Purchasing Jerky

JERKY PRICE RATINGS

For every jerky review, a price rating is assigned. The prices of jerky are broken down into three price ranges: Cheap, Average and Expensive.

Jerky Reviews Published To Date: 725

With each passing year, the cost of ingredients usually rise. Using beef as an example, the price of beef has more than doubled since 2010.

The price of beef jerky has remained surprisingly consistent since our last July 2017 Jerky Price Update, where the price of beef jerky has only risen 5 cents per price range as of August 2018. Note that this is using the median price rather than the mean price.

Below is an extensive list of jerky prices as outlined in our August 2018 Jerky Price Update for the more popular types of jerky that we have reviewed. Not really captured here is that the price of jerky is normally reduced when sold in larger quantities. These are more or less prices of a 2.5 ounce bag of jerky on average.

Beef Jerky price ranges as of August 30/2018

Cheap Price	$2.40 per ounce and under
Average Price	$2.41 – $2.90 per ounce
Expensive Price	$2.91 per ounce and over

Just for reference, here was the beef jerky prices from January 2014 – July 20/2017. By 2017, too many beef jerky jerky flavors were getting into the Expensive price range, and not enough jerky in the Cheap price range, where this jerky review web site was long overdue to update the jerky price ranges. As a result, these jerky price ranges are now analyzed, and adjusted accordingly each summer around July or August.

Beef Jerky price ranges from January 2014 – July 20/2017

Cheap Price	$1.75 per ounce and under
Average Price	$1.76 – $2.35 per ounce
Expensive Price	$2.36 per ounce and over

Below are current jerky price ranges for other types of jerky.

100% Grass-Fed Beef Jerky price ranges as of August 30/2018

Cheap Price	$3.00 per ounce and under
Average Price	$3.01 – $3.50 per ounce
Expensive Price	$3.51 per ounce and over

Bacon Jerky price ranges as of August 30/2018

Cheap Price	$3.00 per ounce and under
Average Price	$3.01 – $3.50 per ounce
Expensive Price	$3.51 per ounce and over

Bison Jerky price ranges as of July 21/2017

Cheap Price	$2.65 per ounce and under
Average Price	$2.66 – $3.15 per ounce
Expensive Price	$3.16 per ounce and over

Chicken Jerky price ranges as of July 21/2017

Cheap Price	$2.50 per ounce and under
Average Price	$2.51 – $3.00 per ounce
Expensive Price	$3.01 per ounce and over

Elk Jerky price ranges as of July 21/2017

Cheap Price	$3.50 per ounce and under
Average Price	$3.51 – $4.50 per ounce
Expensive Price	$4.51 per ounce and over

Mushroom Jerky price ranges as of August 30/2018

Cheap Price	$4.00 per ounce and under
Average Price	$4.01 – $5.00 per ounce
Expensive Price	$5.01 per ounce and over

Pork Jerky price ranges as of July 21/2017

Cheap Price	$2.50 per ounce and under
Average Price	$2.51 – $3.00 per ounce
Expensive Price	$3.01 per ounce and over

Python Jerky price ranges as of August 30/2018

Cheap Price	$11.00 per ounce and under
Average Price	$11.01 – $14.00 per ounce
Expensive Price	$14.01 per ounce and over

Salmon Jerky price ranges as of July 21/2017

Cheap Price	$3.50 per ounce and under
Average Price	$3.51 – $4.50 per ounce
Expensive Price	$4.51 per ounce and over

Snapping Turtle Jerky price ranges as of July 21/2017

Cheap Price	$8.00 per ounce and under
Average Price	$8.01 – $10.00 per ounce
Expensive Price	$10.01 per ounce and over

Tuna Jerky price ranges as of July 21/2017

Cheap Price	$3.50 per ounce and under
Average Price	$3.51 – $4.50 per ounce
Expensive Price	$4.51 per ounce and over

Turkey Jerky price ranges as of July 21/2017

Cheap Price	$2.50 per ounce and under
Average Price	$2.51 – $3.00 per ounce
Expensive Price	$3.01 per ounce and over

Venison Jerky price ranges as of July 21/2017

Cheap Price	$3.50 per ounce and under
Average Price	$3.51 – $4.50 per ounce
Expensive Price	$4.51 per ounce and over

Meat Stick price ranges as of August 30/2018

Cheap Price	$1.75 per ounce and under
Average Price	$1.76 – $2.25 per ounce
Expensive Price	$2.26 per ounce and over

Purchasing Jerky Table of Contents
Ordering Online	Shipping Charges
Purchasing in Stores	Jerky Buying Tips
Jerky Research	Jerky Taxes

ORDERING ONLINE

If you are looking for new jerky to try, it can be a challenge to find in stores. Jerky is a regional thing, where you are mainly limited to the area that you live in, which varies between state/province, not to mention city. However, that can be overcome by traveling and ordering online.

My experience living in Canada is that about 50%-60% of jerky makers in the USA who sell online, can deliver to Canada. Overall, ordering online is the best choice, where you can find many interesting jerky choices compared to the usual standard fare jerky you find in stores.

Shipping Charges

The downside of ordering online is that you can incur shipping charges. A number of jerky makers will offer free shipping, provided you order a certain quota of jerky.

PURCHASING IN STORES

There are gems of other jerky brands to be found in stores, but it’s a combination of spending time, and luck. When travelling, I make stops at convenience stores, gas stations, meat stores, liquor stores and supermarkets, just to find new brands of jerky. In general, you will not have much luck with large chain stores, and stores just off a very busy highway.

JERKY BUYING TIPS

One jerky purchasing story illustrates two important points. In 2011, I visited Las Vegas and walked the strip looking for new jerky, where I managed to find one bag with Las Vegas in the logo, which was great, but not much. On the last night my friends and I made an unplanned visit to a convenience store off the strip. I did my usual scan for new jerky and found nothing. One friend asked the clerk where we could find jerky, where he pointed to all the standard fare jerky, and also a wall display of Alien Fresh Jerky, which I never would have noticed.

The point of the story is to look for jerky away from main streets, and always ask where to find jerky selections, where there can be displays or stands in other parts of the store, which is normally the better stuff.

JERKY RESEARCH

If you are planning a trip to a specific city it is in your best interest to Google those areas, prior to visiting, for jerky makers. Coincidentally, Jerky Up and our Jerky Ingredients web site both debuted in January 2014. The goal of Jerky Up is to list every single jerky maker in the world. On their web site, you can search for jerky makers by state or country.

JERKY TAXES

A pet peeve of mine is retailers who charge taxes on jerky. I cannot speak for all of North America, but my experience buying jerky in Ontario, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Georgia, Florida, California and Nevada there should be no taxes charged. Virginia and Deleware do charge taxes. Not all retailers adhere to this and still charge taxes, which to me is just plain stealing. Arguing does little, where you are best off to boycott places that illegally charge taxes on jerky.