Arby’s has brought back its Steak Nuggets, putting a steak-based option back into a category traditionally dominated by chicken.
The return of Steak Nuggets creates an interesting opportunity to look beyond one product and examine the broader QSR nugget category across the United States.
We analyzed nugget offerings across all 50 states, covering portions ranging from 4-piece through 10–12-piece offerings, and calculated the average nugget price for each state.
The results show a noticeable difference in pricing from one market to another.
At a Glance
The 50-state average nugget price is $6.96.
Among the four major U.S. regions:
- Northeast: $7.15
- West: $7.05
- South: $6.58
- Midwest: $6.66
The highest state average in the dataset was Alaska at $9.22, while Utah recorded $6.16 among the 50 states.
Midwest
The Midwest recorded an average nugget price of $6.66.
Here is the state-by-state breakdown:
| State | Avg. Price |
| Iowa | $6.55 |
| Illinois | $6.51 |
| Indiana | $6.44 |
| Kansas | $6.82 |
| Michigan | $6.47 |
| Minnesota | $7.01 |
| Missouri | $6.80 |
| Nebraska | $6.95 |
| North Dakota | $6.96 |
| Ohio | $6.47 |
| South Dakota | $6.60 |
| Wisconsin | $6.35 |
Midwest Regional Average: $6.66
Minnesota recorded the highest average price in the region at $7.01, while Wisconsin recorded the lowest at $6.35.
The Midwest therefore sits slightly below the national average of $6.96.
South
The South recorded an average nugget price of $6.58.
The region includes 17 states plus the District of Columbia in this analysis:
| State | Avg. Price |
| Alabama | $6.17 |
| Arkansas | $6.66 |
| Delaware | $7.09 |
| District of Columbia | $7.21 |
| Florida | $6.65 |
| Georgia | $6.39 |
| Kentucky | $6.53 |
| Louisiana | $6.78 |
| Maryland | $6.84 |
| Mississippi | $6.65 |
| North Carolina | $6.36 |
| Oklahoma | $6.27 |
| South Carolina | $6.38 |
| Tennessee | $6.65 |
| Texas | $6.21 |
| Virginia | $6.60 |
| West Virginia | $6.36 |
South Regional Average: $6.58
District of Columbia recorded the highest average in the region at $7.21, followed by Delaware at $7.09.
At the other end, Alabama recorded the lowest average at $6.17.
Northeast
The Northeast recorded the highest regional average at $7.15.
| State | Avg. Price |
| Connecticut | $7.19 |
| Maine | $7.13 |
| Massachusetts | $7.12 |
| New Hampshire | $7.03 |
| New Jersey | $7.02 |
| New York | $7.05 |
| Pennsylvania | $6.99 |
| Rhode Island | $7.52 |
| Vermont | $7.33 |
Northeast Regional Average: $7.15
Rhode Island recorded the highest average in the region at $7.52, followed by Vermont at $7.33.
Pennsylvania recorded the lowest average among Northeast states at $6.99.
Interestingly, every state in the Northeast was close to or above $7, making this the most consistently higher-priced region in the dataset.
West
The West recorded an average nugget price of $7.05.
| State | Avg. Price |
| Alaska | $9.22 |
| Arizona | $7.45 |
| California | $7.66 |
| Colorado | $6.58 |
| Hawaii | $7.94 |
| Idaho | $6.24 |
| Montana | $6.53 |
| Nevada | $6.82 |
| New Mexico | $6.76 |
| Oregon | $6.94 |
| Utah | $6.16 |
| Washington | $7.03 |
| Wyoming | $6.38 |
West Regional Average: $7.05
The West has the widest pricing spread among the four regions.
Alaska recorded the highest average price nationwide at $9.22, followed by Hawaii at $7.94 and California at $7.66.
At the other end, Utah recorded the lowest average in the region at $6.16.
U.S. Nugget Pricing Leaders
📍 Alaska recorded the highest average nugget price nationwide at $9.22, followed by Hawaii at $7.94 and California at $7.66.
📍 Rhode Island stood at $7.52, while Arizona recorded $7.45.
📍 At the lower end, Utah recorded the lowest average nugget price at $6.16, followed by Alabama at $6.17.
📍 Texas stood at $6.21, while Idaho and Oklahoma recorded $6.24 and $6.27, respectively.
The gap between the highest and lowest state averages was $3.06.
What Does This Tell Us About Nugget Pricing?
The data makes one thing clear:
Nugget pricing is not a single national market.
The Northeast averaged $7.15, compared with $6.58 in the South a difference of approximately $0.57.
The West also stands out because of the significant variation between markets. Alaska’s $9.22 average is substantially higher than Utah’s $6.16.
These differences can reflect several factors, including local market conditions, operating costs, competitive positioning, portion sizes and individual brand pricing strategies.
It is also important to note that these figures represent average pricing across multiple nugget portion sizes, ranging from 4-piece through 10–12-piece offerings. The figures should therefore be viewed as an indicator of overall nugget-category pricing rather than the price of one standardized serving.
Where Does Arby’s Steak Nuggets Fit?
Arby’s return of Steak Nuggets adds another interesting dimension to this category.
Chicken has traditionally dominated the nugget format across QSR menus. By bringing steak into the format, Arby’s is introducing a different protein into an established, familiar product category.
That gives pricing teams another question to consider:
How does a steak-based nugget position itself against the broader chicken nugget market?
Comparing Arby’s Steak Nuggets with chicken nugget offerings from major QSR competitors can provide another layer of insight into premiumization, protein positioning and market-level pricing.
Why Regional Pricing Intelligence Matters
A national average can hide substantial differences between individual markets.
For QSR brands, understanding competitor pricing at the state and local-market level can help identify:
- Where competitor nugget prices are highest or lowest
- Regional pricing gaps
- Opportunities for value positioning
- Changes in competitive menu pricing
- How LTOs and new products fit into existing categories
- Differences between national and local pricing strategies
As QSR brands continue experimenting with new proteins, LTOs, premium offerings and value-focused menu items, tracking the broader category provides valuable context for individual product decisions.
Final Takeaway
Nuggets may be one of the most familiar QSR menu categories, but their pricing varies considerably across the country.
With a 50-state average of $6.96, the Northeast led the four regions at $7.15, followed by the West at $7.05. The Midwest averaged $6.66, while the South recorded $6.58.
And with Arby’s bringing back Steak Nuggets, the category has another interesting product to watch.
The bigger question isn’t simply what one brand charges for nuggets it’s how nugget pricing changes from market to market, and where new protein formats fit within that competitive landscape.
At ITSYS Solutions, we help QSR brands track menu pricing, competitive offerings, LTOs, promotions and assortment changes across markets and digital channels, providing market-level visibility into competitive pricing dynamics.
