Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee shoppers frustrated by grocery prices as election year nears
Wisconsinites share their thoughts on recent grocery prices
Wisconsinites share their thoughts on recent grocery prices and how it’s effecting their daily shopping habbits.
Adriana Maldonado is a yoga therapist in Wauwatosa with two children at home and three who are grown up that she tries to help with groceries. She has a one-word description for the economy.
“Awful.”
Maldonado said she’s had to pick up extra work to pay bills and other expenses.
“I also bartend at Gibraltar’s, and I also drive for Veyo, which picks up medical patients,” Maldonado said. “And whatever odds and ends I can do, I will do.”
Maldonado added she has cut back on some spending.
“I had to get rid of car insurance for a little while and then I just picked up a cheaper (policy),” Maldonado said. “I cut back on any eating out.”
Maldonado said her faith in the political system and in politicians is broken.
“This is just playing a game on humans,” Maldonado said of the political process.
Maldonado said she encourages people to shop at small local businesses.
“Stop shopping at large companies, come to more local places, put money back into our community,” Maldonado said. “It makes more sense. If we continue to shop the big (stores) we’re going to lose people. There’s so many businesses closing right now, it’s so sad.”
Maldonado is in the sweet spot for one of the most consequential discussions happening across the country: How is the country doing economically? Is daily life affordable? Are we facing sticker shock at the grocery store?
And the enduring political question: Are we better off today than the last time we voted?
President Donald Trump says the Golden Age is upon us, complaints about affordability are a hoax, and any concerns are the fault of the Biden administration combined with the Federal Reserve’s refusal to slash interest rates.
Countering that perspective:
- National consumer sentiment sits near all-time lows, according to the University of Michigan’s monthly survey. The latest survey released Dec. 5 found sentiment improved slightly from November but remained 28 percentage points below December 2024 levels. “Consumers see modest improvements from November on a few dimensions, but the overall tenor of views is broadly somber, as consumers continue to cite the burden of high prices,” University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu said.
- The U.S. job market is showing signs of slowing, adding just 64,000 jobs in November, according to the most recent employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, the highest in four years. Preliminary data for October 2025 released Dec. 16 showed a loss of 105,000 jobs that month, largely driven by layoffs of federal workers.
- The Urban Institute reported in October that Americans are struggling to afford essentials like food, childcare and housing. Nearly four in five Americans believe the U.S. economy will not improve in the year ahead.
- The U.S. job market has been stagnant in recent months, and paycheck growth has been falling steadily for more than three years.
- Consumers never adjusted to the supply chain chaos and dramatic rise in prices during the COVID pandemic. Many of those prices never came down. “The price level changed so much because we had such high inflation for a couple of years there and you’re continuing to add inflation to an already high price level … people haven’t had time to adjust to that,” said Dominic Ceci, chief investing officer for Johnson Financial Group. “In the last five years, we’ve had more inflation than we did in a long time. If you think about prices in 2020, pre-pandemic versus now, it’s a huge difference. It’s a whiplash effect.”
Marquette Poll indicates widespread pessimism
According to the most recent Marquette Law School Poll, 47% of those surveyed in early November said their groceries have “gone up a lot,” and 28% said groceries have “gone up a little.”
In the same poll, people were asked to predict if the cost of living would increase, decrease or stay the same in the next 12 months. Two-thirds said they expect the cost of living to go up.
Historically, the party in power performs poorly in midterm elections. That means Republicans and Trump are running short on time to change people’s minds, according to Marquette Law School Poll director Charles Franklin.
“He is now suffering from this widespread perception, and especially with swing voters, these policies aren’t helping inflation, they’re really exacerbating it,” Franklin said. “That’s tied to tariffs but also other things.”
The widespread frustration with the economy helped Democratic candidates in New York, Virginia, New Jersey and Miami win races in 2025.
