached out to several of those ice cream shops for comment on the trend, but didn't hear back.
Between the lines: Soaring ingredient costs, extreme weather and hot demand are fueling the higher prices.
- Chocolate-based flavors are impacted by a surge in global cocoa prices, which have increased 150% in the last 12 months.
Reality check: It's not just ice cream getting more expensive. The overall inflation rate between June 2022 and June 2025 was about 9%, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI Inflation Calculator.
The bottom line: While an extra buck or two for a cone on a hot day may not seem like a big deal, the licks can add up, given our collective love of the treat.
- The average American eats roughly 19 pounds of ice cream each year, or about 4 gallons, per the International Dairy Foods Association.
Axios reporters Nick Halter, Audrey Kennedy and Geoff Ziezulewicz contributed to this story.