{"surveyDate":"2026-08-17","runTimestamp":"2026-08-17T08:04:58.117Z","methodologyVersion":"3.1","instrument":{"model":"gpt-5.5-2026-04-23","promptHash":"7dc349ba4707eb89","reasoningEffort":"xhigh"},"metros":[{"metro":"New York, NY","status":"verified","price":4.05,"reportedPrice":4.05,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/new-york/new-york","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; above official Under-$3 framing but within plausibility band; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Philadelphia, PA","status":"verified","price":2.98,"reportedPrice":2.98,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/pennsylvania/philadelphia","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; below $3 and consistent with McValue Under $3 participation; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Atlanta, GA","status":"verified","price":2.65,"reportedPrice":2.65,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/georgia/atlanta","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; below $3 and consistent with McValue Under $3 participation; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Miami, FL","status":"verified","price":2.83,"reportedPrice":2.83,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/florida/miami","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; below $3 and consistent with McValue Under $3 participation; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Dallas, TX","status":"verified","price":2.1,"reportedPrice":2.1,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/texas/dallas","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; below $3 and consistent with McValue Under $3 participation; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Chicago, IL","status":"verified","price":2.87,"reportedPrice":2.87,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/illinois/chicago","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; below $3 and consistent with McValue Under $3 participation; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Kansas City, MO","status":"verified","price":2.29,"reportedPrice":2.29,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/missouri/kansas-city","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; below $3 and consistent with McValue Under $3 participation; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Columbus, OH","status":"verified","price":2.48,"reportedPrice":2.48,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/ohio/columbus","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; below $3 and consistent with McValue Under $3 participation; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Los Angeles, CA","status":"verified","price":3.56,"reportedPrice":3.56,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/california/los-angeles","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; above official Under-$3 framing but within plausibility band; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Seattle, WA","status":"verified","price":4.28,"reportedPrice":4.28,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/washington/seattle","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; near high end of plausibility band and above official Under-$3 framing; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Denver, CO","status":"verified","price":2.6,"reportedPrice":2.6,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/colorado/denver","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"value_menu_listed","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; below $3 and consistent with McValue Under $3 participation; no meal/coupon used."},{"metro":"Phoenix, AZ","status":"verified","price":3.04,"reportedPrice":3.04,"sourceUrl":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds/arizona/phoenix","sourceType":"pinned_aggregator","priceType":"standard_menu","pageUpdated":"August 2026","asOf":"2026-08-17","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned city page reports the McChicken city average; just above official Under-$3 framing but within plausibility band; no meal/coupon used."}],"spec":{"reading":null,"status":"carried","appliedGrams":139.46,"rawExcerpt":null},"wage":{"usdPerHour":32.4,"month":"2026-07","fetchedAt":"2026-08-17T08:01:41.351Z","source":"FRED AHETPI (api)"},"nationalEstimates":[{"estimate":2.86,"source_url":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds-menu/mcchicken","as_of":"2026-08-06","description":"MenuPriceTracker national McChicken average from app-sourced store-level data across U.S. locations/neighborhoods; not used as a metro substitute."},{"estimate":4.59,"source_url":"https://www.pricelisto.com/items/mcdonalds-mcchicken-price","as_of":"2026-05-31","description":"PriceListo item page displayed $4.59 and a 12-month average table through May 2026; methodology/user-business-provided and not used for panel prices."}],"regimeEvents":[{"date":"2026-08-17","event":"Official McValue page still lists McChicken under the Under $3 Menu for lunch/dinner, with prices and participation varying and McDelivery excluded; status check, not a new launch.","source_url":"https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/full-menu/mcvalue-menu.html"},{"date":"2026-08-04","event":"Q2 2026 commentary reported U.S. value execution issues, reduced digital offers, planned more national digital offers starting the following week, and management noting base menu pricing had run high versus competitors in many places.","source_url":"https://apnews.com/article/mcdonalds-profit-economy-9b9ef2da69dc72451928176f17051126"},{"date":"2026-08-12","event":"Anecdotal Reddit thread reported multiple locations showing $1.50 McChicken plus a free-medium-fries app deal; treated as local/app-promo signal only and not used for metro menu prices.","source_url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/McDonalds/comments/1vlzixs/not_bad_for_150/"},{"date":"2026-08-13","event":"High-engagement anecdotal Reddit thread reported a McDonald's Under-$3/value display with no items under $3, suggesting local nonparticipation or price dispersion rather than a confirmed national withdrawal.","source_url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/1vn1c6s/not_a_single_item_is_under_3/"}],"qualityNotes":"All 12 panel observations came from the pinned MenuPriceTracker primary city pages, which label prices as McDonald's-app-sourced and updated August 2026; no delivery platforms or prohibited content farms were used for metro prices. The hardest metros were New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and Phoenix because their averages exceed the official Under-$3 framing, so they are classified as standard_menu while below-$3 metro averages are tagged value_menu_listed. City averages can mask store-level variation, and aggregator data should be cross-checked against the McDonald's app for store-specific ordering.","outcome":{"status":"published","mciMinutes":5.3,"panelPriceUsd":2.85},"usage":{"inputTokens":114528,"outputTokens":12847}}