{"surveyDate":"2026-10-01","runTimestamp":"2026-10-01T08:02:34.826Z","methodologyVersion":"3.1","instrument":{"model":"gpt-5.5-2026-04-23","promptHash":"8043be08cd0a267e","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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 29 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken, not a bundle/coupon. Above McValue Under $3 headline but within plausibility."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 28 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken and within McValue Under $3 range."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 18 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken and within McValue Under $3 range."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 35 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken and within McValue Under $3 range."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 34 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken and within McValue Under $3 range."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 49 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken and within McValue Under $3 range."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 19 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken and within McValue Under $3 range."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 26 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken and within McValue Under $3 range."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 40 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken, not a bundle/coupon. Above McValue Under $3 headline but within plausibility."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 15 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken, not a bundle/coupon. High within plausibility and above McValue Under $3 headline."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 18 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken and within McValue Under $3 range."},{"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":"Updated October 2026","asOf":"2026-10-01","carriedFromDate":null,"citationCheck":{"fetched":true,"priceFound":true,"httpStatus":200,"error":null},"notes":"Pinned MPT city average across 38 app-sourced locations; standalone McChicken, not a bundle/coupon. Slightly above McValue Under $3 headline but within plausibility."}],"spec":{"reading":null,"status":"carried","appliedGrams":139.46,"rawExcerpt":null},"wage":{"usdPerHour":32.53,"month":"2026-08","fetchedAt":"2026-10-01T08:00:52.975Z","source":"FRED AHETPI (api)"},"nationalEstimates":[{"estimate":2.86,"source_url":"https://menupricetracker.com/mcdonalds-menu/mcchicken","as_of":"2026-09-13","description":"MenuPriceTracker national average McChicken price across 13,575 U.S. locations/neighborhoods; app/store-level sourced, range $1.00-$5.79."}],"regimeEvents":[{"date":"2026-09-23","event":"McDonald's announced its NEXT strategy, citing dedicated value leadership, a +1.5 percentage-point chicken-category share target by 2030, and restaurant-efficiency investments; no immediate McChicken price, formulation, or portion-size change was announced.","source_url":"https://mcdonalds.mediaroom.com/2026-09-23-McDONALDS-ADVANCES-NEXT-STRATEGY-TO-BECOME-FIRST-CHOICE-FOR-MORE-CUSTOMERS,-MORE-OFTEN"},{"date":"2026-09-24","event":"CNN/KSL reported McDonald's was discussing a new value menu with franchisees to replace the recently introduced '$3 and Under' menu, after promotion complexity had hurt operations; flagged as a prospective national value-menu regime change, not applied to index prices.","source_url":"https://www.ksl.com/article/51628021/mcdonalds-is-spending-billions-to-make-major-changes"},{"date":"2026-09-24","event":"AP/NBC reported McDonald's plans to test/expand grilled chicken sandwiches, wraps, egg bites, bowls, and portion-flexibility/protein-focused items for GLP-1 and protein-seeking consumers; no McChicken-specific reformulation or size change was stated.","source_url":"https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/mcdonalds-reveals-major-changes-coming-to-menus-including-a-shift-due-to-glp-1s/3993410/"}],"qualityNotes":"All 12 observations came from the pinned MenuPriceTracker pages, each labeled app-sourced and Updated October 2026, fetched on 2026-10-01; no delivery platforms or banned content farms were used. Prices are metro/city averages rather than a single store's kiosk quote, so same-day store verification may differ. The hardest metros were New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Phoenix because the MPT standalone averages exceed the McValue Under $3 headline; these were retained as observed menu prices and flagged in notes.","outcome":{"status":"published","mciMinutes":5.3,"panelPriceUsd":2.85},"usage":{"inputTokens":117324,"outputTokens":8140}}