The Difference Between The Cost Of Brown And White Eggs, Explained

When grocery shopping, people often look for healthy, tasty choices in their food as well as affordable prices. Brown eggs have gained a reputation as the more natural and nutritious option, but eggshell color simply differs by hen breed. For example, Silver Leghorns lay white eggs, Speckled Sussex hens lay light brown eggs, and Cuckoo Marans produce dark brown eggs.

Their higher price may also help explain why some shoppers assume brown eggs are nutritionally superior to white eggs. Nutritional differences don't explain the price gap, however. Brown eggs have historically cost more to produce because the hens that lay them are generally larger and consume more feed. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service notes that brown eggs just simply cost more to produce on average.

According to the Egg Industry Center, the national average price for a dozen large, conventional white eggs was $2.48 in the first quarter of 2026. In February 2026, LatestCost.org showed an average cost of a dozen brown eggs at $3.50 a dozen. These figures provide a general sense of the shelf-price difference, but they are not a perfect like-for-like comparison.

Egg prices of both colors have also fluctuated dramatically in recent years, sometimes becoming a highly visible example of rising grocery costs. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, farm-level eggs saw price increases of a whopping 163.1% in 2022; a 28.3% decrease in 2023; and a 43.1% increase in 2024. 

One major factor behind skyrocketing egg prices was the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, including H5N1. Outbreaks resulted in the loss of millions of laying hens, reducing egg supplies and contributing to higher prices. As prices increased by another 31.6% in 2025 over 2024 pricing, popular chain restaurant, Denny's, added an egg surcharge to cover their costs.

The United States also increased egg imports as officials sought additional supply amid elevated prices. According to Turkish Agri.News, Turkey planned to export approximately 15,000 metric tons of eggs to the United States between February and July 2025. In March 2025, the Korea Herald reported that South Korea shipped 20 metric tons of fresh eggs to the United States.

These broader changes can temporarily narrow or widen the shelf-price difference between brown and white eggs. However, they affect the egg market as a whole and do not change the underlying point: shell color alone does not determine an egg's nutritional value or retail price.