“Politicians need to react to that,” Ceci said of voters’ feelings on the economy. “There’s some stuff they can do. There’s tax policy. There’s all kinds of things, but is it realistic that any of that gets done or gets done effectively? Probably not. You really need all of the people to come together to agree to pass bills and make things happen.”
People coming together is not exactly a hallmark of today’s politics.
Milwaukee resident Blanca Rivera, a former parent educator with Bay View Community Center, said food in particular has gotten more expensive. She has three children, and two of them have already moved out or contribute financially to her household.
Even with fewer people to feed, Rivera said she’s spending around $400 per week on food for her family.
“The same amount of money that we spend now for only us three, it’s the same amount of money I used to spend for four to six people before,” said Rivera, who sometimes also shops for other relatives.
To save money, Rivera has cut back on trips to see family members in El Salvador. She used to visit at least two or three times per year, but her budget now only allows for one.
“When you want to go over there, you don’t want to go empty handed. You wanted to bring something” for relatives, Rivera said. “I used to bring seven luggage bags – now I bring two.”
Rivera is also reducing personal care-related expenses to save more money for her family’s more basic needs.
“Before, I used to go and do my nails, my hair, maybe go to buy a nice perfume,” she said. “Now, I’ve got to wait three, four months to do my hair.”
The Journal Sentinel went shopping last year. And then went back.
President Trump said prices would start falling shortly after he took office in January 2025, and in recent months said his administration is bringing down some prices and slowing inflation.
But lower prices have not been seen in Milwaukee area grocery stores.
In August 2024, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel collected the price of a basket of groceries at five Milwaukee-area stores: Walmart, Pick ‘n Save, Target, Festival Foods and Woodman’s.
On Dec. 2, 2025, the Journal Sentinel returned to the same stores to compare how prices changed over the past 16 months. Totals were collected using the same list of common staple items across all five stores. Name brand items were purchased; some stores offer house brands that would significantly bring down prices.
The full grocery list was:
- Almond Milk: 64 ounces
- 100% whole wheat bread: 24-ounce loaf
- Bacon: one pound
- Bananas
- Beef: one pound, 80% lean, not certified Angus
- Butter: one pound
- Cheerios: 8.9-ounce box
- Cheez-its: 12.4-ounce box
- Eggs: one dozen
- Flour: five pounds
- Green beans (canned)
- Strawberry jelly/jam: 18 ounces
- Iceberg lettuce: one head
- Milk: one gallon
- Oranges
- Paper towel: two-roll package
- Peanut butter: 18 ounces
- Toilet paper: six pack
At Walmart, 401 E. Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, the cost was $63.84 in August 2024, and $69.31 on Dec. 2 2025, up around 8.6%. Walmart remains the cheapest of the five stores.
At Woodman’s, 8131 S. Howell Ave. in Oak Creek, the cost was $61.38 in 2024 and $69.80 on Dec. 2, an increase of 13.7%.
At Festival Foods, 11111 W. Greenfield Ave., in West Allis, the cost was $85.62 in 2024 and $94.58 on Dec. 2, an increase of 10.5%.
At Target, 2950 S. Chase Ave., in Milwaukee, the cost was $69.88 in 2024 and $70.21 on Dec. 2, an increase of 0.5%. However, this Target does not carry a name-brand bag of flour, the house brand was substituted, likely lowering the overall cost.
Finally, at Pick ‘n Save, 605 E. Lyon St. in Milwaukee, the price was $83.18 in 2024 and $81.53 on Dec. 2. That’s a decrease of 2%.
Substituting store-brand alternatives for name-brand grocery items does offer some savings for customers. For example, Pick ‘n Save’s store-brand grocery list cost $57.33 in December.
Some items fluctuated wildly in price since August 2024. A bird flu epidemic drove national egg prices to more than $6 per dozen in March 2025. Prices have dropped significantly since then, but the national average price of a dozen eggs in September 2025 remained above August 2024 levels.
