IL: Land of drinkin’: Illinois has nation’s lowest beer prices
By Tribune News Service
February 19, 2019
Weeks after Chicago claimed the crown for most breweries in the nation, the news gets even better: Illinois is home to some of the cheapest beer prices in the U.S.
According to a study by the website Simple Thrifty Living, the average price of a 24-pack of Bud Light or Miller Lite in Illinois is $15.20 – 12 cents cheaper than those 24-packs would cost in the next-cheapest state (South Carolina; $15.32) and less than half the price of the most expensive state (Alaska; $31.21).
Though it is just one study and quite limited in nature, the results underscore a point long understood within the local beer industry: Chicago, and by extension Illinois, are home to unusually cheap beer prices.
The reason is good old competition: Chicago is one of the rare markets where Miller beers outsell Anheuser-Busch. As a result, Anheuser-Busch – the nation’s largest beer company, and a subsidiary of the world’s largest beer company, Anheuser-Busch InBev – keeps prices low to entice new customers. Miller is forced to match to retain its dominance.
Competition is heightened in Illinois among retailers, particularly Jewel-Osco, Binnys and Marino’s, which are known for trying to outfox one another on pricing.
The winner? Beer buyers.
A 2017 version of the study rated Illinois as having the third-cheapest beer prices.