Learn Why Summer Is So Expensive This Year Skip to content

Sticker Shock Summer: Temperatures are rising and so are prices.

Explore the costs

The Facts

What you're paying now

Gas

$4.11 /gal

AAA average, 7/25/26

38% higher than the $2.98 pre-war price on 2/28/2026

Power

18.1% higher

U.S. residential electric rate

Energy Information Administration: 18.8¢/kWh, Apr. 2026 vs Jan. 2025

Burgers

$6.83 /lb

ground beef national average

Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data, June 2026

Tariff burden

$760

per household

Yale Budget Lab estimate of 2026 household costs from Trump administration tariffs

Explore the Costs

Summer costs more now

Choose a summer plan. See the brand-name basics families buy for it, and how much more they cost this summer.

Beach Day

Cooler, towels, shade, sunscreen, toys, and water gear for a family beach day.

Total increase 19.3%
Jan. 2025
$345.25
Jul. 2026
$411.95
Added cost
$66.70

Pool float

Intex

52.8%
Jan. 2025 $12.99 Jul. 2026 $19.85

Soft cooler

Coleman

50.2%
Jan. 2025 $27.72 Jul. 2026 $41.63

Kids life jacket

STEARNS

21.2%
Jan. 2025 $25.99 Jul. 2026 $31.49

Beach chair

Rio Brands

17.1%
Jan. 2025 $69.99 Jul. 2026 $81.99

Beach umbrella

Tommy Bahama

16.7%
Jan. 2025 $29.99 Jul. 2026 $34.99

Swim goggles

Speedo

16.3%
Jan. 2025 $16.00 Jul. 2026 $18.61

Beach wagon

MacSports

14.9%
Jan. 2025 $95.69 Jul. 2026 $109.99

Insulated water bottle

Contigo

14.2%
Jan. 2025 $22.99 Jul. 2026 $26.25

Sunscreen

Coppertone

9.0%
Jan. 2025 $11.90 Jul. 2026 $12.97

Beach towel

Utopia Towels

6.8%
Jan. 2025 $31.99 Jul. 2026 $34.18
Methodology

This tool compares nine or ten recognizable-brand products available on Amazon for each summer plan, using price histories from Keepa. For each product, the baseline is its most recent available new price on or before January 20, 2025, and the comparison is its live new-offer price on July 14, 2026. The same Amazon product listing is used for both prices. We also retain each product's 30-day median in our review report to identify temporary sales or recent price rebounds. These totals are illustrative shopping baskets—not a CPI-style index or a claim about every product in a category.

High prices are policy choices.

They are not inevitable. We can reverse the damage.

Trump administration tariffs, energy rollbacks, and LNG export policy are making summer more expensive. Call your members of Congress and tell them to back the bills that lower costs.

Say this

“I'm a constituent. High prices are not inevitable, they're the result of policy choices. Please support the Trade Review Act, the Energy Bills Relief Act, and the Lowering American Energy Costs Act.”

Tariffs

Trade Review Act

S.1272 / H.R.2665

Make Congress vote on new import taxes instead of letting one president raise prices by decree.

Read the bill →

Power Bills

Energy Bills Relief Act

H.R.7977

Restore low-cost clean energy policy, weatherization, grid upgrades, and consumer protections.

Read the bill →

Gas & Utilities

Lowering American Energy Costs Act

S.3545 / H.R.6851

Stop LNG exports from pushing up domestic gas and electricity costs for American households.

Read the bill →