The cost of a dozen Grade A large eggs at the five Milwaukee-area stores ranged from $1.97 to $2.49 on Dec. 2.
Is the affordability issue overblown?
Chris Dare was at the Milwaukee Public Market with his son Jake and noticed that meat prices were higher than at their butcher shop back home in Oshkosh.
Still, both wondered if the broad reaction to elevated prices wasn’t a bit exaggerated.
“I don’t think it’s as bad as people are making it sound,” Chris Dare said. “The disappointing thing for me was COVID was an open door for prices to go up, with somewhat legitimate reasons, but of course when those reasons went away, prices didn’t go back down, which we knew was going to happen.”
His son Jake believes candidates will “weaponize” prices in upcoming elections.
“The cost of living and the cost of buying things, the purchasing power of the wages you make is going to affect politics,” Jake Dare said. “After the elections come and go, I think it’ll flatten back out again and you’ll have two years of, probably, steady increases … it’s cyclical, any time the elections come around.”
Both father and son think about how prices impact them when they go to the polls, and they encourage other voters to research candidates and vote based on what impacts them personally.
“I don’t think anybody wants to admit it,” Chris Dare said, but “let’s be realistic, I’m voting 100% selfishly how things affect me.”
Chris and Jake consider themselves conservative, but question what Trump could do in the near-term to lower prices.
“And unfortunately I don’t think any president has that much immediate control over the economy,” Chris Dare said. “As much as you’d like to have somebody march in and suddenly things turn around. … it doesn’t happen that quickly on the economy side.”
Shoppers want specifics from candidates on solutions
Karen and Lee Veldboom live in the city of Waukesha and have learned to be more selective when at the grocery store.
“We don’t buy beef,” Karen Veldboom said, adding that her family has cut back on sweets and other treats as well. “Everything is so volatile right now, you kind of go with what it is.”
Both believe prices and the economy will play a role in how people vote in 2026. And both yearn for the days of more civility and less anger.
“We lean conservative but there’s so much craziness going on now, you don’t even know who to support,” Lee Veldboom said. “You can’t go two days in a row without hearing something totally outrageous.”
Heather Wiese from Pewaukee has taken up thrift shopping since doing it with her daughter in 2020.
It’s a good way for her to save money and support smaller businesses, she said.
But it’s a different feeling at the grocery store.
“Prices are high, holy moly,” Wiese said. “The price of beef is way up. The price of everything is way up.”
Wiese doesn’t expect the issue of affordability to go away anytime soon.
“People really can’t afford a lot of stuff right now,” Wiese said.
What she doesn’t want to hear is a lot of rhetoric without specifics.
“I would like more details,” Wiese said. “I don’t think on day one everything is going to go down.”
Despite promises, they certainly haven’t in the past.
The grocery bill is just one of many factors affecting households each month. Here’s the price of other common household expenses as of Dec. 16, 2025, compared to a year ago:
- Gas, Milwaukee- Waukesha metro average: $2.499
- Utility Bill, Typical We Energies customer: $135.94 per month
- 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate, U.S. average: 6.22%
- Rent, Milwaukee average: $1,250
July 3 drone show at McKinley Beach
Watch the first-ever July 3 drone show at McKinley Beach in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee County will again opt for drones over fireworks for its Independence Day festivities this summer.
The county had its first-ever Fourth of July drone show in 2025, with officials saying at the time that drones would be better for the environment, safer and less costly than fireworks.
The show costs about $150,000 less than fireworks, Milwaukee County officials told the Journal Sentinel this week.
“Milwaukee County is at its best when we come together to create memorable, inclusive experiences for everyone,” County Executive David Crowley said in an April news release. “This drone show is another example of how we’re investing in our parks, our neighborhoods and our shared sense of community pride.”
How did residents react to last year’s drone show?
Milwaukee County Parks Executive Director Guy Smith said in a news release last year the show is “an exciting and environmentally conscious way to celebrate our community.”
