Pumpkin Prices at All-Time High—How To Grow Your Own Next Year in Your Backyard

Pumpkins are a fall staple, but unfortunately, their prices have climbed in recent years. For the week of Oct. 10-22, 2026, grocery stores advertised pumpkins at $5.36 each, compared with $4.83 each in mid-September 2020. That’s an increase of about 11% based on data from the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Extreme heat and drought, both of which hinder flowering and pollination are two major culprits. Additionally, pumpkins are bulky and expensive to transport, especially when diesel costs are through the roof. “If a farm loses some of their crop and has to bring in pumpkins from another area, then those added costs, with the high price of fuel, get passed on to the customer,” explains Lindsey Chastain, founder of The Waddle and Cluck in Skiatook, OK. Fortunately, you don’t have to forgo pumpkins altogether just because prices are rising. Raghela Scavuzzo, associate director of food systems development at the Illinois Farm Bureau, reinforced to ABC News that diesel prices are a major factor in pumpkin prices, so locally grown pumpkins can give you the most bang for your buck.