US milk prices have demonstrated a long-term upward trajectory from 2005 through 2025, with the price increasing from 15.1 $/cwt to 21.2 $/cwt over this period. This represents a total increase of 6.04 $/cwt, equivalent to 39.9% growth across twenty years with a compound annual growth rate of 1.7%. The market experienced notable volatility throughout the timeframe, reaching a low of 12.8 $/cwt in 2009 and a peak of 25.3 $/cwt in 2022. The most significant annual movement occurred between 2006 and 2007, when prices surged 48.5% from 12.9 $/cwt to 19.1 $/cwt. The historical data reflects a generally rising trend punctuated by substantial year-to-year variations.
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Claight forecast CLAIGHT VIEW
The Claight forecast extends us milk price toward its 10-year average of 18.591 $/cwt using partial mean reversion (22% per year). Farm prices are driven by acreage, yields, weather, feed costs and export demand; this is a baseline, not a point call.
Data table
| Year | $/cwt |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 15.1 |
| 2006 | 12.9 |
| 2007 | 19.1 |
| 2008 | 18.3 |
| 2009 | 12.8 |
| 2010 | 16.3 |
| 2011 | 20.1 |
| 2012 | 18.5 |
| 2013 | 20.1 |
| 2014 | 24.0 |
| 2015 | 17.1 |
| 2016 | 16.3 |
| 2017 | 17.6 |
| 2018 | 16.3 |
| 2019 | 18.6 |
| 2020 | 18.1 |
| 2021 | 18.5 |
| 2022 | 25.3 |
| 2023 | 20.3 |
| 2024 | 22.6 |
| 2025 | 21.2 |
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, QuickStats, accessed 2026-07-04. Licence: Public domain (U.S. government work). Claight analysis based on this data.