“Unlike traditional fireworks, drone shows reduce noise and air pollution while still delivering an unforgettable experience,” Smith said. “It’s about making memories and ensuring everyone feels welcome in these shared spaces.”
But the Journal Sentinel polled readers after last year’s show and a majority responded that they would prefer the county bring back fireworks.
This year’s show will debut pyrotechnic drone technology, adding spark effect for an “even more dynamic and visually stunning performance,” the news release says.
How long is the Milwaukee drone show?
The show is 45 minutes long and features 900 drones, county officials said. It is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. July 3 along the lakefront at McKinley Beach.
Milwaukee police audit shows Flock camera uses
The Milwaukee Police Department released a sample Flock camera audit showing outlier uses tied to serious crimes as scrutiny continues over officer misuse and community privacy concerns.
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Police Department is giving the public a closer look at how officers use license plate reader cameras, part of an effort to be more transparent about how the technology affects community safety.
What we know:
For the first time, FOX6 got a look at a sample of audit results from the MPD involving the license plate reader system, also known as Flock.
The transparency effort comes after former officer Josue Ayala was charged with using the license plate readers to track someone he was dating and that person’s ex. Earlier this month, the department said a second officer was under investigation for possible misuse of the Flock camera system.
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On Thursday, May 28, FOX6 obtained MPD’s Flock audit report from April. It is something the department does every month.
In the report, MPD shared 24 “outlier uses” of the system. Those are possible red flags. The list is not all of them, but it gives a glimpse into how MPD uses the Flock system and how the department checks for misuse.
Of the 24 outlier uses, some plate numbers were associated with a wanted homicide suspect, a felony narcotics trafficking suspect and a suspect vehicle used in the abduction of a 5-year-old. According to the audit, that vehicle was located, the child was returned safely and a suspect was arrested.
The audit also listed a homicide investigation in which detectives developed plate numbers for both a suspect and victim, as well as a plate connected to a person wanted for second-degree sexual assault who was later arrested.
What they’re saying:
“Those audit logs are what was used to hold the officer accountable,” said Paris Lewbel, Flock Safety spokesperson.
Lewbel said Flock Safety is partnered with 220 law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin.
“We think it is important that communities are talking about their technology and how they use it,” Lewbel said.
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The company does not release how many cameras there are, but Lewbel said there have been fewer than 15 misuse cases across the country among the 140,000 users on the platform.
“Within the FLOCK system from day one, we built an immutable audit log in the system that allows law enforcement command staff and internal affairs in these cases to be able to see exactly what is being searched in the law enforcement system and FLOCK system specifically,” Lewbel said.
Dig deeper:
In Milwaukee, license plate readers have faced pushback from people who fear the data could be misused. Critics have called the system an invasion of privacy, saying it tracks innocent people as the debate over how the cameras are used continues.
FOX6 asked the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday whether the second officer under investigation had been charged. The office replied, “not at this time.”
What you can do:
The full list of outliers from the audit is available on the FOX Local app.
The Source: FOX6 obtained the Milwaukee Police Department’s Flock audit report and utilized prior coverage.
Every week, Milwaukee With Kids answers a simple question for families across the area: What are we going to do this weekend? From indoor activities to outdoor adventures, we’ve got you covered. For the full weekend list, make sure to visit the Milwaukee With Kids website.
Featured event
Summer Reading Kickoff
Milwaukee Public Library | Central Branch
May 30 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Kick off a summer of learning with hands-on activities for kids and teens, special exhibits and early registration for the summer reading program. Special guests and partners include Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Discovery World, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum and Urban Ecology Center.
Up close with animals
Summer Exhibit: Powerful Pollinators
Milwaukee County Zoo
Through Oct. 4
Explore life-sized animatronic pollinators and discover how the Zoo helps protect them through native gardens, honeybee hives, and conservation initiatives. Entry fee: $4 after general zoo admission.
