A Starbucks coffee could cost as much as $15 by 2050, study finds
- In Alaska, Hawaii and Delaware, a Starbucks coffee may cost around the $15 mark in 2050, based on the estimated rate of year-on-year inflation.
- North Dakota, South Dakota, Louisiana and Montana have the lowest Starbucks coffee estimated price at the $12 mark.
- A Birthday Cake Pop may cost nearly $11 in California and over $10 in other states by 2050.
A new study reveals that a Starbucks coffee could cost up to $15 and a Birthday Cake Pop could cost up to $11 in the US by 2050.
Price-tracking website PriceListo.com analyzed data from 6,651 Starbucks locations across the US to identify the price of the popular items, a Café Latte and a Birthday Cake Pop in each state. The US Inflation Calculator was then used to calculate a linear progression to estimate the prices of these items by 2050.
On average, a Café Latte will cost $12.83 by 2050 in the US and a Birthday Cake Pop will cost $9.91.
The states with the highest estimated coffee prices by 2050
|
Rank |
State |
Current Price |
Estimated Price in 2050 |
|
1. |
Alaska |
$6.12 |
$15.01 |
|
2. |
Hawaii |
$6.00 |
$14.72 |
|
3. |
Delaware |
$5.74 |
$14.08 |
|
4. |
California |
$5.51 |
$13.51 |
|
5.(=) |
New York |
$5.48 |
$13.44 |
|
5.(=) |
Connecticut |
$5.48 |
$13.44 |
|
6. |
Maryland |
$5.47 |
$13.42 |
|
7. |
New Jersey |
$5.44 |
$13.34 |
|
8. |
Massachusetts |
$5.42 |
$13.29 |
|
9. |
Pennsylvania |
$5.38 |
$13.20 |
|
10. |
Ohio |
$5.30 |
$13.00 |
|
11.(=) |
Florida |
$5.29 |
$12.98 |
|
11.(=) |
New Hampshire |
$5.29 |
$12.98 |
|
12. |
Virginia |
$5.28 |
$12.95 |
|
13.(=) |
Rhode Island |
$5.25 |
$12.88 |
|
13.(=) |
Vermont |
$5.25 |
$12.88 |
|
14. |
Washington |
$5.24 |
$12.85 |
|
15. |
Arizona |
$5.21 |
$12.78 |
|
16. |
North Carolina |
$5.20 |
$12.75 |
|
17. |
Colorado |
$5.19 |
$12.73 |
|
18.(=) |
Tennessee |
$5.18 |
$12.71 |
|
18.(=) |
West Virginia |
$5.18 |
$12.71 |
|
18.(=) |
Michigan |
$5.18 |
$12.71 |
|
18.(=) |
Nevada |
$5.18 |
$12.71 |
|
19. |
Illinois |
$5.17 |
$12.68 |
|
20. |
Indiana |
$5.16 |
$12.66 |
|
21.(=) |
Minnesota |
$5.15 |
$12.63 |
|
21.(=) |
Kansas |
$5.15 |
$12.63 |
|
21.(=) |
Iowa |
$5.15 |
$12.63 |
|
21.(=) |
Wisconsin |
$5.15 |
$12.63 |
|
22.(=) |
Georgia |
$5.14 |
$12.61 |
|
22.(=) |
Missouri |
$5.14 |
$12.61 |
|
23.(=) |
Texas |
$5.13 |
$12.58 |
|
23.(=) |
South Carolina |
$5.13 |
$12.58 |
|
23.(=) |
Oregon |
$5.13 |
$12.58 |
|
24.(=) |
Kentucky |
$5.10 |
$12.51 |
|
24.(=) |
Oklahoma |
$5.10 |
$12.51 |
|
25. |
Nebraska |
$5.09 |
$12.48 |
|
26. |
Maine |
$5.08 |
$12.46 |
|
27.(=) |
Arkansas |
$5.07 |
$12.44 |
|
27.(=) |
New Mexico |
$5.07 |
$12.44 |
|
27.(=) |
Alabama |
$5.07 |
$12.44 |
|
28.(=) |
Wyoming |
$5.03 |
$12.34 |
|
28.(=) |
Mississippi |
$5.03 |
$12.34 |
|
28.(=) |
Idaho |
$5.03 |
$12.34 |
|
29. |
Utah |
$5.02 |
$12.31 |
|
30. |
Montana |
$5.01 |
$12.29 |
|
31. |
Louisiana |
$4.99 |
$12.24 |
|
32.(=) |
South Dakota |
$4.95 |
$12.14 |
|
32.(=) |
North Dakota |
$4.95 |
$12.14 |
The states with the highest estimated Birthday Cake Pop by 2050
|
Rank |
State |
Current Price |
Estimated Price in 2050 |
|
1. |
California |
$4.39 |
$10.77 |
|
2.(=) |
Wyoming |
$4.13 |
$10.13 |
|
2.(=) |
South Dakota |
$4.13 |
$10.13 |
|
3.(=) |
Arkansas |
$4.12 |
$10.11 |
|
3.(=) |
Mississippi |
$4.12 |
$10.11 |
|
3.(=) |
North Dakota |
$4.12 |
$10.11 |
|
4.(=) |
Utah |
$4.11 |
$10.08 |
|
4.(=) |
Louisiana |
$4.11 |
$10.08 |
|
5. |
New Mexico |
$4.10 |
$10.06 |
|
6. (=) |
Texas |
$4.09 |
$10.03 |
|
6.(=) |
Montana |
$4.09 |
$10.03 |
|
6.(=) |
Kentucky |
$4.08 |
$10.03 |
|
7.(=) |
Tennessee |
$4.07 |
$9.98 |
|
7.(=) |
West Virginia |
