Packs
Well above normal50 lb sack of onions price, FOB by origin and size
A 50 lb sack of onions costs mostly $9.00 FOB at the shipping point, yellow medium out of Washington, as of Nov 4, 2026. Jumbos from the same origin were mostly $11.00. Every price is per sack, before freight, from USDA shipping-point reports.
Data through Nov 4, 2026 · source last checked Nov 5, 2026 · page revised Nov 5, 2026
Cite
- Washington
- Idaho-Eastern Oregon
- New York
- California
- New Mexico
- Texas
- Mexico
- Wisconsin
About this data
- Source
- USDA AMS shipping-point onion FOB reports (FV130)
- Series
- Onions by pack: 50 lb sacks, by origin, variety and size
- Basis
- FOB shipping point, low-high range
- Geography
- Across US growing origins
- Unit
- $/50 lb sack
- Last observation
- Nov 4, 2026
- Update frequency
- USDA reports on business days
Mostly $9.00 per 50 lb sack, 16% above the 5-yr median. Comparison midpoint: $9.00.
Washington yellow medium, 50 lb sacks, mostly $9.00 FOB. Year over year the price is up $4.00 from $5.00, running 16% above the 5-year median. Prices came off 50 cents on the week.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | $9.00 | $9.50 | -5.3% |
| Month over month | $9.00 | $10.50 | -14.3% |
| Year over year | $9.00 | $5.00 | +80.0% |
| vs 5-yr median | $9.00 | $7.75 | +16.1% |
| Origin | Variety | Size | FOB per sack | Per pound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho-Eastern Oregon | White | Medium | mostly $20.00-22.00 | $0.40-0.44 |
| Idaho-Eastern Oregon | White | Jumbo | mostly $24.00 | $0.48 |
| Idaho-Eastern Oregon | Yellow | Medium | $9.00-11.00 | $0.18-0.22 |
| Idaho-Eastern Oregon | Yellow | Jumbo | mostly $12.00 | $0.24 |
| Idaho-Eastern Oregon | Yellow | Colossal | mostly $13.00-14.00 | $0.26-0.28 |
| Idaho-Eastern Oregon | Yellow | Super colossal | mostly $14.00-15.00 | $0.28-0.30 |
| New York | Red | Medium | mostly $18.00 | $0.36 |
| New York | Yellow | Medium | mostly $13.00 | $0.26 |
| Washington | White | Medium | $20.00-24.00 | $0.40-0.48 |
| Washington | White | Jumbo | $22.00-25.00 | $0.44-0.50 |
| Washington | Yellow | Medium | mostly $9.00 | $0.18 |
| Washington | Yellow | Jumbo | mostly $11.00 | $0.22 |
| Washington | Yellow | Colossal | mostly $12.00-13.00 | $0.24-0.26 |
| Origin | FOB per 50 lb sack | Per pound | Last quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | mostly $9.00 | $0.18 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Idaho-Eastern Oregon | $9.00-11.00 | $0.18-0.22 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| New York | mostly $13.00 | $0.26 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| California | mostly $13.00 | $0.26 | Aug 14, 2026 |
| New Mexico | $13.00-17.00 | $0.26-0.34 | Aug 12, 2026 |
| Texas | mostly $13.00-15.00 | $0.26-0.30 | May 19, 2026 |
| Mexico | $14.00-15.00 | $0.28-0.30 | Apr 29, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | mostly $10.00-12.00 | $0.20-0.24 | Mar 6, 2026 |
| Origin | Months quoted, past 12 months | Last quote |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | Jul-May | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Idaho-Eastern Oregon | Aug-Apr | Nov 4, 2026 |
| New York | Oct-May | Nov 4, 2026 |
| California | Apr-Aug | Aug 14, 2026 |
| New Mexico | May-Aug | Aug 13, 2026 |
| Texas | Mar-May | May 19, 2026 |
| Mexico | Jan-Apr | Apr 29, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Nov-Mar | Mar 6, 2026 |
Previous weeks
An earlier week
Washington yellow medium in 50 lb sacks mostly $9.00, down 0.50 on the week and down 1.50 month-over-month, but up 4.00 year-over-year. The current level sits 16% above the 5-year median of $7.75. Jumbos from the same origin were mostly $11.00.
An earlier week
Washington yellow medium, 50 lb sacks, mostly $9.00 as of Nov 2, down 50 cents from the prior week. The price stands 16% above the 5-year median.
Week of Oct 30, 2026
Mostly $9.00-10.00 per 50 lb sack, yellow medium from Washington, down 9.5% from a week earlier. The market sits 23% above the 5-year median, up 90% from a year ago.
An earlier week
Washington yellow medium 50-lb sacks fell to mostly $9.00-10.00, down 9.5% from the prior week. The level sits 23% above the 5-yr median but is up 90% year over year.
About the 50 lb onion sack
The 50-lb sack is the pack most onion shipping-point prices are written against. It is a mesh or poly bag of one size and one variety, the pack the storage crop moves in, bought by repackers, foodservice distributors and retail distribution centers that take whole pallets.
On Nov 4, 2026, Idaho-Eastern Oregon, New York and Washington quoted onions in 50-lb sacks, 13 variety and size combinations in all, every one listed in the table above. Out of Washington that day, a yellow jumbo sack (mostly $11.00) ran $2.00 over a yellow medium (mostly $9.00) at the midpoints and a white jumbo ($22.00-25.00) sold for 2.1 times the yellow jumbo.
Size sets the price inside the sack. USDA quotes each size separately, and the gap between a medium and a jumbo sack is the premium a buyer pays for fewer, bigger onions per bag, which is why a foodservice line that slices rings buys jumbo or colossal while a retail repacker splitting sacks into 3-lb bags buys mediums. Onion sizes and grades gives the diameter behind each size name.
Divide by 50 to get the per-pound price, the only fair way to set a sack against a 25-lb sack or a 40-lb carton. USDA reports shipments in units of 10,000 pounds, which is 200 fifty-pound sacks, so 500 units shipped is 100,000 sacks.
The origin changes through the year. The storage crops, Idaho-Eastern Oregon, Washington and New York, quote sacks from late summer or fall into spring; Texas, Mexico and California's Imperial Valley fill the spring as storage onions run out, and New Mexico and California's San Joaquin Valley the summer. The season table above shows the months each origin actually quoted over the past year.
Common questions
How much does a 50 lb sack of onions cost?
Mostly $9.00 FOB at the shipping point for yellow medium onions out of Washington, as of Nov 4, 2026 (USDA). That is the wholesale price loaded on a truck at the packing shed, before freight and before a distributor's or retailer's margin.
What is a 50 lb sack of onions per pound?
$0.18 a pound at the Nov 4, 2026 shipping-point price of mostly $9.00 for yellow medium out of Washington. Divide the sack price by 50. Comparing per pound is the only fair way to set a sack against a 25-lb sack or a 40-lb carton, because bagging and handling cost about the same per package.
Why do jumbo onions cost more than mediums in a 50 lb sack?
Buyers pay for fewer, larger onions per bag: less peeling and trimming per pound in a kitchen, and the size a ring or slice line needs. USDA quotes each size as its own price. On Nov 4, 2026, out of Washington, a yellow jumbo sack (mostly $11.00) ran $2.00 over a yellow medium (mostly $9.00) at the midpoints.
How many 50 lb sacks are in a USDA shipment unit?
- USDA reports onion movement in units of 10,000 pounds, so one unit is 200 fifty-pound sacks, 400 twenty-five-pound sacks or 250 forty-pound cartons.