Raptor Encounter
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center | Bayside
May 30 | 1-2 p.m.
Come to the Great Hall to see two birds from the nature center’s raptor program. During this meet-and-greet experience, you can talk with raptor handlers about the specific skills, traits and adaptations that are unique to that bird. The program educates about raptor ecology, conservation and these birds’ important roles in the ecosystem, with an emphasis on hawks, owls, eagles and falcons, plus an American Crow. Free with membership or admission.
Strong body, strong mind
MKE REC Family Day of Play
Wick Playfield
May 30 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Families are invited to enjoy 10+ engaging activities, including an obstacle course, bubble bash, lava land, crafts, games and various types of sports equipment available for free play. The day also features delicious food available for purchase, raffle drawings for amazing prizes and live music filling the air. You’re welcome to bring a picnic lunch, but a limited number of tables and chairs will be available, so bring your own if you have them.
Moms Mental Health Initiative Summer Social
Wilson Park
May 30 | 9 a.m.-Noon
The fifth annual event doubles as a celebration of MMHI’s 10 years supporting the strength of the organization’s participants and the immeasurable power of togetherness. Funds raised from the silent auction, pluck-a-duck, raffle and donations will allow MMHI to continue offering hope and help to perinatal people struggling in Southeast Wisconsin and Dane County.
Music and movement
MSO Sensory-Friendly Concert: Musical Influencers
Bradley Symphony Center
May 31 | 2:30 p.m.
Good times and great music will be trending as onstage influencers from Pink Umbrella Theater introduce you to some of the most influential composers of all time. This special performance is designed for people of any age on the autism spectrum or with a sensory sensitivity and their families, but all are welcome!
Concert modifications include dimmed house lights remaining on during the performance, flexible seating, relaxed house rules, on-stage hosts, available sensory kits, noise-reduction headphones, quiet areas, concert social narratives and more. Patrons are encouraged to come early and enjoy an hour of special pre-concert activities.
Kid Boogie Down
The Cooperage
May 31 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Get your groove on as DJ Lukewarm introduces young audiences to genres ranging from classic disco and funk to modern hits synced with matching music videos. Plus, you’ll enjoy lots of kid-friendly fun: music, foggy bubbles, videos, temporary tattoos, a ring toss, snacks, cotton candy, and a vintage clothing and toy pop-up shop. Grab a four-pack of tickets for a $10+ discount.
Ferns, fossils and trees
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
Oriental Theatre
May 30-31 | Noon
Enjoy this family-friendly classic as Milwaukee Film wraps up its “Ani-May” movie series. When a sprite named Crysta shrinks a human boy named Zak down to her size, he vows to help the magical fairy folk stop a greedy logging company from destroying their home: the pristine rainforest known as FernGully. Zak and his new friends fight to defend FernGully from lumberjacks and the vengeful spirit they accidentally unleash after chopping down a magic tree.
Tree Climbing Festival
Riveredge Nature Center | Saukville
May 30 | 10 a.m.-Noon
Encounter the giants of the forest and explore trees from a new perspective as you climb into the canopy under the guidance of trained facilitators. Adults and children ages 7+ are invited to ascend to the top, swing from a branch or try a “bat hang.” Registration for this event includes 20 minutes of climb time, a scavenger hunt along the trails a naturalist-led hands-on nature investigation and access to picnic areas for lunch (please pack a lunch and be mindful of single-use plastic waste).
Family Fossil Hunting
Kenosha Public Museum
May 30 | 10 a.m.-Noon
Join Nick Wiersum from the Dinosaur Discovery Museum to explore the local fossils of Kenosha’s lakeshore. Meet at the museum to learn about the prehistoric life that called this area home and discuss how to locate fossils, then head out to the Simmon’s Island beach house to collect fossils of your own! The museum will provide you with any tools you will need, including a collection bag, fossil guide and magnifying glass.
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