$4.07 |
$9.98 |
|
7. (=) |
Minnesota |
$4.07 |
$9.98 |
|
8.(=) |
North Carolina |
$4.06 |
$9.96 |
|
8.(=) |
Kansas |
$4.06 |
$9.96 |
|
8.(=) |
Nebraska |
$4.06 |
$9.96 |
|
8.(=) |
Maine |
$4.06 |
$9.96 |
|
9. (=) |
Iowa |
$4.05 |
$9.93 |
|
9.(=) |
South Carolina |
$4.05 |
$9.93 |
|
9. (=) |
Oklahoma |
$4.05 |
$9.93 |
|
9.(=) |
Michigan |
$4.05 |
$9.93 |
|
9.(=) |
Nevada |
$4.05 |
$9.93 |
|
9.(=) |
Wisconsin |
$4.05 |
$9.93 |
|
9. (=) |
Missouri |
$4.05 |
$9.93 |
|
10.(=) |
Delaware |
$4.03 |
$9.88 |
|
10. (=) |
Colorado |
$4.03 |
$9.88 |
|
11.(=) |
Arizona |
$4.02 |
$9.86 |
|
11.(=) |
Oregon |
$4.02 |
$9.86 |
|
12. |
Florida |
$4.01 |
$9.84 |
|
13.(=) |
Virginia |
$4.00 |
$9.81 |
|
13.(=) |
Indiana |
$4.00 |
$9.81 |
|
14.(=) |
New York |
$3.99 |
$9.79 |
|
14.(=) |
Maryland |
$3.99 |
$9.79 |
|
15. |
Idaho |
$3.98 |
$9.76 |
|
16. (=) |
Pennsylvania |
$3.97 |
$9.74 |
|
16.(=) |
Ohio |
$3.97 |
$9.74 |
|
16.(=) |
Illinois |
$3.97 |
$9.74 |
|
17.(=) |
New Jersey |
$3.96 |
$9.71 |
|
17.(=) |
Washington |
$3.96 |
$9.71 |
|
18. (=) |
Hawaii |
$3.95 |
$9.69 |
|
18.(=) |
Massachusetts |
$3.95 |
$9.69 |
|
18.(=) |
New Hampshire |
$3.95 |
$9.69 |
|
18.(=) |
Rhode Island |
$3.95 |
$9.69 |
|
18.(=) |
Vermont |
$3.95 |
$9.69 |
|
19. |
Connecticut |
$3.94 |
$9.66 |
|
20. |
Alaska |
$3.89 |
$9.54 |
Alaska is the most expensive state for a Starbucks coffee, with a predicted price of $15.01 by 2050, which is 17% higher than the US average. Interestingly however, the state has the lowest estimated price for a Birthday Cake Pop at $9.54 by 2050, which is 4% lower than the US average.
Hawaii and Delaware have the second and third highest coffee price estimations for 2050 at $14.72 and $14.08 respectively, while a Birthday Cake Pop will cost below the national average in both states at $9.69 in Hawaii and $9.88 in Delaware.
California has the fourth most expensive coffee price projection at $13.51. The state also has the highest sweet snack cost estimate in the US, with a Birthday Cake Pop potentially being $10.77 in 2050, which is 9% higher than the nation’s average.
New York and Connecticut are joint fifth for the highest estimated Café Latte prices by 2050 at $13.44. However, both states fall below the predicted average price of a Birthday Cake Pop by 2050, with New York’s price being $9.79 and Connecticut’s being $9.66, which is the second lowest in the ranking.
Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio complete the top 10 states with the priciest coffee predictions at over $13 in each state.
A spokesperson for PriceListo.com adds:
“Coffee is often used as a casual benchmark for inflation and budget planning, so it is interesting to track inflation trends and predict the purchasing power of money in 2050 for one.
“A coffee costing up to $15 seems shocking, but perhaps further technological advancements in automation and efficiency will affect this future price. With Starbucks being the largest coffee company in the US, it will also be fascinating to observe how the brand stays competitive for longevity.”
story credit: https://www.pricelisto.com/menu-prices/starbucks
Sources:
Methodology:
- The current price for a Café Latte and Birthday Cake Pop from 6,651 Starbucks locations across the US was analyzed.
- The US Inflation Calculator from 1999-2024 was then used to calculate a year-on-year linear progression rate up to 2050.
- The predicted prices for the items were calculated using this linear progression rate for each state.
- A ranking has been made based on the states with the highest estimated coffee prices by 2050.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
