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Lettuce, Red Leaf Wholesale Prices

USDA Market News · Report date: October 7, 2026

Average
$30.31
per carton
Range
$14.00–$38.00
lowest to highest quote
Quotes
4
3 U.S. markets
Trend
→ steady
vs. Oct 6, same items
12-Week Trend
+32.2%

As of October 7, 2026, the average for lettuce, red leaf (cartons) was $30.31 per carton across 4 quotes from 3 U.S. markets, ranging $14.00 to $38.00. Organic (cartons) averaged $30.50 per carton across 1 quote. Leading origins: California, New York, Canada, Salinas-Watsonville California, Santa Maria California. Other packs and sizes are priced separately below.

How this price is calculated

The headline is the average of USDA terminal market quotes for lettuce, red leaf in the most commonly quoted pack, cartons (conventional): 4 quotes from 3 U.S. markets in this report. Each quote counts once, at the midpoint of USDA's “mostly” range where one is published, otherwise of its low–high range. The range shown is the lowest and highest price among those same quotes.

Other packs, sizes and organic lots are priced separately in the tables below; nothing is averaged across different packs. Quotes more than three times above or below the typical price for their pack are treated as likely errors, marked † and left out. Reports more than 10 days older than the newest are not used.

The trend compares the same items, meaning the same city, variety, pack, size and origin, with the previous report and takes the median change (4 items matched). Prices are per package as published by USDA AMS Market News.

FSMA 204Lettuce, Red Leaf is on the FDA Food Traceability List under Leafy greens (fresh). Leafy greens are the largest category on the Food Traceability List by volume, and the one most often tied to multistate outbreaks. Receiving these requires capturing the traceability lot code and its source. Every buyer, distributor, and receiver in the chain must record the traceability lot code and its source at receipt — compliance is required by July 20, 2028. What buyers need to record →

Terminal Market (Wholesale)

MarketSizeOriginPrice
cartons4 quotes · avg $30.31 · $14.00–$38.00Headline price
Atlanta 24s California $36.00–$37.50
Chicago 24s California $37.00–$38.00
New York 24s New York $14.00–$16.00
New York 24s California $30.00–$35.00mostly $32.00
cartons film lined3 quotes · avg $30.33 · $20.00–$37.00
Los Angeles 24s California $36.00–$37.00
Philadelphia 24s California $34.00
Philadelphia 24s Canada $20.00–$21.00

Price History

Weekly averages for cartons from USDA reports · Jan 2025 to Oct 2026 · 25% above this week last year

Average Low to high range Same week last year
Lettuce, Red Leaf weekly wholesale price history $25.00 $50.00 $75.00 Jan 2025 Jan 2026 Oct 2026

Shipping Point (FOB)

RegionSizeOriginPrice
cartons2 quotes · avg $33.42 · $20.55–$42.75
Phoenix 24s Salinas-Watsonville California $30.65–$42.75mostly $38.75–$41.75
Phoenix 24s Santa Maria California $20.55–$30.45mostly $25.85–$27.35
Organiccartons1 quote · avg $30.50 · $25.00–$34.00
Phoenix 24s South and Central District California $25.00–$34.00mostly $28.00–$33.00

Related Commodities

Lettuce, Romaine
avg $28.56/carton · $18.00–$48.00 Lettuce, Iceberg
avg $57.48/carton · $36.00–$75.00 Lettuce, Green Leaf
avg $30.55/carton · $14.00–$49.00 Lettuce, Boston
avg $31.28/carton · $21.00–$59.00 Lettuce, Frisee
avg $27.33/flat · $22.00–$42.00 Lettuce, Mesculin Mix
avg $8.40/carton · $7.00–$10.00

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