Medium Blizzard: five years of price creep
The medium Blizzard is DQ's benchmark item, so it's the cleanest way to see the trend. Our estimated national average has climbed from $4.29 in 2022 to $5.49 in mid-2026 — a rise of roughly 28% in five years, well ahead of general U.S. food-away-from-home inflation over the same period.
Year-by-year: key items tracked
The table below shows our estimated national-average prices for the items we track continuously, and the total change since 2022.
| Item | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medium Blizzard | $4.29 | $4.59 | $4.89 | $5.19 | $5.49 | +28% |
| Small Vanilla Cone | $1.99 | $2.09 | $2.19 | $2.29 | $2.39 | +20% |
| 4-pc Chicken Strip Basket | $7.49 | $8.29 | $8.99 | $9.49 | $9.99 | +33% |
| Original Cheeseburger Stackburger (2-patty) | $5.29 | $5.69 | $5.99 | $6.19 | $6.39 | +21% |
| Kids Meal | $3.99 | $4.29 | $4.59 | $4.79 | $4.99 | +25% |
| 8-inch Round DQ Cake | $18.99 | $19.99 | $20.99 | $21.99 | $22.99 | +21% |
What's driving the increases?
Three patterns stand out in our tracking. First, treats have risen faster in percentage terms than you might expect for low-cost items — the Blizzard's ~28% climb outpaces the burger line. Second, chicken has been the fastest riser overall (+33% on the 4-piece basket), mirroring poultry and frying-oil cost pressure across the whole fast-food sector. Third, DQ has leaned on bundles — the $7 Meal Deal and 2-for-$5 Mix & Match — to keep an affordable headline price on the board even as à-la-carte items climbed. If you're price-sensitive, the deals page is where DQ has effectively "hidden" its old price points.
Methodology
Figures on this page are estimated U.S. national averages compiled independently by this site. We build them from franchise menu boards and receipts shared publicly, archived menu-site captures, and DQ app pricing sampled across multiple regions, then average them. They are not official Dairy Queen figures — DQ franchisees set their own prices, and any single location can be meaningfully above or below these averages. Historical figures are our best reconstruction and are revised if better data surfaces. This page is updated every January and July; it was last updated July 2026.
The Queen Dairy Menu is an independent consumer reference site and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Dairy Queen® or International Dairy Queen, Inc.